SHORE EXCURSIONS

Bruges is an exquisitely preserved Medieval town. The general prosperity, visible in the opulence of the mansions and civic buildings, lasted until the end of the 15th century.

After a 30-minute drive from the port, you arrive in Bruges where your guided walk will start. Often called Die Scone or 'the beautiful', the charm of this lovely Medieval city will capture you immediately. Smaller and more contained than many other old Flemish cities, Bruges gives the impression that you have stepped back in time. Your guide will walk with you through the narrow, twisting cobbled streets, passing by picturesque scenes of ancient buildings, tree-lined canals and gabled facades. See the bustling marketplace, Belfry Tower, the Town Hall and the Chapel of the Holy Blood. The highlight of this walking tour will undoubtedly be a 30-minute canal tour. While sitting back in a small boat, you'll enjoy this short canal boat ride along the serene waterways of this romantic historical city. As Bruges is full of lace and chocolate shops, you will have lots of free time which will allow you to search for the perfect souvenir. Your guide will lead you by the romantic 'Lake of Love' back to your coach, that will bring you back to your ship.

OVERVIEW

Heighten your appetite with a walk through Qaqortoq to sample Greenlandic and Inuit cuisine at a local restaurant or in the Community Hall. You’ll spend about 25 minutes along the immensely scenic route through the heart of South Greenland’s largest city – still a compact, charming place where gardens flourish, colorful historic homes line the streets and public artworks celebrate the region’s rich cultural history. But then, there’s no better way to get a true taste of a culture than by its food. The offerings at this excursion’s designated venue change frequently but typically include traditional Greenlandic and Inuit dishes featuring high-protein meats – a diet meant to sustain early locals through harsh, physically demanding winters. Greenlanders have been whalers for some 4,000 years, so look for a taste of that to be served – perhaps thinly sliced like carpaccio or quick-cooked like veal to seal in its flavor. Lamb is also popular here, raised naturally and allowed to range the upland pastures freely. Other traditional specialties might include dried seal, grilled Arctic char or smoked reindeer. Tasty local crowberries, which look like blueberries, are used liberally in sauces and desserts. No worries; you’ll burn off any excess calories on the walk back to the ship.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a leisurely, scenic walk through Qaqortoq’s downtown – alive with color and charm.
• Visit a local restaurant specializing in traditional Greenlandic dishes made from regional ingredients.
• Enjoy a tasting likely to include whale meat along with dried seal, smoked reindeer or free-range lamb.
• Discover the flavor of Greenland’s answer to blueberries: the crowberry.
• See a few more sights and shed a few calories on the pleasant walk back to the ship.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing; include a light jacket or windbreaker.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and insect repellant as needed.

Venture into the beautiful Thingvellir national park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site only about 30 miles from Reykjavik, and ranking at the top of Iceland’s attractions. This national park offers outstanding sceneries of mountains surrounding a vast lava plain covered in green moss and wild flowers. Head to the Geyser area where you’ll see hissing springs, bubbling pools and other geothermal phenomena. Lunch will be served nearby, amongst these scenic surroundings.

Another highlight of your day is the Gullfoss waterfall. The ‘Golden Waterfall’ is the most famous of the country’s many waterfalls. Here, the river Hvita drops 96 feet in two falls, creating an awesome spectacle. Being located on an old magma chamber, Hveragerdi is notorious not only for its abundance of hot springs, which heat the community’s greenhouse industry, but also for its earthquakes.

Enjoy an enlightening introductory walk through Nanortalik, the southernmost town in Greenland. Founded in 1797, Nanortalik is the country’s 10th-largest town despite having only about 1,350 residents. Even the translation of its name, which means “the place with polar bears,” indicates that nature not people rules supreme.

For an authentic glimpse into daily life in this rather remote town, you will see the local school, police station and fire department. As you walk about, the guide will describe in detail the challenges and joys of living in Nanortalik. You will also browse the open-air museum in old town, a collection of colonial-era buildings such as turf huts that reflect the area’s history. Inside, you will find exhibits of model boats, leather clothing able to withstand harsh conditions and fishing gear that the indigenous Inuits use. It is believed that the Inuits were among the Arctic people that invented the kayak about 4,000 years ago.

Discover the allure of the UNESCO World Heritage Site city of Santiago de Compostela on this full day tour.

