A cruise to northern Europe and the Baltic states is a perfect way to celebrate a summer anniversary. My husband Ronnie and I celebrated our 30th anniversary in August 2001 with a wonderful cruise on the Renaissance R6. Although Renaissance is no longer sailing, many other cruise lines offer itineraries similar to this one. The articles and photos should help you plan your cruise to northern Europe.
We flew overnight to London to begin our cruise vacation, arriving in London at about 6:00 am (London time) and transferring to Dover with some of our fellow Renaissance R6 cruisers.
Dover sits on England's southeast coast, just across the Channel from Calais, France. The area is steeped in history. Romans built a lighthouse here in 50 A.D.; Henry II started construction of Dover Castle high on the famous white cliffs in 1181; and a century later pilgrims stopped here on their way to Canterbury. Today Dover remains a major embarkation point from England to Europe. By ferry or tunnel 13 million people cross the English Channel here each year.
Our ship sailed from Dover at 5:00 p.m. (London time) for Le Havre, France. I'd been to Dover twice before, but never on a cruise. Both other times I was traveling between London and Paris, and caught the hovercraft across the English Channel for Calais. We were in room 7009 on the R6. Ronnie and l loved having a balcony on our room.
A Day in Normandy
Le Havre is cruise lines' most popular port of call on the northwest coast of France. It offers easy access to the rest of Normandy, including the D-Day World War II beaches. Paris is also "do-able" as a shore excursion since it is only about 3 hours away. The city lies 131 miles down the Seine River from Paris. I remember first hearing of Le Havre in connection with the classic cruise ships that used to ply the Atlantic Ocean between New York and France.
However, Le Havre has been an important port since 1066 when the Normans conquered England.
Le Havre was almost totally destroyed during World War II. It suffered through more than 170 air strikes during the War, but the city has been rebuilt and has a new city center. However, most travel resources recommend a shore excursion away from the city. The white chalk cliffs rising west of the city promise to look much like those we saw in Dover.
We awoke in Le Havre when the captain turned on the thrusters to move the ship into the dock, having sailed the short distance across the English Channel during the night. The ship stayed in Le Havre until 9:00 pm that night.
We had several shore excursion options from Le Havre. Here's our first big decision--which one to choose? I love Paris, but sitting on a bus for 3 hours to ride into the city after just sitting on an airplane all night the day before was not very appealing to us. Many cruisers ventured into Paris and took one of Renaissance's tours or just explored the city on their own.
There were also shore excursions offered by the R6 to Honfleur and to Fecamp and Etretat that got good reviews. Some cruisers went on their own to Rouen or to the beach resort of Deauville.
However, after reviewing all of our options and reading postings from past cruisers who have ported in Le Havre, our choice was fairly easy. Ronnie loves history, so we signed up for the "Normandy Landing Beaches" Renaissance shore excursion. Since I chose the cruise for our anniversary vacation, the least I could do is let him pick some of the shore excursions.
We rode on a bus to Arromanches, once an important part of the Allied Landing on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The remains of the artificial port (Mulberry B), endure as a monument to the Allied forces during Operation Overlord. We visited the Landing Museum where models and films recreate the entire landing operation and you can see remains from the artificial port. While in Arromanches, we had time to browse through the shops and have lunch.
After lunch, we rode on the bus to Colleville Saint Laurent to visit the American Cemetery where 9,386 marble crosses and Stars of David stand in perfect alignment on a cliff overlooking Omaha beach. A monument on the grounds contains a garden and the Tablets of the Missing. Inside the monument, a map of the operations allows you to recreate the battle of the Normandy beaches. Just west of Omaha Beach lies the jutting cliff of Pointe du Hoc where American Rangers fought to gain strategic ground during the D-Day invasion.
Bruges, Belgium
The next morning we awoke while sailing in the English Channel. We were on our way to Zeebrugge, Belgium, having sailed from Le Havre after dinner the previous night. Zeebrugge is a picturesque seaport, but is best known as the closest port to the medieval city of Bruges. Some cruisers chose to explore Ghent on a shore excursion, but we'd heard some wonderful things about Bruges, so we went there.
