Oslo, Norway     August 6, 2010

Arrive in Oslo, Norway and check into your included hotel.

Oslo, Norway     August 7, 2010

Today’s tour provides an excellent overview of the history, art and culture of Oslo. Your motorcoach will take you through the center of the city, passing Ekeberg and such landmarks as Karl Johan Street (named for King Karl Johan), the Parliament Building, the Royal Palace, the National Theater and the City Hall, as your guide provides an informative narration.

Stop in the Vigeland Sculpture Park where you can explore the work of Gustav Vigeland. There are more than 150 stone and bronze sculptures here, symbolizing the different stages in the life of mankind.

After our visit to the sculpture park we’ll drive to Bygdøy peninsula and the Viking Ship Museum. The museum’s exhibits include artifacts from the great ship burials at Oseberg, Gokstad and Tune, as well as finds from the chieftains’ graves at Borre, Vestfold County. The three ships, which are the best-preserved Viking ships in existence, were found in large burial mounds in the Oslo fjord region. Because they were burial ships, they contained rich furnishings of wood and textiles. Materials dating from the Viking Period are rarely found in such good condition. These exhibits are some of the finest examples of Norwegian art and craftsmanship, as well as objects of daily use, created between 1100 and 1200 years ago.

The tour continues through one of Oslo’s most affluent residential neighborhoods and up Holmenkollen Hill to the world-renowned Holmenkollen Ski Jump, which is being rebuilt (the old ski jump has been demolished). At the nearby Frognerseteren Restaurant enjoy the soup of the day and their famous apple cake, while you savor the spectacular view of the city and the Oslofjord far below.

After lunch we’ll drive back towards the Oslo city center and the pier where your ship is waiting.

Båstad, Sweden     August 8, 2010

Båstad, located on the Bjäre peninsula, is today’s destination. The peninsula of Bjäre has a wide variety of landscapes with rolling valleys and impressive cliffs reaching far into the sea. Spring begins early in this part of the world, and this is when Bjäre turns into an El Dorado for hikers, ardent golfers and cycling fans. The evenings are warm and the water temperatures are pleasant until the end of August.

Get a great feel for this summer city during your guided tour and have plenty of free time to stroll around. Continue on to the historic Norrviken Gardens, now over 100 years old. Designed by Rudolf Abelin, these gorgeous formal gardens show the influence of Italian, English, Japanese, baroque and Renaissance garden design. Frequently the site of exhibitions and concerts, the Norrviken Gardens are a feast for the senses and a joy to explore.

Ronne Bornholm, Denmark     August 9, 2010

Kalmar, Sweden     August 10, 2010

Located in the southeast county of Småland on the Baltic Sea, Kalmar is a delightful township. Its 17th-century old town is graced with a variety of lovely buildings, cobblestone streets and pretty squares, protected by fragments of an ancient and fortified wall.

The most impressive sight in Kalmar is its castle. It was here in 1397 that the Kalmar Union uniting Sweden, Norway and Denmark was signed. Perched on a tiny island just off the coast, the castle was rebuilt in the 16th century and now has an almost magical, storybook appearance. The view of the castle from the park is magnificent and makes for an excellent photo opportunity. Walk across the old wind jetty for a guided tour of the castle, then continue to the city center, driving past the old city wall and through charming, little alleys. Pass the water tower Europa Nostra, and what may well be the best-known 17th century houses in Kalmar: “Tripp. Trapp. Trull.”

Drive along the main street towards the Stortorget, the big square featuring Kalmar’s 17th-century cathedral — the largest Italian baroque-style church in Sweden. On the other side of the square is the City Hall, built in Dutch-Renaissance style. A short drive through the city gate will bring you back to the pier.

Located on the west coast of Gotland, Visby combines an idyllic, hundred-year-old village with a large medieval town. It’s a typical Hanseatic city with a ring-wall, a well-preserved street grid, and a number of buildings dating from the Middle Ages. Here medieval church ruins and warehouses blend with low wooden and stone houses from later periods. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Sweden’s most popular summer destinations.

Today’s tour begins with a brief stop at Högklint, a nature reserve where you’ll get a ravishing view of Visby and the coastline. Trace the city’s Hanseatic past at Almedalen, its first harbor. Pass the Gunpowder Tower dating back to the 11th century; it’s the oldest remaining structure in Visby, built to protect the old harbor.

