British Iles & Scandinavian Capitals: Ireland

Your MSC cruise will lay anchor in the largest port in the world, Rotterdam, is a no-nonsense working-class city lying at the heart of a maze of rivers and artificial waterways that together form the outlet of the rivers Rijn (Rhine) and Maas (Meuse). After devastating damage during World War II, Rotterdam has grown into a vibrant, forceful city dotted with first division cultural attractions. Your MSC cruise of Northern Europe will give you the opportunity to see that the immense land reclamation work hasn’t obliterated its earthy character though: its tough grittiness is part of its appeal, as are its boisterous bars and clubs. Amongst the most interesting attractions to enjoy during your vacation in Holland, is Rotterdam’s Kunsthal, the museum of contemporary art, and the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, which has an outstanding art collection including representative works from almost all the most important Dutch painters: both are in the city’s designated culture zone, the Museumpark. Other interesting sites to visit on an MSC excursion are the Oude Haven, the city’s oldest harbour, ravaged during World War II but sympathetically redeveloped, and Delfs haven, an antique harbour that managed to survive the bombs pretty much intact. Rotterdam also boasts a string of first-rate festivals, including the much-lauded North Sea Jazz Festival and the colourful Summer Carnival. The postwar period saw the rapid reconstruction of the docks and, when huge container ships and oil tankers made the existing port facilities obsolete, Rotterdammers promptly built an entirely new deep-sea port, the Europoort, jutting out into the North Sea some 25 km to the west of the old town. Completed in 1968, the Europoort is able to welcome the largest ships in the world, amongst which also the MSC cruise ships.

Two miles distant from its ancient seaport of Leith lies Edinburgh, Scotland's national capital. The Scottish capital since the 15th century, Edinburgh is comprised of two distinct areas - the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress, and the neoclassical New Town, whose development from the 18th century onwards had a far-reaching influence on European urban planning. The harmonious juxtaposition of these two contrasting historic areas, each with many important buildings, is what gives the city its unique character. Always favored by geography, Edinburgh is ideally situated on the Firth of Forth, an inlet from the North Sea, and built on extinct volcanoes surrounded by woods, rolling hills and lakes. On a clear day, there are glorious vistas from each of these hilltops. Looming above the city is the striking fairy tale castle built on the site of a 7th-century fortress. Towards the Middle Ages life within the fortress spilled onto the long ridge running to the foot of Arthur's Seat, which crowns Holyrood Park. The city's most legendary citizens are the arch Presbyterian John Knox and Mary Queen of Scots, who dominated the Edinburgh of the late 16th century. Edinburgh's delightful city center is a joy to explore on foot. Every alley reveals impressive steeples, jagged, chimney-potted skylines, or lovely rotund domes.

Two miles distant from its ancient seaport of Leith lies Edinburgh, Scotland's national capital. The Scottish capital since the 15th century, Edinburgh is comprised of two distinct areas - the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress, and the neoclassical New Town, whose development from the 18th century onwards had a far-reaching influence on European urban planning. The harmonious juxtaposition of these two contrasting historic areas, each with many important buildings, is what gives the city its unique character. Always favored by geography, Edinburgh is ideally situated on the Firth of Forth, an inlet from the North Sea, and built on extinct volcanoes surrounded by woods, rolling hills and lakes. On a clear day, there are glorious vistas from each of these hilltops. Looming above the city is the striking fairy tale castle built on the site of a 7th-century fortress. Towards the Middle Ages life within the fortress spilled onto the long ridge running to the foot of Arthur's Seat, which crowns Holyrood Park. The city's most legendary citizens are the arch Presbyterian John Knox and Mary Queen of Scots, who dominated the Edinburgh of the late 16th century. Edinburgh's delightful city center is a joy to explore on foot. Every alley reveals impressive steeples, jagged, chimney-potted skylines, or lovely rotund domes.

