KIEL is a city in northern Germany, capital of the Schleswig-Holstein Bundesland. Located at the Baltic Sea, the city was the countries long time main naval base until the installations were dismantled after the Second World War. Kiel is famous for sailing events. Every year the “Kieler Woche” is held (the first time in 1882), a series of sailing regattas with a cultural framework. In 1936 and 1972, when the Olympic Games were held in Berlin and Munich, respectively, the Olympic yachting competitions were held in Kiel.

COPENHAGEN is Scandinavia’s most vibrant and affordable capital, and one of Europe’s most user-friendly cities. Small and welcoming, it’s a place where people rather than cars set the pace, as evidenced by the multitude of pavement cafés and the number of thoroughfares that have been given over to pedestrians and bicycles. Amenable and relaxed, it also offers a range of entertainment which belies its relatively modest size. Cultural attractions, including major national museums, a selection of magical art galleries, a healthy assortment of performing arts events and one of Europe’s most interesting film scenes

TALLINN Estonia’s ancient seacoast capital exudes a sense of romantic history, being one of the most completely preserved medieval cities in Europe. A spirit of mystery still pervades the cobbled courtyards of the picturesque Old Town. The winding alleys overhung with original 12th and 13th century merchant’s houses, barns, warehouses and a profusion of perfectly preserved medieval church and state buildings. Tallinn, released just over a decade ago from the Soviet yoke, is certainly not stuck in the Dark Ages however, while preserving its past the city is as forward thinking as any other modern European capital.

Helsinki, founded on June 12, 1550, is a multi-faceted town that is unique in many ways and has much to offer any visitor. Helsinki is Finland’s international gateway. The city is the country’s nerve center for business, finance, fashion, medicine, entertainment, media, culture and intellectual discourse. There is a large and varied collection of museums, galleries and performance spaces. Helsinki is set apart from other big historical cities by two factors: the great physical presence of nature and the very clear street network. Both the overwhelming presence of nature and the clear street pattern – the network of straight, symmetrical wide streets, which make finding any address a simple task – are the creation of the city’s two main designers, Johan Albrecht Ehrenström and Carl Ludvig Engel. Helsinki is divided into a total of 54 districts. Some of these districts are often counted as one, and sometimes the city is merely divided into the centre and the suburbs.

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.

KIEL is a city in northern Germany, capital of the Schleswig-Holstein Bundesland. Located at the Baltic Sea, the city was the countries long time main naval base until the installations were dismantled after the Second World War. Kiel is famous for sailing events. Every year the “Kieler Woche” is held (the first time in 1882), a series of sailing regattas with a cultural framework. In 1936 and 1972, when the Olympic Games were held in Berlin and Munich, respectively, the Olympic yachting competitions were held in Kiel.

Vík í Mýrdal is a remote seafront village in south Iceland. It sits in the shadow of Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which covers the Katla volcano. Reyniskirkja is a wooden church dating to 1929. Reynisfjara beach has black pebbles, basalt columns and the Reynisdrangar offshore rock formations. The cliffs of Reynisfjall mountain are home to seabirds such as puffins. Just west, the Dyrhólaey peninsula has a large rock arch.

Molde has been a popular destination for touristssince the late 19th century. Nestled between theRomsdal Mountains and southern Norway’s surrealstretch of western coastline, Molde is known asthe “Town of Roses” originating from the numberof large gardens and flowers that sit amongst thepredominantly wooden architecture. Every July,Molde is host to the oldest international jazz festivalin Europe. Music greats like Miles Davis, BB King andRay Charles have performed at the festival.

A jewel of a city set among seven sweeping hills and close to some stunning fjords, Bergen is Norway’s second-largest city. A lively university town, Bergen is steeped in culture and offers an inspiring mix of the ancient and the modern. The city is pleasantly compact and features a labyrinth of cobblestone streets as well as green and verdant areas perfect for rest and relaxation.

Founded in the 8th century and one of Norway’s oldest towns,Stavanger is situated along the Byfjord, an arm of the Stavangerfjordin southwestern Norway. Echoes of its proud heritage liveson amid the evocative cobbled streets of Gamle (Old) Stavanger,whose whitewashed 18th century houses are probably northernEurope’s best-preserved community of wooden houses.

KIEL is a city in northern Germany, capital of the Schleswig-Holstein Bundesland. Located at the Baltic Sea, the city was the countries long time main naval base until the installations were dismantled after the Second World War. Kiel is famous for sailing events. Every year the “Kieler Woche” is held (the first time in 1882), a series of sailing regattas with a cultural framework. In 1936 and 1972, when the Olympic Games were held in Berlin and Munich, respectively, the Olympic yachting competitions were held in Kiel.