Denmark, Sweden & Finland

Copenhagen is known as a city of spires: the skyline of its medieval core is punctuated only by the steeples of churches and towers of palaces, though a modern building boom has overtaken other parts of the city. Today’s Copenhagen is known for its excellent quality of life and environmental consciousness – with many parks, it is green both literally and in today’s sense of the word. It is also bicycle-friendly, with bike paths lining almost every major street. After a ride or wander through the old town, stop for a local repast of Smørrebrød, traditional open-face sandwiches, or a mouthwatering Danish pastry.

Gdańsk is a 1,000-year-old port city on the Baltic coast of Poland, which, together with the city of Gdynia and the town of Sopot, makes up the metropolitan area Trójmiasto, “the Tricity”. Home to the Westerplatte, where World War II broke out in 1939, Gdańsk was mostly destroyed during the war, but there are still many impressive sights. Wander through cobblestone streets and mazes of red-brick buildings to discover the Upland Gate, St. Mary’s Church, the medieval Gdańsk Crane or the stunning façade of the Great Arsenal. Explore treasures of “Baltic Gold” at the Amber Museum or collections of paintings, fabrics, and furniture at the National Museum, housed in a former Franciscan monastery. Relax at a beer garden or restaurant and take in the beautiful coastline. Make your way to Gdynia, home of the Polish navy, to feast on seafood or a visit to a floating museum in the form of two ships—Dar Pomorza and Blyskawica.

Gdańsk is a 1,000-year-old port city on the Baltic coast of Poland, which, together with the city of Gdynia and the town of Sopot, makes up the metropolitan area Trójmiasto, “the Tricity”. Home to the Westerplatte, where World War II broke out in 1939, Gdańsk was mostly destroyed during the war, but there are still many impressive sights. Wander through cobblestone streets and mazes of red-brick buildings to discover the Upland Gate, St. Mary’s Church, the medieval Gdańsk Crane or the stunning façade of the Great Arsenal. Explore treasures of “Baltic Gold” at the Amber Museum or collections of paintings, fabrics, and furniture at the National Museum, housed in a former Franciscan monastery. Relax at a beer garden or restaurant and take in the beautiful coastline. Make your way to Gdynia, home of the Polish navy, to feast on seafood or a visit to a floating museum in the form of two ships—Dar Pomorza and Blyskawica.

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Riga’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, its winding, wobbly lanes are beautiful to wander through. But the most outstanding are the avenues of art nouveau buildings some, with their adornments of femmes fatales and fiendish gargoyles, are so amazing you can’t pass without stopping.

Despite occupation at one time or another by each of its near neighbors, Tallinn is independent-minded and has creative ways of showing it – consider the Singing Revolution of 1988, the massive musical demonstration against Soviet rule that set Estonia on the path to independence. Visit St Olav’s Church, once the tallest building in the world, at least until 1625. Then pull up a chair at one of the cafés in the charming town square, heart of the city for 800 years. After your coffee, explore St. Catherine’s Passage, a quaint old lane, home to a collection of craft workshops, and check out the secret 17th C. tunnel system.

Helsinki is a successful blend of traditional and modern architecture and design, interwoven with the beauty of nature, and a few quirky, purely Finnish touches – such as a church built inside a giant chunk of granite, and a venue that is a unique combination of café, restaurant, bar, laundromat, and sauna. Classic Russian onion-domed churches share the stage with Nordic minimalism, and a large concentration of Art Nouveau buildings. Prominent globally in the fields of technology (think Nokia) and design (Marimekko and Aero), Finland has also recently topped the charts as having the world’s best educational system.

Formerly part of the Russian Empire (and named by Alexander II after the Empress Maria), Mariehamn, the capital of Aland, sits on an archipelago of over 6,500 islands at the entrance to the beautiful Gulf of Bothnia.

Mariehamn’s scenic harbors, marinas, greenery, charming wooden houses, and wide, straight streets make it the perfect place to explore on foot. Be sure to stroll the Esplanade, an avenue accented with the aroma of lime trees stretching from east to west—harbor to harbor—across the peninsula.

Lively, cosmopolitan Stockholm sports an appealing mix of modern Scandinavian architecture and fairy tale palaces, watched over by a Board of Beauty, responsible for preserving the city. One third of its area is devoted to green space, and another third to waterways, providing lots of room to breathe. Gamla Stan is the oldest section, retaining the medieval layout of narrow meandering paths. For the contemporary take there’s Sodermalm, known trendily as SoFo, with welcoming restaurants and pubs, specialty shops and boutiques. Stieg Larson fans hang out here, as it is the area of the city where most action in the Millennium novels takes place.

Lively, cosmopolitan Stockholm sports an appealing mix of modern Scandinavian architecture and fairy tale palaces, watched over by a Board of Beauty, responsible for preserving the city. One third of its area is devoted to green space, and another third to waterways, providing lots of room to breathe. Gamla Stan is the oldest section, retaining the medieval layout of narrow meandering paths. For the contemporary take there’s Sodermalm, known trendily as SoFo, with welcoming restaurants and pubs, specialty shops and boutiques. Stieg Larson fans hang out here, as it is the area of the city where most action in the Millennium novels takes place.