Bruges is filled with canals, cathedrals, and fascinating markets.
Visitors walk the cobblestone streets and experience the medieval city. We loved the Belgian waffles and chocolate! We did a scenic walk around the medieval city of Bruges that led to the delightful Lake of Love and past the Beguinage, founded to create a haven of peace for lay sisters, many of whom were widows of Crusaders. We boarded a boat for a leisurely cruise through Bruges' meandering canals. Back on dry land, we walked to the Church of Our Lady to see the beautiful marble sculpture of Madonna and Child by Michelangelo. Our tour passed by the Quay of Rosaries to charming Burg Square where the gleaming white, 14th-century Town Hall stands. The nearby Basilica of the Holy Blood contains a fragment of cloth said to have been soaked with the blood of Christ that has been kept since 1149. Finally, we strolled around Grote Market, a huge market square surrounded by gabled buildings, and viewed the famous Belfry of Bruges. It was a fascinating day!
Antwerp, Belgium
Our cruise ship left Zeebrugge and we sailed north up the coast to Antwerp. I was surprised to read that Antwerp is the world's fifth largest port, especially since it is about 60 miles up the Scheldt River from the North Sea. I was also surprised to read how Antwerp got its name. Supposedly, the word comes from the Flemish word handwerpen which means "throwing of the hand". An ancient legend says that there was an evil giant named Druon who patrolled the Scheldt, and cut off the head of any boatman who refused to pay his outrageous tolls.
Brabo, a Roman centurion, eventually slay Druon and threw his hand into the Scheldt. A fountain in Antwerp's Grote Market memorializes this legend.
We again had a tough decision on shore excursions. Should we do a half-day tour of Antwerp, wander Antwerp on our own, or go into Brussels and spend the entire day? Brussels is about an hour away from Antwerp. I would have loved to see the Atomium and the Maneke Pis in Brussels. The 335-foot Atomium was the symbol of the 1958 World's Exhibition in Brussels. I was a small child in elementary school, and can remember how fascinating the idea of a "World's Fair" was! The Maneke Pis is the famous Brussels statue/fountain of a small boy "relieving himself". (Just use your imagination as to where the "fountain" is on the statue!) The Pis symbolizes the free spirit and fun-loving attitude of the Bruxellois.
Antwerp, the diamond capital of the world, also definitely sounded interesting. The ship's shore excursion included a stop at Diamondland for shopping, as well as a tour of the cobblestone streets and squares of the city.
Diamondland won out, and we did the half-day tour that included a short stop at Diamondland. No, I didn't get a diamond, but Ronnie picked up a small, marble-sized rock from a flower bed and gave it to me. That was so I could tell my friends and family that I got a "rock" at Diamondland. After our half day shore excursion, we walked the short distance into town and explored the city. Since it was a beautiful Saturday, the streets and outdoor cafes were packed. It was a great day!
Things to See and Do in Antwerp
Amsterdam in The Netherlands
The cruise ship left Antwerp in the late afternoon, continuing up the coast to Amsterdam. The Netherlands (or Holland) was our fourth country. It's much more than tulips and wooden shoes. Ships have used the port of Amsterdam since the 13th century, but it's also an exciting place that will challenge all of your senses. Amsterdam has everything from an exotic "red light district" to a floating flower market to multiple museums to Anne Frank's house.
Amsterdam is a major city, and you can't see and do everything in one day. Renaissance has 4 shore excursions, all of which sounded interesting. Should we stay in the city or venture out into the countryside? Decisions, decisions, decisions! After much discussion, we opted to stay in Amsterdam since Ronnie had not been there before, and it had been 16 years since I had visited the Dutch city. We did a half-day tour and had a wonderful guide who really made the pictures in the museum come to life.
Things to See and Do in Amsterdam
Oslo, Norway
The Renaissance R6 was at sea the next day, cruising between Amsterdam and Oslo, Norway. This was a restful day after 5 days of sightseeing and cruising. Thirty years ago today Ronnie and I were married by a justice of the peace in Douglas, Georgia. Sometimes I feel like I've been married my entire life, but I can still remember the day we were wed like it was yesterday. (Of course, after traveling for five days, I might not be able to remember what happened yesterday, but that's another story!)