Enjoy a walk in the Botanical Gardens, created in the middle of the 19th century. Trees, shrubs and flowers from all over the world thrive in this mild climate, as do Visby’s famous roses which are found all over town. Your tour will continue in Dalmansporten where you’ll visit St. Mary’s Cathedral, originally one of the German churches, consecrated in 1225 as “the temple of the traveling merchants.” Explore Stora Torget, or Big Market Square, whose south side is dominated by the ruins of Saint Katarina, once the church of the Cistercian nuns.

Old Town Walking Tour and Concert.

Tallinn is one of the finest medieval old towns in all of Northern Europe. Enjoy the view from your coach as you pass the old town wall with towers dating from the 13th to the 15th centuries, as well as the National Opera House and Freedom Square.

The coach will take you to Dome Hill (Toompea), the site of the Parliament of Estonia, the Long Hermann Tower, the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Alexander Nevski, the Lutheran Dome Church (St. Mary’s Cathedral) with its more than 100 coats of arms, the House of the Estonian Knighthood and other sights. A stroll through the narrow cobblestone lanes and alleyways will take you to a scenic viewpoint where you can get a magnificent view of the Lower Town, with its red rooftops and slender church steeples, and the sea.

Walk through the Long Leg to the Lower Town with its grid of narrow 13th-century streets. There you’ll find old guild houses including Great Guild, Kanut Guild and the House of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads; the Church of the Holy Ghost, the Town Council’s Apothecary (1422) and Town Hall (1404). You’ll enjoy a short concert of medieval music either in the Old Town Music House (1825) or in the 14th century Tallinn City Museum.

After the concert you will go to the Katariina (Catherine’s) Passage, lined with handicraft workshops, and Müürivahe Lane with a street market filled with wool and linen products. Before rejoining the coach you will have some time on your own either to browse small workshops or have a cup of coffee in a cozy old town café.

At the end of the program you will have the option to spend some more time in the town or to return to the ship with the coach.

Experience the very best of St Petersburg on this in-depth tour. Start the day by visiting one of the most extensive art collections in the world at The Hermitage Museum, where a special early admission has been arranged for you. Founded in 1764 as the private museum of Catherine the Great, The Hermitage is Russia’s largest art museum with an astounding collection of about 3 million pieces of art.

The collection occupies four buildings: the Winter Palace, former official residence of the imperial family: the Small Hermitage, the only custom-built museum which served as Catherine’s retreat from the bustle of the court; the Old Hermitage; and the New Hermitage, which opened to the public in 1852.

The Jordan staircase, with its golden stuccowork and gleaming white marble statues, is the grand entrance to the Winter Palace. At the upper landing you’ll enter the Winter Palace’s superb staterooms: the Field Marshall’s Hall; the Small Throne Room, created in honor of Peter the Great; the Emblem Hall, with its vast gilded columns; the Gallery of 1812, displaying portraits of Russian military heroes of the Napoleonic War; the Hall of St. George, fitted in Carrara marble and gilt bronze. The Hall’s parquet floor, made up of 16 varieties of wood, beautifully reflects the ceiling motif.

Proceed to the Small Hermitage and explore the Pavilion Hall, with its slender marble columns supporting an elegant gallery and 28 sparkling cut-glass chandeliers. There you’ll find, encased in glass, the famous Peacock Clock made by a celebrated English clockmaker in the middle 18th century and presented to Catherine II by her favorite, prince Potyomkin. The "clock" shows a peacock on a gilded tree branch (complete with gilded leaves), an owl in a cage, and a rooster.

Next enter the Old Hermitage, devoted to the museum’s collection of 13th through 18th century Italian art. Here on display are two paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, Madonna with a Flower and Litta Madonna; an early work by Rafael, Connestabile Madonna and a later work by him The Holy Family. The Crouching Boy is the only work by Michelangelo in Russia. The Venetian school of art dominates with Judith by Giordgione and an array of works by Titian, including Repentant Mary Magdalene, Danae and St. Sebastian.

