12 Nights Europe, Northern

The capital and cultural centre of the Netherlands is dually considered a gracious, formal cultural centre and the most offbeat metropolis in the world. Some of the best art in the world, including that by Van Gogh, is showcased in over 40 fine museums. Its attractive canals and gabled houses are a popular subject for local burgeoning painters.

Dunmore East is a popular tourist and fishing village in County Waterford, Ireland. Situated on the west side of Waterford Harbour on Ireland's southeastern coast, it lies within the barony of Gaultier: a reference to the influx of Viking and Norman settlers in the area.

The coastal suburb of Dún Laoghaire is popular for strolls on the East Pier, and locally caught fish and chips. The National Maritime Museum of Ireland has nautical art and artefacts inside a 19th-century sailors' church, while the harbour is a busy hub for fishing, water sports and cruises.

Liverpools fortunes have historically been tied to shipping. But imports and exports like sugar, spice and tobacco pale in comparison with Liverpools most famous export of all?the Beatles. Relive the hysteria at the Beatles Story Experience, and check out Pauls childhood home, but also leave time for exploring Liverpool Cathedral and the Walker Art Gallery.

Belfast is a thriving, fast-growing metropolitan center thats full of surprises. The city played a key role in the 19th centurys Industrial Revolution, when it was the worlds biggest linen producer. It also had a reputation for ship-building ? the Titanic was built here. Learn more about this claim to fame when you visit the Titanic Quarter and the citys Titanic Belfast attraction. Then, grab lunch on the terrace overlooking Edwardian City Hall, one of the best examples of Belfasts great architecture. Ireland cruises offer you the opportunity to walk among exotic trees in the botanical garden, and reinvent your idea of Irish cuisine at one of the citys upscale, seafood-focused eateries

Heralded as one of the worlds friendliest cities, Glasgow is Scotlands cultural capital. Its also Scotlands biggest city, surpassing even Edinburgh. Glasgow experienced a cultural boom from the 18th to 20th century, giving birth to the ornate Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture you see here today. With your Glasgow, Scotland cruise check out Killingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the citys West End. Youll encounter everything from the remains of prehistoric mammals to mind-bending Dali paintings. Explore the citys deeper history in the East End, where youll find Glasgow Cathedral, a monument of 12th-century Gothic design. Glasgow is also a UNESCO City of Music ? stop into one of the 130 music events that are held here each week at venues like the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

Shetland gives you the opportunity to see, what many consider, one of the top ten tourist sites. Here youll enjoy a captivating assortment of activities and locals who still adhere to time-honored customs of welcome and hospitality.

The Scottish Highlands are home to famous battles, historic castles and to an even more famous legendary sea monster: Nessie of Loch Ness. Explore Inverness picturesque riverside on foot. Youll pass by the 18th-century Old High Church and the Castle of Inverness, built of red sandstone in 1863 on the site of an 11th-century fortress. Join a Loch Ness cruise to explore Culloden Battlefield, a windswept moor where the Jacobites last stand took place in the 1760s. Seeking even deeper roots? See a 4,000-year-old burial site built by neolithic farmers at the Clava Cairns. Before you depart, toast your adventure with a wee dram of single-malt Scotch whisky, savoring its distinctive peaty aromas

The capital and cultural centre of the Netherlands is dually considered a gracious, formal cultural centre and the most offbeat metropolis in the world. Some of the best art in the world, including that by Van Gogh, is showcased in over 40 fine museums. Its attractive canals and gabled houses are a popular subject for local burgeoning painters.