After spending the day cruising the North Sea, we arrived in Oslo, Norway the next morning. Norway is truly linked to the sea, and even its name comes from the 1000 year old Viking word, Norvegr, meaning "the way north". The country's western coast is slashed with fjords, and Bergen is the port most cruise ships use to access the fjord district. We'll do a fjord cruise someday, but this trip we're stopping in Oslo, Norway's capital on the opposite side of the country from Bergen. I was surprised to learn that Oslo was also at the end of a long, flat fjord. It was a very scenic cruise into Oslo. The fjord was narrow, picturesque, and filled with other ships.
Oslo is one of the oldest Scandinavian capitals, having been founded in the mid-11th century by a Viking king. Oslo has become a popular city for tourism in the last decade, and Norwegians enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Renaissance offered tour shore excursions, and it was difficult to choose whether to tour the city, visit a castle, choose between different museums, or tour a glassworks factory.
We ended up selecting the "Norwegian Adventure Tour", which allowed us to explore both the Viking Ship Museum, the Fram Museum, and the Kon-Tiki Museum. Each of these three museums featured famous ships from Norway's past. Visiting them all in one day was a good way to get a flavor of how important the sea and ships were to the Norse. Some of our fellow cruisers reported that the city tour and the glassworks tour were both worthwhile. The ship docked right across from the castle, so most of us explored it on our own.
Things to Do and See in Oslo, Norway
Two Days in Copenhagen
Our cruise ship was in the Danish capital of Copenhagen the next day. Copenhagen lies at the entrance to the Baltic Sea. It is the largest city in Scandinavia, and is spread over 400 islands. Copenhagen is the seat of the oldest kingdom in the world, and its origins trace back to the Viking culture. We didn't arrive in Copenhagen until noon, but we spent the night and all the next day there also.
Our first afternoon, we did a half-day tour that included a visit to the royal palace, a boat tour, and a city tour via bus.
Our guide did a good job of teaching us some Danish history. We learned that Christian IV well-deserved his nickname, "the builder King." He seemed to have built almost everything in the city!
We went into the city with another couple to visit Tivoli Gardens at night. It's about a $10 cab fare each way, and there were numerous restaurants/food stands to choose from for snacks or dinner. We ate before leaving the ship, but many of our fellow cruisers opted to eat in the city. We spent the evening "people-watching". Tivoli is a grand old amusement park spread over 20 acres. It's full of rides, games, and funny mirrors; but, Tivoli is no Disney World. One of my guidebooks promises fireworks at Tivoli on Wednesday nights, but they weren't going to go off until after 11 pm. We decided to skip them. When we got back to the ship about 10, many of the crew were just leaving to go into town, so I expect that some of them enjoyed the fireworks. Oh, to be young again!
Copenhagen completely dominates Denmark, and is the political, financial, and artistic center of the country.
Copenhagen is one of Europe's most "user-friendly", and is a place where people, rather than cars, set the pace of the city. Many streets are pedestrian only, and the city center is dotted with sidewalk cafes and street entertainment.
Since we went into the city our first day, we ventured into the countryside on a shore excursion to the "Danish Riviera". This tour stopped in HelsingØr at Kronborg Slot (Castle), the site of Shakespeare's Hamlet. (He called it Elsinore Castle.) Shakespeare never visited HelsingØr, and he based his hero on a 10th century character named Amleth, who certainly predated the castle. People (like us) still come to Kronborg to buy Hamlet souvenirs and ask where he slept. Continuing the castle theme, the tour goes on to Frederiksborg Castle and to Fredensborg Palace. The Frederiksborg Slot is quite impressive. I love castles, and we certainly don't have many back home!
Things to See and Do in Copenhagen
A Day in Tallin, Estonia
Tallin (also spelled Tallinn) is the capital city of Estonia and was founded in 1157 A.D. It is considered one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. The city lies 37 miles (about 60 km) across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki. Tallinn has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and is compact and easy to explore on your own. We walked the narrow cobblestone streets of the old city and paused to have a drink and enjoy the quaint shops.