The Highlands in the northern part of Scotland are known for their magnificent scenery, boasting a landscape of dramatic mountains and forested hills. This region also is of historic importance and full of legends including the fabled Loch Ness monster. For centuries, Scotland was England's principal enemy. Then in 1603, James VI of Scotland became James I of England, thus establishing the first political union between the two countries. Despite these ties, Scottish nationalism persisted.The resistance came to an end in 1746 when Bonnie Prince Charlie, in a sad but heroic attempt to reclaim the throne, was defeated in the Battle of Culloden. It changed the social structure of the Highlands forever. Powerful clans were disarmed; for many years wearing kilts was prohibited because the kilt was seen as a symbol of Scottish pride. Scotland ultimately was ruled from London. Invergordon is the port for Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands and junction of many routes. Over the centuries, Inverness was often the focal point of clashes between Highland chiefs, and the Crown. Today the town is a popular tourist attraction as well as a gathering place for the clans of the surrounding area. Many of the traditional Scottish events take place here each summer, including the Highland Games and the Sheep Dog Trials. Invergordon is also a good starting point for excursions to many of the area's attractions, including the Battlefield of Culloden, Loch Ness, the villages of Tain and Cromarty, historic castles and old whisky distilleries. The local economy relies heavily on tourism, in addition to fishing and agriculture. Enjoy the picture-perfect scenery and perhaps an opportunity to chat with a Highlander eager to introduce you to his fabled land and its rich heritage.

The Isle of Skye ranks near the top of most visitors' priority lists: the romance of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, combined with the misty Cuillin Hills and their proximity to the mainland all contribute to its popularity. Today Skye remains mysterious and mountainous, an island of sunsets that linger brilliantly until late at night and of beautiful, soft mists. Much photographed are the really old crofts, one or two of which are still inhabited, with their thick stone walls and thatch roofs. Orientation on Skye is easy: follow the only roads around the loops on the northern part of the island and enjoy the road running the length of the Sleat Peninsula in southern Skye, taking the loop roads that exit to the north and south as you please. There are some stretches of single-lane road, but none poses a problem.

Reborn as a cool, modern city, Belfast has successfully left its troubles behind, emerging as a hotbed of culture and architecture, where the comfort of a cosy pub is never far away. Take a voyage of discovery in its maritime quarter, home to a celebrated museum dedicated to the most famous ship ever built, which was constructed right here in the city’s shipyards. A walk across the Lagan Weir Footbridge brings you to Belfast’s fascinating Titanic District – an area of the city devoted to its rich ship-building heritage. The state-of-the-art Titanic Museum brings the story of the doomed vessel to life, and is the largest museum dedicated to the infamously ‘unsinkable’ ship. Wind up a nautical-themed ramble along the Maritime Mile with a visit to SS Nomadic, the smaller cousin of the Titanic, and a ship which serves as a fascinating time capsule back to the pomp and grandeur of the Titanic, while also telling its own stories of service in both World Wars. There’s just enough time to give the 10-metre long Salmon of Knowledge sculpture a quick peck for luck, before continuing to explore. A stark barbed wire and graffitied sheet metal barrier marks an abrupt scar through the city’s residential areas. The Peace Line was constructed during the height of the Troubles, when Belfast was plagued by sectarian divisions between Protestants and Catholics. Nowadays, you can jump in a black taxi tour to see the colourful murals and living history of the walls, which stand as a stark reminder of the fragility of peace. After exploring the city’s historic divisions, a reminder of Belfast’s uniting creativity can be found at the Metropolitan Arts Centre – a seven-storey tall building, which invites light to gloriously cascade inside. The Cathedral Quarter is a cobbled blend of flower-adorned pubs, restaurants and theatres, and venues where music spills out onto the streets at night, and many a pint is cheerily shared.

At your MSC cruise port of call in Greenock, Scotland, you’ll be just a short trip away from Glasgow. Glasgow is a sprawling post-industrial metropolis on the banks of the River Clyde. An upbeat cruise destination, it boasts great bars, clubs and restaurants. Its museums and galleries are some of the best in Britain, while the city’s impressive architecture reflects the wealth of its eighteenth- and nineteenth-century heyday. Set on the banks of the mighty River Clyde, Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, has not traditionally enjoyed the best of reputations. However, the cityscape has been spruced up, and many visitors are knocked out by the architecture, from long rows of sandstone terraces to the fantastical spires of the Kelvingrove Museum. Glasgow has some of the best-financed and most imaginative museums and galleries in Britain – among them the showcase Burrell Collection and the palatial Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – nearly all of which are free. Glasgow’s architecture is some of the most striking in the UK, from the restored eighteenth-century warehouses of the Merchant City to the hulking Victorian prosperity of George Square. Most distinctive of all is the work of local luminary Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose elegantly Art Nouveau designs appear all over the city, reaching their apotheosis in the stunning School of Art. MSC Northern Europe cruises also offer excursions to Stirling. Straddling the River Forth a few miles upstream from the estuary at Kincardine, Stirling appears, at first glance, like a smaller version of Edinburgh. With its crag-top castle, steep, cobbled streets and mixed community of locals, students and tourists, it’s an appealing place. Stirling was the scene of some of the most significant developments in the evolution of the Scottish nation as commemorated by the lofty Wallace Monument high on Abbey Craig to the north-east.