Enter the New Hermitage, a 19th century building first opened to the public in 1852, and see its Spanish collection, featuring such “golden age” artists as El Greco, Murillo, Zurbaran, Velasquez and Goya.

The Hermitage has a particularly impressive Rembrandt collection. Within a short period of time Rembrandt produced the dramatic Abraham’s Sacrifice, the gentle Flora and the brilliant Descent from the Cross — all of which are here. You’ll also find his “psychological” portraits, including the stunning Old Man in Red and one of his last works, The Return of the Prodigal Son, painted with an emotional depth unseen before.

The museum also boasts 40 works by Rubens including The Descent from the Cross and scenes from classical mythology such as Perseus and Andromeda, as well as landscapes, and the poetic portrait, Infanta’s Maid.

After the 1917 revolution some private collections were incorporated into the Hermitage. Two collectors, Ivan Morozov and Sergey Schukine, brought the museum its superb array of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including Monet’s Woman in a Garden and Waterloo Bridge; Renoir’s portrait of the actress, Jeanne Samary; 11 canvasses by Cezanne; and Van Gogh’s Huts and Woman of Arles and two other paintings. In addition, there are numerous works by Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso, including selections from his Blue Period, Rose Period and Cubist Period.

After your tour of the Hermitage, take a short bus ride to the Peter and Paul Fortress, with its cathedral, museums and fascinating history. When Peter the Great re-conquered the lands along the Neva River in 1703, he decided to build a fort to protect the area from possible attack by Sweden. It was built on a small island in the Neva River delta, an easily defensible location. Construction was completed on May 27, 1703, a day that is now considered the birthday of St. Petersburg. The fortress housed a high-security political prison whose inmates included Dostoyevsky, Gorky, Lenin’s older brother Alexander, and Trotsky.

In the center of the fortress is St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Cathedral, designed by St. Petersburg’s premier architect, D. Tresini. Built between 1713 and 1732, the cathedral is light and airy with glittering chandeliers, pink and green Corinthian columns and an opulent gilt iconostasis, a masterpiece of gilded woodcarving, designed by Ivan Zarubny and executed by Moscow craftsmen. After Peter’s death in 1725 the cathedral became the burial place of the tsars. Nicholas II, his wife, children and the servants who died with them were buried in the St. Catherine Chapel in 1998.

After touring the fortress, enjoy a pleasant lunch at one of the area’s central restaurants, then, your tour continues at the beautiful Church of the Spilled Blood, which was built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated on March 1, 1881. The church is designed in the spirit of 16th and 17th century Russian architecture, with marvelous multi-colored, onion domes. Both the interior and the exterior of the church are embellished with 7,000 square meters of mosaics designed by prominent Russian artists Vasnetsov, Nesterov, Riabushkin and Vruble, and created in Frolov’s workshop. Inside the cathedral the exact location of the assassination is marked with a marble Shatovy Cen, a monument to Alexander.

St. Petersburg, Russia     August 15, 2010

At the end of your tour, depart Peterhof and drive back to your ship.

Get acquainted with the beautiful city of Stockholm and discover the 17th-century warship Vasa on this introductory motorcoach excursion.

Your adventure begins with an ascent to Fjällgatan for spectacular views of eight of the 14 islands on which Stockholm is built. Continuing your scenic drive, pass the medieval old town, the Royal Palace, the Parliament Building, the National Museum, and the Royal Dramatic Theater, then travel along the quayside boulevard, Strandvägen, on your way to the island of Djurgården and the famous Vasa Museum. When the man-of-war Vasa was launched in 1628, she was the intended flagship of the Royal Swedish Navy. However, she foundered while leaving Stockholm’s harbor on her maiden voyage. Her rediscovery in 1956 and subsequent salvage is one of the most important events in the history of marine archaeology. Painstakingly restored to much of her original magnificence, the Vasa represents an authentic piece of history. Adorned with more than 700 carved sculptures, she is also a unique work of art.

Following your guided tour, you will have time to explore the museum independently.

The return journey to your cruise ship takes you past Diplomatic Town, the fashionable district of Östermalm, and the largest island of Stockholm, Södermalm.

Kiel Canal, Germany     August 19, 2010

Today you transit the historic Kiel Canal connecting the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.