26-Day Northern Europe Grand Adventure

Located in eastern Northern Ireland on Belfast Lough, an inlet of the north channel of the Irish Sea, Belfast is the capital and largest city in the country.

You can thank Olav Kyrre.

He’s the Viking king who founded Bergen in 1070. During the Middle Ages, the city became Scandinavia’s primary port, and today, against all odds, you can still see buildings and other relics of this long period. There’s the medieval fortress of Bergenhus, as well as the summer home of composer Edvard Grieg. Bergen, Norway is also a jumping off point for excursions to some of Norway’s wonders, such as Sorfjord, Samnangerfjord, Tokagjel Gorge and Steindalsfjoss Waterfall. After you’ve visited all of these, there will be a short spelling quiz.

Berlin, city and state (1991 est. pop. 3,450,000), 341 sq mi (883 sq km), in E Germany on the Spree and Havel rivers, de jure capital of the country. It is within, but administratively not a part of, Brandenburg. Berlin is Germany’s largest city, its historic capital, and a major cultural center. The city’s manufactures include electrical equipment, chemicals, and clothing. Among its many cultural institutions are the renowned Berlin Philharmonic, the gallery of the Charlottenberg Palace, with its collection of Rembrandts, and the Pergamum museum, known for classical art. Formed from two villages chartered in the 13th cent., Berlin was a leading member of the Hanseatic League and became prominent as a commercial, cultural, and communications center of Central Europe. It was the capital of Prussia and of the German Empire after 1871 and the Weimar Republic (see Germany) after World War I. In World War II it was badly damaged by Allied bombing and a Soviet artillery attack.

In 1945 it was divided into British, American, and French occupation zones (West Berlin) and a Soviet zone (East Berlin). The status of divided Berlin became a major cold war issue, and in 1948-49 the Western powers carried out a large-scale airlift to supply West Berlin during a Soviet land and water blockade. In 1949 East Berlin was made the capital of East Germany; in 1950 West Berlin was established as a state within, and the de jure capital of, West Germany, with Bonn as
the de facto capital. In August 1961 East German authorities erected the 29 mile (47km) Berlin Wall along the line of partition to halt the exodus of refugees to the West. As the East German Communist regime collapsed (1989-90), the Wall was breached (Nov. 9, 1989). Upon German reunification in Oct. 1990, the new, all-German parliament held a symbolic session in Berlin in the old Reichstag building, and in 1991 it voted to move the federal government to the city. The move is to be completed by the end of the year 2000; some government offices will remain in Bonn.

In 1773, the only visitors arriving to Boston’s shores were the English Redcoats. Today, Bostonians welcome more than 10 million visitors each year from all over the world as they arrive in Boston to enjoy this exciting and interesting city. Tourism is one of Boston’s and New England’s largest industries, and as a result you will find a city willing to accommodate and entertain you as few other cities can.

Cobblestone streets and gleaming skyscrapers blend perfectly in this historic city.

Walk the one-and-a-half-mile Freedom Trail, a tour marked by a red line, leading you through some of the most interesting chapters in U.S. history or simply stroll along Newberry Street, lined with charming shops and coffeehouses.

Elegant is the word that will come to mind.

As you take in the Danish capital’s rich history and traditions. With castles and crown jewels, galleries and museums, cathedrals and canals, the sightseeing ranks among the best in Europe.

The Strøget is a series of pedestrian-only streets which make strolling and shopping a pleasure. And be sure to visit Tivoli, a unique combination of picture-perfect flower gardens, lakes, theaters and restaurants with more than 100,000 colored lights.

Don’t worry how to pronounce Cobh, you’re really here to see Cork, Ireland, the main district of which sits on an island formed by the diverging channels of the River Lee. The city is filled with picturesque quays and bridges.

Whether you’ve come to kiss the Blarney stone, to outfit yourself in Irish tweeds or to hear “The Bells of Shandon” ringing, Cork and its surrounding countryside will charm you from glen to glen.

Graceful design, imaginative architecture the Finns have long been admired for their beautiful buildings, gardens and parks. You’ll enjoy visiting them too, as you pass all styles of centuries past and present, from medieval to neoclassical, as well as the superb ultramodern creations by Aalto, Saarinen, and other Finnish masters.

Situated at the head of a 60-mile fjord, Oslo, Norway, one of the oldest of the Scandinavian capitals, is beautifully framed by a vast expanse of woods, moors and lakeland. A blend of 19th- and 20th-century architectural styles, Norway’s capital is known for the wood carvings and colorful frescoes that decorate its buildings and public spaces.

Founded as a fortress in the 13th century, Stockholm eventually grew to become the capital of Sweden. It is a city of remarkable beauty with numerous parks, tree-lined squares and boulevards, and pleasant water vistas. To grasp the full character of Stockholm, visitors must hop from island to island, each of which boasts its own personality. Sergels Torg, a central square located in Norrmalm, serves as the focal point for modern Stockholm. On Helgeans Holmen, the tiny island
immediately south of Norrmalm, sits the Riksdagshuset (Parliament Building), followed by the medieval Gamla Stan (Old Town) island and then the large Sodermalm, a bohemian enclave in a former blue-collar quarter.

Across the Strommen (the Current) lie the two scenic islands of Skeppsholmen and Kastell-Holmen. Farther east, Djurgarden Island houses a number of city museums and connects to the northern Ostermalm, a pricey residential neighborhood that adjoins Norrmalm sprawling across 14 islands, the Swedish capital has always enjoyed an ideal
commercial location at the confluence of Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea. As a result, a forest of high-rise office buildings and condominiums has grown up beside the medieval castles that once guarded Sweden’s strategic waterways. Founded in the mid-13th century, this former outpost developed into a vibrant capital in the 17th century, when landscapers and architects began to build elegant parks and squares that rivaled those in the finest European cities.

Today, picturesque Stockholm boasts a stunning combination of man-made gardens in its center and natural scenery on its outskirts, where sun-lit lakes shimmer in the pine-clad countryside.

The capital and largest city in Estonia, Tallinn is located on the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, Finland. It offers an interesting blend of modern, Western atmosphere with well preserved medieval buildings, walls and narrow streets. It is very popular with artists and has numerous galleries, museums and cultural festivals.