An MSC Northern Europe cruise to England is the perfect opportunity to discover the dynamic, exciting port of Liverpool: it’s a vibrant city with a Tate Gallery of its own, a series of innovative museums and a fascinating social history. And of course it also makes great play of its musical heritage – as well it should, considering that this is the place that gave the world The Beatles. The main sights are scattered throughout the centre of town, but you can easily walk between most of them. If you want a cathedral, they’ve “got one to spare” as the song goes; plus there’s a fine showing of British art in the celebrated Walker Art Gallery and Tate Liverpool, and a multitude of exhibits in the terrific World MuseumLiverpool. When you step ashore from your MSC cruise, you can’t miss St George’s Hall, one of Britain’s finest Greek Revival buildings and a testament to the wealth generated from transatlantic trade. Now primarily an exhibition venue, but once Liverpool’s premier concert hall and crown court, its vaulted Great Hall features a floor paved with thirty thousand precious Minton tiles (usually covered over), while the Willis organ is the third largest in Europe. Huge and flashy, in a show-stopping Danish-designed building, the Museum of Liverpool opened in 2011. Spread over three floors, the galleries play on Liverpool’s historic status as the “second city of Empire”, exploring the complex political and life histories that have unfolded in a community whose wealth and social fabric were built on international trade. Dominating the waterfront are the so-called Three Graces – namely the Port of Liverpool Building (1907), Cunard Building (1913) and, most prominently, the 322ft-high Royal Liver Building (1910), topped by the “Liver Birds”, a couple of cormorants that have become the symbol of the city.

Atmospheric cobbled streets, with buskers scraping fiddles and characterful pubs inviting passersby inside, is Dublin in a snapshot. A city of irrepressible energy and lust for life, Ireland's capital is as welcoming a place as you'll find. Horse-drawn carriages plod along cobbled centuries-old streets, blending with an easy-going, cosmopolitan outlook. Known for its fun-filled gathering of pubs, any excuse works to enjoy a celebratory toast and chat among good company. Home to perhaps the world's most famous beer - slurp perfect pourings of thick, dark Guinness - cranked out for the city's thirsty punters. Learn more of the humble pint's journey at the Guinness Storehouse. Dublin has come along way since the Vikings established a trading port here, back in the 9th Century. In the time since, the city became the British Empire's defacto second city, and the Georgian imprint still adds oodles of historic character. Learn of 1916's Easter Uprising, when the Irish rebelled and established their independence here, as you visit the infamous, haunting Kilmainham Gaol. The uprising's leaders were tried and executed in these dark confines. Dublin's St. Patrick's Cathedral has immense history below its steep spire, which dates back to 1191. There's rich literary heritage to leaf through too, and the city's streets were rendered vividly in James Joyce's classic Ullyses. The Museum of Literature celebrates the full scope of Dublin's lyrical talents. Trinity College also has a prestigious roll-call of alumni - visit to see the Book of Kells, a beautifully illustrated bible of the medieval era.

Cork City received its first charter in 1185 from Prince John of Norman England, and it takes its name from the Irish word corcaigh, meaning "marshy place." The original 6th-century settlement was spread over 13 small islands in the River Lee. Major development occurred during the 17th and 18th centuries with the expansion of the butter trade, and many attractive Georgian-design buildings with wide bowfront windows were constructed during this time. As late as 1770 Cork's present-day main streets—Grand Parade, Patrick Street, and the South Mall—were submerged under the Lee. Around 1800, when the Lee was partially dammed, the river divided into two streams that now flow through the city, leaving the main business and commercial center on an island, not unlike Paris's Île de la Cité. As a result, the city has a number of bridges and quays, which, although initially confusing, add greatly to the port's unique character. Cork can be very "Irish" (hurling, Gaelic football, televised plowing contests, music pubs, and peat smoke). But depending on what part of town you're in, Cork can also be distinctly un-Irish—the sort of place where hippies, gays, and farmers drink at the same pub.

