Cruising to the Heart of the Baltic

Finland's capital since 1812, built on a peninsula amid a cluster of islands, stately Helsinki is The Daughter of the Baltic.This striking seaside port is surrounded by uplifting natural landscapes that are easily accessible from each area of the city. The opportunities to get out and about includes boating around the archipelago islands, hiking Helsinki’s forests or strolling its beaches, smart parks and gardens.

The port also boasts a UNESCO-listed sea fortress just a short distance from the shore, which is worth the short ferry journey to explore its historic walls and gates. 

Senate Square, one of Finland’s most photographed places, is home to fine examples of neoclassical architecture, including unique designs from renowned architect, Carl Ludvig Engel. Other architectural delights include the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, the imposing concert hall, Musiikkitalo, and the Temppeliaukio, an astonishing rock-carved church. Helsinki's stunning train station built in 1919, also demands discovery.

Finnish cuisine can be found across the city, from the historic kauppahalli (covered market) to popular, creative bistros. Locally-sourced reindeer, elk, bear, Arctic char and snow grouse, often find their way onto the menu.

The jewel in the Baltic crown and Russia's most European city, elegant St Petersburg was the imperial capital for two centuries, and Tsar Peter the Great's 'Window on the West'. The sheer grandeur of the city, and its revolutionary spirit, never fail to impress.

Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great – immortalised by the city's iconic Bronze Horseman statue – St Petersburg remains Russia's cultural centre. The Mariinsky Theatre hosts world-class opera and ballet, and the State Russian Museum showcases a wide collection of superb Russian art.

St Petersburg is utterly captivating, with baroque palaces, wide elegant streets, ornate bridges and broad curving canals – the city is built on 40 islands at the mouth of the River Neva. The main street, Nevsky Prospekt, is 5km long and lined with cafés, bars and restaurants mixed in with upmarket hotels and sumptuous shops.

On Neva embankment, the Winter Palace, with over a thousand rooms, is the most magnificent of six buildings that make up the Hermitage Museum. It is one of 125 museums and galleries, including the imposing seafront Peterhof Royal Palace and Park. The city is enchanting during the “White Nights” of midsummer, when a brief twilight blends into dawn, and street entertainment lasts throughout the long days and short, white nights.

Eight hundred years have shaped the unique appearance and rich traditions of Latvia’s capital, Riga. The Gothic spires that dominate its skyline imply a sombre heart, but the rich Art Nouveau spirit of this diverse city, the largest of all three Baltic capitals, is a delight to discover.

Set at the mouth of the River Daugava, the cultural centre of Riga has been an important centre for trade and finance over the centuries, and boasts fine examples of architecture, museums and concert halls. The city’s modern urban structures blend seamlessly with medieval castles, churches and the wooden buildings of its medieval Old Town. The pedestrian-only Old Town – now a UNESCO World Heritage – has many shops and restaurants and is home to the bustling Livu Square.

Travemünde is a coastal suburb of Lübeck - a magnificent UNESCO-listed town steeped in history and former capital of the Hanseatic League. Home to many wealthy merchants during the Hanseatic era, an array of wonderful gabled houses, stunning churches and public buildings with huge gates, vast towers and gilded steeples were built in Lübeck. These monuments of a by-gone era have to be seen to be believed and all are within easy reach of Travemünde.

If you wish to stay in Travemünde to see what this delightful coastal resort has to offer, you won’t be disappointed. An appealing tourist attraction in its own right, Travemünde is more than just a gateway to Lübeck. With a beautiful beach – famous for its roofed wicker beach chairs and many cafes and restaurants, Travemünde is a great place to relax. Be sure to visit the borough’s lighthouse – the oldest on the German Baltic coast.

Connecting the North Sea, at the mouth of the Elbe River, to the Baltic Sea at Holtenau, the Kiel Canal is one of the world’s busiest and most important shipping routes. Slicing a man-made path through the German countryside, this 61-mile-long marvel of engineering allows vessels to avoid 250 nautical miles of sea sailing on average, ensuring a faster and safer passage through Europe.

As picturesque as it is important, the Kiel Canal is a popular route for ‘pleasure’ crafts and smaller-sized cruise ships such as those in the Fred. Olsen fleet. Sailing slowly along the canal presents an opportunity to take in gorgeous scenes of lush-green countryside and a collection of interesting villages and towns flanking the still waters, and marvel at several impressive bridges. Maritime enthusiasts will delight at the various shapes, sizes and sheer volume of the ships and vessels navigating this busy waterway too.