Traveling by coach, it's a comfortable ride of just over 1 hour to this charming town that offers visitors a magical glimpse into the past. Upon arrival, you will disembark your coach for a ten-minute walk to the center of the city where you will find the famous cathedral at Plaza del Obradoiro. Here, you can appreciate the great Romanesque architecture of the Cathedral and surrounding buildings. Positioned to one side of the Cathedral is the well-known Hostal de Los Reyes Catolicos, a former hospital which is now a luxurious hotel. Directly opposite the Cathedral is the Palacio de Rajoy. Built in the 18th century, the Palace today serves as the Town Hall and also the parliament building for the regional government.

Making your way to the Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos, you will be treated to a leisurely lunch of local favorites accompanied by a glass of rosé wine. Following lunch, your guide will provide you with plenty of information from the exterior of the Cathedral. Afterwards, those who wish may enter the Cathedral independently during the free time you will be provided. For those who choose to enter, you will find a unique gamut of architectural styles. Romanesque, Baroque and Ogival Gothic styles are all combined with the most elegant Plateresque throughout the vast confines of the cathedral. There is also a silver urn containing the ashes of St. James, the Apostle of Santiago. The urn is kept in a small crypt situated immediately under the ornate high altar dominated by the carved image of the Patron Saint of Spain.

Your guided tour resumes with a walk through the Old Town of Santiago de Compostela. Before rejoining your coach for the transfer back to the ship, free time will be provided to explore on your own or do some souvenir shopping.

Meet a Nordic designer and discover how she upcycles discarded waste materials to create green fashions. The venue for this enlightening experience will be the Telliskivi Creative City, a former industrial complex that has been converted into the largest creative center in Estonia. Of all the studios and galleries, the one that Reet Aus owns may be the most inspiring. She is committed to ending the fashion industry’s throwaway culture by creating clothing with excess textiles that would otherwise end up in a landfill. By upcycling or turning old garments into higher-quality sustainable ones, she helps to reduce Estonia’s carbon footprint. You will find a similar environmentally conscious atmosphere at the photography museum Fotografiska. After browsing the exhibits, you will enjoy lunch at a zero-waste restaurant, where the dishes are as creative as the photography. Views of Tallinn’s World Heritage site, Old Town, will enhance the dining experience.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Meet a designer that upcycles discarded textiles to create sustainable fashions.
• See stylish high-quality clothing made with materials once earmarked for the landfill.
• Browse a photography museum and dine in its zero-waste restaurant.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Experience the varied and stunning landscapes of Outer Hebrides and enjoy a stop that will allow you to observe a weaving demonstration of world-famous Harris Tweed.

Starting off from the cruise ship pier in Stornoway, the capital of the Outer Hebrides, you'll travel southward, skirting the fjord-like sea lochs of Loch Erisort and Loch Seaforth. The road then climbs steadily past the towns of Bowglass and Ardvourlie before navigating through a mountain pass which offers up excellent views of the rugged countryside. The views include the peak of Clisham, which at over 2,600 feet, is the highest mountain in the Outer Isles. Usually, native wildlife can be spotted here, including red deer, otters and golden eagles. The terrain here even features rocks which have been discovered to be the oldest in the world. During your drive, you will further witness how the powerful forces of ice and sea in the distant past have carved and polished a dramatic landscape of stark sea-cliffs, sweeping beaches and rugged heather uplands here on the island of Lewis.

One of the most desirable wool textiles in the world, Harris Tweed, is produced in the Outer Hebrides and you will have the opportunity of visiting one of the small shops and adjacent tweed storehouse in the town of Tarbert. A weaving demonstration at the factory shows how the product is weaved and you will have the chance to purchase some lengths of tweed or small souvenir products. As the factory is not large in scale, visitors should be aware that space is restricted. Afterwards, enjoy some free time in Tarbert - which overloods Loch Tarbert and is the largest village on the island.

Continuing on from Tarbert, you'll pass through a dramatic lunar landscape of rocks dotted with tiny lochans as you descend towards the vast expanse of Luskentyre Bay. Here, you'll head for Horgabost Beach where you will have some additional free time to enjoy the bleached white sand here. This lovely setting which is framed by the turquoise sea, backed by steep dunes and set against the backdrop of the mountains to the north, is a wonderful place to relax and take some memorable photos. From this location, you can also view the beautiful, uninhabited island of Taransay, the recent setting for a hugely popular television program, 'Castaway'.

Following your stop at Horgabost Beach, you'll rejoin your coach and travel back the ship in Stornoway.