Crossing the English Channel from continental Europe to Great Britain, the first view of England is the milky-white strip of land called the White Cliffs of Dover. As you get closer, the coastline unfolds before you in all its striking beauty. White chalk cliffs with streaks of black flint rise straight from the sea to a height of 350’ (110 m). Numerous archaeological finds reveal people were present in the area during the Stone Age. Yet the first record of Dover is from Romans, who valued its close proximity to the mainland. A mere 21 miles (33 km) separate Dover from the closest point in France. A Roman-built lighthouse in the area is the tallest Roman structure still standing in Britain. The remains of a Roman villa with the only preserved Roman wall mural outside of Italy are another unique survivor from ancient times which make Dover one of a kind.

Your MSC cruise will lay anchor in the largest port in the world, Rotterdam, is a no-nonsense working-class city lying at the heart of a maze of rivers and artificial waterways that together form the outlet of the rivers Rijn (Rhine) and Maas (Meuse). After devastating damage during World War II, Rotterdam has grown into a vibrant, forceful city dotted with first division cultural attractions. Your MSC cruise of Northern Europe will give you the opportunity to see that the immense land reclamation work hasn’t obliterated its earthy character though: its tough grittiness is part of its appeal, as are its boisterous bars and clubs. Amongst the most interesting attractions to enjoy during your vacation in Holland, is Rotterdam’s Kunsthal, the museum of contemporary art, and the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, which has an outstanding art collection including representative works from almost all the most important Dutch painters: both are in the city’s designated culture zone, the Museumpark. Other interesting sites to visit on an MSC excursion are the Oude Haven, the city’s oldest harbour, ravaged during World War II but sympathetically redeveloped, and Delfs haven, an antique harbour that managed to survive the bombs pretty much intact. Rotterdam also boasts a string of first-rate festivals, including the much-lauded North Sea Jazz Festival and the colourful Summer Carnival. The postwar period saw the rapid reconstruction of the docks and, when huge container ships and oil tankers made the existing port facilities obsolete, Rotterdammers promptly built an entirely new deep-sea port, the Europoort, jutting out into the North Sea some 25 km to the west of the old town. Completed in 1968, the Europoort is able to welcome the largest ships in the world, amongst which also the MSC cruise ships.

Effortlessly cool and down to earth, Copenhagen is a contemporary, clean and classy highlight of Scandinavia. A city built to be liveable, Copenhagen has refused to compromise, resulting in a forward-thinking metropolis that’s green and clean. Swim in the waters of Havnebadet Islands during summer, or shelter from winter’s bite by snuggling in beside a roaring open fire during winter. You can even hop on a train to Sweden, traversing the famous span of a Nordic Noir star - the Öresund Bridge. It takes just a touch over half an hour to step off the train in Malmö. There’s only one way to truly explore Copenhagen and that’s on two wheels. Easy bike hire schemes will get you moving across this flat city, designed with bikes at the forefront of the mind. Choose a model with electronic assistance to take the strain out of any journey, giving you the freedom to whizz around and explore the modern angular architecture of the centre, and the pastoral colours of Nyhavn waterfront. Head out to the Little Mermaid statue, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale - the strikingly-restrained statue is the perfect landmark for Copenhagen; unshowy, self-assured and utterly irresistible. The Danish concept of hygge is very much alive here, and you’ll feel that warm cosy feeling as you visit cafes illuminated by the warm glow of hanging filament bulbs, and stuffed to the brim with thick, dusty books. Home to mega-brewer Carlsberg, Copenhagen is also a city for hop enthusiasts, and there is a thriving craft brewing scene to sample. Danish Smørrebrød sandwiches are a must try, or for something a little more substantial, settle in for a culinary voyage and try a taster menu – the city’s restaurants are littered with Michelin stars.

