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.

The oldest of the Scandinavian capital cities has some of Europe's best museums and offers a reprieve from the intense Norwegian wilderness - although panoramic vistas exist. Oslo is primarily modern in design and architecture, and it is noted for its many museums, historic buildings and public statues, including Munch Museum and the Viking Ship Museum.

A large, busy harbor doesn't dampen the charm of Skagen's older neighborhoods, which offer distinctive yellow houses, great museums, ceramic and glass art galleries, and bike rental outlets. Harbourside restaurants serve fish fresh off the boats. If you're used to Caribbean beaches, this will take some getting used to, but we bet Skagen's craggy charms will win you over.

Experience Stockholm's beauty from the water (as much as Amsterdam and Venice) or the many faces of the city's distinct neighborhoods, stages, museums and parks. The magnificent heights of Söder and Gamla Stan, dating from the Middle Ages, are very different from Djurgården´s fantastic woods and the shopping thoroughfares around Stureplan. Take a walk through the atmospheric back streets of Gamla to admire its 17th century buildings. Visit Mårten charming and narrowTrotzig´s Alley which measures only 35 inches across!

The exotic capital of Finland is a consummate city of the sea, built along a series of peninsulas and islands jutting along the Gulf of Finland. Neoclassical schemes of the early 1800's and modernist Finnish styles of the mid 20th century combine to make it a sprawling masterpiece, outfitted with sea-bordered parks, picturesque boulevards and waterside walkways.

The capital of Estonia is a living museum that houses more complete remnants than most European cities. Winding cobblestone streets and storybook medieval houses accentuate its old town, while the vast, ungodly Lasnamäe apartment district captures the essence of the Soviet reign.

The largest city in Scandinavia, built on two islands, is a cozy metropolis that is often referred to as the "Paris of the North." Its winding streets, timbered houses and 12th-century castles evoke Copenhagen's past. Copenhagen is especially known for cafe culture and thrilling nightlife.

The largest city in Scandinavia, built on two islands, is a cozy metropolis that is often referred to as the "Paris of the North." Its winding streets, timbered houses and 12th-century castles evoke Copenhagen's past. Copenhagen is especially known for cafe culture and thrilling nightlife.

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.