Since Tallin is small and best seen by foot, we decided not to take an organized tour here. Most cruise ships include a walking tour or a bus tour for those who have problems walking (or who don't feel up to it!)
A Day in Tallin, Estonia
Tallin, Estonia Photo Gallery
Our cruise ship was in port in St. Petersburg, Russia the next day, having cruised from Tallinn, Estonia overnight. The ship sailed up the Gulf of Finland and the Neva River into the city. We were in St. Petersburg for two full days. Since we opted to not get a separate tourist Visa, we left the ship only on organized tours. I picked out three shore excursions--a full day tour of St. Petersburg, a half-day tour of the famous museum the Hermitage, and an evening at Yusupov's Palace.
It was a busy 2 days!
Many people consider St. Petersburg as the most beautiful of all Russian cities. It was built by Peter the Great at the beginning of the 18th century on swamps near the Gulf of Finland and was the capital of Russia until 1920. Peter the Great wished to modernize Russia and bring it closer to the culture of Western Europe, so he used western-style architecture most of the palaces and stately homes of the aristocracy. Many of these line the canals that were built to drain the swamps, hence the name "Venice of the North". These palaces have survived the revolution of 1917, 70 years of communist government (when it was renamed Leningrad) and three years of siege by the Nazi armies in World War II.
Many of us remember the bravery of the people living in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) during World War II. The city was barraged by Nazi troops and occupied for more than 900 days. The city was badly battered, and almost a million citizens died. St. Petersburg was high on my list of places I wanted to visit, mainly because of the fascinating architecture and lure of the Hermitage.
We did the Hermitage museum our first morning, followed by the Yusupov's palace that night. The second day we toured St. Petersburg and ate lunch at a hotel at midday.
The most famous attraction in St. Petersburg is the great Winter Palace, the Hermitage, which houses one of the world's greatest art collections. Renaissance has a special tour of the Hermitage, which I looked forward to for months. St. Petersburg was the pre-revolution capital of Russia, and is filled with palaces and churches with interesting architecture.
More on St. Petersburg
- St. Petersburg Overview
- St. Petersburg - Traveler's FAQs
- Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg - Site of the Amber Room
- Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg
- Hermitage Museum Photo Gallery
- St. Petersburg Photo Gallery
- St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg
- Yusopov Palace - Site of the Murder of Rasputin
- Peterhof Palace Photo Gallery
- Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral in St. Petersburg
We left St. Petersburg in the late afternoon and sailed for Helsinki. However, our luck with the weather ran out. We had had 14 days of perfect weather--sunny and between 65 and 75 degrees. Even normally gray St. Petersburg was gloriously sunny. As we left the Neva River and got into the Gulf of Finland, we picked up a very strong tail wind. The wind was so strong the next morning that Helsinki closed their port, so we had another sea day.
I don't think I heard a single complaint about the change in plans. The weather had been so spectacular that missing one port was a worthy exchange.
Since we didn't get to port into Helsinki, we arrived a couple of hours early in Stockholm. We thoroughly enjoyed sailing up the fjord into Stockholm. The fjord was filled with small cabins and boats. We entered the fjord about 6 am, cruised for 4 hours and arrived in Stockholm at 10 am. Stockholm was our final port of call on this cruise to the "Jewels of the Baltic".
Stockholm is famous for its waterways, and it is the home of 53 bridges! Some locals even fish for salmon right in the center of the city, thanks to a decree from Queen Christina. The city of over 1 million people stands on 14 islands in Lake Mälaren, with islets stretching all the way to the Baltic sea. The city was founded more than seven hundred years ago, but did not become the capital of Sweden until the middle of the 17th century.
The old city of Stockholm dates back to the 13th century, and it and the ancient Royal Warship the Vasa are the two biggest attractions of the city.
We managed to do both on our day in the city.
More on Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm City Hall Photo Gallery
- Stockholm Ice Bar
- Vasa Museum, Skansen Open Air Museum, and Nordic Museum
- Stockholm Photo Gallery
- Stockholm's Gamla Stan (Old Town) Tour