In the past years, there has been no end to the international praise of Aarhus. Denmark’s second largest city has been recognized as a must visit destination by several powerhouse publications such as Vogue, Lonely Planet, CNN, National Geographic and Momondo. In Aarhus you are met by a vibrant, easy-going and dynamic atmosphere. Home to just over 350,000 people and with a vibrant student population, Aarhus may be old at heart, but it is definitely young in spirit. Within walking distance, you will find world-class attractions and museums, an innovative and diverse gastronomic scene, charming shopping districts and with a location right by the sea, beaches and woods, nature is truly at your doorstep. The fascinating mix of world-class museums, small art galleries, music festivals and events for everyone makes Aarhus the perfect place to get your cultural fix. The city’s museums are no less than world-class, and whether you are into innovative portraying of past times at Moesgaard Museum, the 70’s nostalgia in The Old Town Museum, high-speed rides and concerts in Tivoli Friheden or a visit to the iconic Your rainbow panorama at ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Aarhus caters to every taste. With its big events, internationally acclaimed festivals and great performances, there is always something going on in Aarhus. In the narrow, cobbled stoned streets of the historical Latin Quarter you will find a cosy ‘hygge’ atmosphere, and the mix of boutique shops, designer stores and artware shops gives the perfect and most charming setting for shopping.

The Warnemünde quarter in Rostock is a famous German seaside resort that you can visit when you reach the German coasts on your MSC cruise of northern Europe. At the mouth of the river Warnow, in the Baltic Sea, Warnemünde will surprise you with its villas, hotels and the large white and silver beach. Its heart is Am Strom, next to the port, where the homes of old captains and fishermen have been turned into coffee shops and boutiques. With an excursion during the cruise, you can continue towards Schwerin. Surrounded by lakes and with a fairytale Schloss that tickles the imagination, the town represents a pleasant surprise, given by the architecture and spirit of a historic capital. Continuing the excursion you can admire Lubeck, one of the few cities along Europe's northern coasts that preserves the glory of medieval times. For more than two centuries the standard bearer of the Hanseatic League, this was one of the wealthiest and most powerful of European cities, the Venice of the Baltic. The commercial opulence is best expressed in its architecture: from the oldest Rathaus in Germany to the churches with the tallest bell-towers to the merchants’ mansions. Lubecca is the first city in Northern Europe to be included in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites in 1987. Finally, you should not leave out a visit to the cosmopolitan Berlin, the largest and liveliest city in Germany. Amongst the monuments to visit are the Brandebourgh Gate. Situated close to the Reichstag, the seat of the German parliament, the monument, designed on the model of Athens’ Acropolis, was built as the city’s arch of triumph in 1791 and soon became the symbol of unified Germany. The Brandenburg Gate looms over the ornamental gardens in Pariser Platz which extends eastwards towards the wide, tree-lined Unter den Linden avenue, that means “Beneath the linden trees”, flanked by shops and cafés.

Tallinn, Estonia’s compact, buzzing capital, with its enchanting heart surrounded by medieval walls, has been shaped by nearly a millennium of outside influence. A cruise of the Baltic Sea with MSC Cruises can take you to visit the heart of Tallinn, its Old Town, still largely enclosed by the city’s medieval walls. At its centre is the Raekoja plats, the historic marketplace, above which looms Toompea, the hilltop stronghold of the German knights who controlled the city during the Middle Ages. Raekoja plats, the cobbled market square at the heart of the Old Town, is as old as the city itself. On its southern side stands the fifteenth-century Town Hall (Raekoda), boasting elegant Gothic arches at ground level, and a delicate steeple at its northern end. Near the summit of the steeple, Vana Toomas, a sixteenth-century weather vane depicting a medieval town guard, is Tallinn’s city emblem. The well-labelled and informative museum inside the cellar hall depicts Tallinn town life through the ages, and there is a good view from the belfry. For an even better view of the town square, climb the spiral staircase of the Town Hall Tower. The fourteenth-century Church of the Holy Ghost (Puhä Vaimu kirik) on Pühavaimu is the city’s oldest church, a small Gothic building with stuccoed limestone walls, stepped gables, a carved wooden interior, a tall, verdigris-coated spire and an ornate clock from 1680 – the oldest in Tallinn. Contrasting sharply is the late Gothic St Nicholas’s Church (Niguliste kirik), south-west of Raekoja plats. It now serves as a museumof church art, including medieval burial stones and the haunting Danse Macabre (“Dance With Death”) by Bernt Notke.