OVERVIEW

Drive through Nuuk, the world’s smallest capital, and trace the town’s history through its marquee attractions. Nuuk means “headland,” a reference to its location at the tip of a peninsula at the mouth of an extensive fjord system. Missionary Hans Egede founded the city in 1728, although Inuits, Vikings and various other groups had lived there on and off for about 4,000 years. The route that you will follow passes landmarks that include the Parliament, the University of Greenland and Katuaq, a cultural venue whose modern design was inspired by the magical play of light on the ice and snow. The National Museum occupies several buildings around the colonial harbor, where a statue of Egede overlooks the sea. Other prominent historical buildings include Nuuk Cathedral. You will also drive through Nuuk’s neighboring suburbs, which include Nuussuaq and the more contemporary Qinngorput district. Regardless of where you travel, craggy mountains provide a majestic backdrop.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Settle in for a panoramic drive through the diminutive capital of Nuuk.
• Gain insight into Nuuk’s history while passing landmarks such as Katuaq Greenland Cultural Center.
• Drive through the residential suburbs for a look at local life.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Bicycle through the Waterland, a classic Dutch landscape that is ideal for bicycling as it is flat and spectacularly scenic. A ferry will take you to the Waterland, where you will begin pedaling at a leisurely pace well suited to the area’s laid-back ambiance. You can expect to see farmers going about their daily lives, brightly painted wooden houses and an impossibly green countryside crisscrossed with canals and dotted with seemingly endless rivers and lakes. Almost half of the Waterland is water, held in check by a series of dikes, and the landscape couldn’t be more beautiful. Expect to pass cows grazing in fields, iconic windmills pumping water out of the lowlands and a number of seaside villages, one of which you will stop in for a drink. The Waterland is also a paradise for water birds, and you will likely see countless swans and geese and perhaps even a godwit, the national bird of the Netherlands.

OVERVIEW

Reap the benefits of Nordic walking on a delightful hike across the Storhaug peninsula to the beaches on its southern shore. Nordic walking uses a specially designed pole that helps to maximize the benefits of the movements. It can tone the body, burn nearly 50% more calories and put less pressure on the knees and joints. Best of all, Nordic walking is easy to do. You will follow a historical, around 6.5 miles route through the city center of Stavanger, across the Storhaug peninsula and on to Godalen. The walk is only about 6.5 miles, but it is extraordinarily picturesque. Chances are, you will see bicyclists, other Nordic walkers and joggers, as the trail is as popular as it is scenic. In time, you will pause for a quintessential Norwegian snack of brunost, a brown cheese that is surprisingly sweet because the milk whey is cooked until the lactose sugars caramelize. The route back will be different but equally breathtaking./p>

HIGHLIGHTS

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HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy an insider’s look at life in Edam by visiting a local family and touring a cheese-making facility to see how Edam’s famed cheese is produced. An enlightening walking tour will introduce you to the city. Here, you will see from the outside, St. Nicholas Church and the Edam Museum; which occupies an 18th-century sea captain’s house. For a deeper understanding of life in Edam, you will stop by a centuries-old residence and enjoy coffee and cake with the owners. They will elaborate on the long history of their home, how Edam has changed just in their lifetimes and what the future may hold. Still, it is impossible to escape the draw of cheese in Edam. More than a quarter of the cheese produced in the Netherlands is the city’s namesake cheese, a soft variety made with less milk fat than most other cheeses. While touring a cheese-making facility in town, you will watch the process and then taste samples.

Survey Bilbao’s alluring architectural landmarks, with a focus on the stunning Guggenheim Museum. Enjoy a brief panoramic tour of the city including privilege views over the from city at Artxanda Hill, before alighting at the Guggenheim Museum, an architectural masterpiece clad in swooping titanium plates and curving glass panes that is the pure, unmistakable signature of starchitect Frank Gehry. Gaze in awe at this marvelous creation, which fractures the sunlight into an effervescent shimmer. You’ll discover its interior of milk-white walls, soaring halls and intimate galleries is equally enchanting. Led by an informative tour guide, spend approximately 1 ½ hours browsing modern art from the mid-20th century to the present, studying masterworks by Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein, Louise Bourgeois and Richard Serra, to name but a few. Board your coach continuing the panoramic drive from majestic neoclassical façades to cutting-edge subway stations designed by revered architect Norman Foster: you’ll be thrilled by Bilbao’s embrace of both the old and new. Prior to return to pier , stop for pictures at the 1893 Vizcaya Bridge, a highly unusual hanging transporter bridge that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Delve into Bilbao’s historic heart on a brief panoramic coach tour.
• Appreciate nice city views from a priviledge view points at Artxanda Hill and stop for pictures and the famous Hanging Bridge of Getxo.
• Marvel at the swirling titanium and glass architecture of Frank Gehry’s iconic Guggenheim Bilbao.
• Appreciate an approximately 1 ½ hour docent-led tour of the museum’s 20th-century and contemporary masterpieces.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.