Liverpool to Reykjavik

Liverpool grew to greatness in the 18th century, as the riches of the Americas and the West Indies flowed through its docks and marketplaces. (At one point it even had more dock space than London.) More recently, the town’s fame grew along with its most famous sons: the Beatles. Visit Town Hall, the Walker Art Gallery, and the delights of the restored Albert Dock, with its classy shops and maritime museum.

AViking kingdom more than a thousand years ago, Douglas is today the capital of the Isle of Man. The shopping high street, filled with some of Europe’s biggest retailers as well as local shops, leads to the magnificent sea front lined with restaurants, theaters and museums. The Douglas Horse Trams also run along the harbor, and nighttime illuminations along the shore light up landmarks such as the stately Tower of Refuge, creating an unforgettable after-dark vista.

Derry, also known as Londonderry, is a city on the River Foyle in Northern Ireland. It’s known for the intact 17th-century Derry’s Walls with 7 gates. Within the walls, spired St. Columb’s Cathedral displays artefacts from the 1688–9 Siege of Derry. Near the Peace Bridge, the Tower Museum has city views and historical exhibits. Huge stained-glass windows adorn the neo-Gothic red sandstone Guildhall.

Located at the northern tip of the British Isles, nearly 50 miles northeast of the Orkneys, the Shetland Islands are a mosaic of more than a 100 islands. Craggy cliffs sculpted by turbulent seas are in stark contrast to the tranquil, sandy bays and flower-strewn meadows found here.

Aplace of contrasts and balance, Kirkwall offers the high points of a large Scottish city – stellar local shopping and impressive historical sites like the St. Magnus Cathedral and ruins of the Bishop’s Palace and Earl’s Palace – as well as the charms of a small village. It is a relatively quiet ferry landing town that is also an excellent example of an ancient Norse settlement, making Kirkwall itself a living museum.

With roots firmly grounded in Viking language and tradition, the 18 islands that form the Faroes are steeped in history, graced with windswept wilderness and occupied by people with a hearty passion for survival.

With 17,000 citizens, Tórshavn, which means “The Harbor of the god Thor,” is the smallest capital in the world and is said to be the oldest capital in Scandinavia. The colorful houses and tiny fishing boats decorate a harbor that is charming and inviting.

Djúpivogur is a small town and municipality located on a peninsula in the Austurland in eastern Iceland, near the island of Papey and on the fjord Berufjörður. The municipality was formed by the merger of rural communities Berunes,

Isolated in a northern landscape of icy tranquility, Iceland is a land of volcanoes, hot springs, mountains and glaciers. As the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík reflects this natural diversity with ancient maritime history as well as a thriving modern energy and sophistication.

Isolated in a northern landscape of icy tranquility, Iceland is a land of volcanoes, hot springs, mountains and glaciers. As the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík reflects this natural diversity with ancient maritime history as well as a thriving modern energy and sophistication.