"A thriving, flawlessly-designed seaside city, Helsinki is famously livable and inspiring. A regional powerhouse of outstanding design and creativity, Helsinki lies across a confetti scattering of 300 islands and skerries in the Gulf of Finland. Known for the light granite hue of its buildings - which lend the city a bright, whitewashed appearance - traditional buildings mingle seamlessly with bold new structures, showcasing Finland's celebrated design outlook. Helsinki Cathedral is the crowning glory - rising high over the city's waterfront with its pearly white domes gleaming. View less A city that reveres knowledge and creativity above all else, artworks and statues litter the streets and parks, honouring creative minds of the past. Open parks offer space to lie back and soak up summer's sun, while sculptures like the abstract organs of the Sibelius Monument celebrate national heroes like composer Jean Sibelius - whose music gave Finland national identity in the quest for independence. Feel the stunning acoustics of the incredible Rock Church deep in your gut, as you witness a performance in this collaboration between man and nature. Built into the rock underground, the amphitheatre's soaring copper bowl roof is suspended dramatically on a bed of glass windows. One of Helsinki's many incredible buildings, the Design Museum offers a comprehensive insight into the city's balance of style, function and form. Helsinki's easy-going, forward-thinking way of life was hard fought for, and the spectacular Suomenlinna fortress rears out of the waves as a reminder of the historical struggles that have played out in this stretch of sea. The chain of forts covers six islands and was built to defend the archipelago when it fell under Swedish rule. Sail out to the quaint little beaches, and waterfront pathways that now lend a calm, peaceful ambience to this UNESCO World Heritage Site."

Without a doubt Stockholm is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and a vacation in Sweden with an MSC cruise will prove it. Built on no fewer than fourteen islands, where the fresh water of Lake Mälaren meets the brackish Baltic Sea, clean air and open space are in plentiful supply here. An MSC cruise of Northern Europe will give you the opportunity to appreciate its port front, reach the Baltic Sea and experience the atmospheres with a tour of the town where broad boulevards lined with elegant buildings are reflected in the deep blue water, and rows of painted wooden houseboats bob gently alongside the cobbled waterfront. But Stockholm is also a hi-tech metropolis, as you will find out on your excursion on land during your cruise, with futuristic skyscrapers and a bustling commercial heart. The old town, Gamla Stan, is a district with cobbled streets and narrow alleyways huddled together on a triangular-shaped island. Today the area is an atmospheric mixture of buildings surrounded on all sides by a latticework of medieval lanes and alleyways. The district of Norrmalm swaps tradition for a thoroughly contemporary feel: this is downtown Stockholm where you’ll find shopping malls, huge department stores and conspicuous, showy wealth. In the green island of Djurgården you can see an extraordinary 17th century warship, the Vasa, rescued and preserved after sinking in Stockholm harbour. Cross Norrbron or Riksbron from the Riksdagshuset and up rears the most distinctive monumental building in Stockholm, Kungliga Slottet – a low, square, yellowy-brown construction, with two arms that stretch down towards the water. It’s uniform and sombre outside, but with a magnificent Rococo interior that’s a swirl of staterooms and museums. Itssheer size is quite overwhelming: you should not miss the Royal Apartments and the Treasure Room. The former are used for royal receptions and the second keeps a collection of crowns studded with precious stones.

When you are on a cruise to Sweden you just have to take time out to enjoy Visby, a city made for wandering and lingering over coffees and slices of cake. Whether climbing the ramparts of the surrounding walls, or meandering up and down the warren of cobbled, sloping streets, there’s plenty to tease the eye. An MSC shore excursion can be the opportunity to visit its old town. Here, pretty Packhusplan, the oldest square in the city, is bisected by curving Strandgatan, which runs southwards to the fragmentary ruins of Visborgs Slott, overlooking the harbour. Built in the fifteenth century by Erik of Pomerania, the castle was blown up by the Danes in the seventeenth century. In the opposite direction, Strandgatan runs north-west towards the sea and the Jungfrutornet (Maiden’s Tower), where a local goldsmith’s daughter was walled up alive – reputedly for betraying the city to the Danes. Strolling around the twisting streets and atmospheric walls is not something that palls quickly, but if you need a focus, aim for Norra Murgatan, above the cathedral, once one of Visby’s poorest areas. The end of the street nearest Norderport enjoys the best view of the walls and city rooftops. Strandgatan is the best place to view the impressive merchants’ houses looming over the narrow streets, with storerooms above the living quarters and cellars below; most notable among these is the clearly signposted Burmeisterska huset in Donnerplats, which is attractive and in good condition. One of the most picturesque buildings on the street is the old pharmacy, Gamla Apoteket, a lofty old place with gloriously higgledy-piggledy windows; it’s at the corner of Strandgatan and Lybska gränd. If you feel like something more educational during your MSC Northern Europe cruise, head for the fine Fornsal museum, which covers pretty well all there is to know about Gotland, and Visby in particular – and there’s a rather good art gallery close by too.

Norway's capital lies at the head of the majestic Oslofjord, encircled by wooded hills and snowcapped peaks. Dating back to the mid-11th century, it was at one time renamed Christiania while under Danish and Swedish rule. An act of Parliament finally changed the name back to Oslo in 1925. With barely half a million inhabitants, Oslo is the smallest among the Scandinavian capitals. Yet it has much to offer - most notably its spectacular scenic beauty, as well as many of the nation's finest cultural achievements. Arriving by ship, your first sight is the imposing Akershus Fortress towering above the docks. With the city center only a few blocks from the pier, you can easily spot the handsome modern City Hall with its two block towers. Dedicated in 1950 to commemorate Oslo's 900-year anniversary, it is the city's most familiar landmark. Many of Norway's leading artists contributed to the decoration of the interior and as a result Socialist modernism in its purest form can be seen here. More extraordinary art works can be admired at Frogner Park, site of the famous Vigeland sculptures depicting a world of human beings and animals in stone. Fine examples of Scandinavian impressionists, referred to as the "Northern Light" artists, are exhibited in the National Gallery. The Munch Museum houses an enormous collection of art bequeathed to the city by Norway's leading artist Edvard Munch. Most of Oslo's historic sites are concentrated on the Bygdoe Peninsula; the Norwegian Folkmuseum, the Viking Ship Museum, the Fram, and the Kon-Tiki Museums are outstanding.

Crossing the English Channel from continental Europe to Great Britain, the first view of England is the milky-white strip of land called the White Cliffs of Dover. As you get closer, the coastline unfolds before you in all its striking beauty. White chalk cliffs with streaks of black flint rise straight from the sea to a height of 350’ (110 m). Numerous archaeological finds reveal people were present in the area during the Stone Age. Yet the first record of Dover is from Romans, who valued its close proximity to the mainland. A mere 21 miles (33 km) separate Dover from the closest point in France. A Roman-built lighthouse in the area is the tallest Roman structure still standing in Britain. The remains of a Roman villa with the only preserved Roman wall mural outside of Italy are another unique survivor from ancient times which make Dover one of a kind.

Few can resist the grand beauty of Amsterdam’s famous canals, which thread through this place of evocative beauty and thrilling contrast. Open-minded and tolerant, Amsterdam is a place for history buffs and hedonists alike, and its diverse neighbourhoods have something for everyone - whether it’s the beachside relaxation of Bloemendaal, nocturnal thuds of Buiksloterham, or characterful charm of Jordaan. 160 serene canals serve as the arteries of this city, imbuing it with its unique essence. Cruise along concentric waterways, past cherry red and oak-wood cladded houseboats, as you learn of its Golden Age history. Culture is also deep in Amsterdam’s DNA, and the Van Gogh Museum – which pays tribute to the tortured genius of the Dutch post-impressionist artist - stands out among its leading museums and galleries. One of history’s greatest tragedies is also rendered in heart-breaking clarity at Anne Frank House. Visit the site where the precocious teenager hid from the Nazi regime for so long, and the room where she penned the most famous diary ever written. Compact and easily walkable, Amsterdam remains consistently postcard-perfect as you watch bright bicycles trundling over ornate bridges, and stumble across hidden, tulip-decorated courtyards. ‘Gezellig’ is the local word for Amsterdam’s unhurried outlook on life. No translation can quite do the concept justice, but you’ll recognise it instinctively as hours float by in a happy haze browsing De Negen Straatjes street’s independent shops, or as you sip coffee with gooey stroopwafel. Broodje haring - a raw herring sandwich - is Amsterdam’s must-try delicacy, but many visitors find tompouce, a delicious pastry topped with vivid pink icing, a little more to their taste.