Copenhagen, Denmark - Danish Capital Earns Its Name -- Wonderful Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark - Danish Capital Earns Its Name -- Wonderful Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark was the embarkation port for our cruise on the Silversea Silver Cloud. This Scandinavian city is almost always included on cruise ship itineraries to the Baltic. We arrived mid-afternoon and spotted the Silver Cloud luggage tags of one of our fellow passengers in the baggage claim area. We quickly introduced ourselves and agreed to share a taxi to the ship. I found an ATM, withdrew some Danish Kroner, and we were off to the Silver Cloud, which was docked at Copenhagen's Langelinie cruise ship pier.
The taxi for the three of us was 300 Kroner.
The Silver Cloud staff greeted us warmly with a glass of champagne, and we were escorted to our Veranda suite in no time. Our suitcases came almost immediately, and we unpacked, grateful that we wouldn't have to see those suitcases again for two weeks.
After dinner we took a taxi to Tivoli Gardens. The next day in Copenhagen, the Silver Cloud offered two shore excursions -- the first to the Castles of North Zealand that we had done a few years ago, and the second a city tour. We decided to explore this cozy city on foot. Silversea had a free shuttle to Copenhagen's City Hall. We picked up some tourist information there, and then enjoyed walking the city for the day. The links below provide more information on things to do and see in Copenhagen.
Pictorial Tour of Copenhagen - Things to Do and See in Copenhagen
More Copenhagen Photos
Wonderful Copenhagen
Danish Castles and Countryside - Shore Excursion from Copenhagen
Aalborg, Denmark - Northern Jutland Danish Port of Call
Aalborg, Denmark was the Silver Cloud's second port of call. Prior to this cruise, I only knew that Aalborg was was one of the wealthiest cities in Denmark during the 17th century and that it was the home of aquavit liquor, also called schnapps.
One of the best things about a small cruise ship such as the Silver Cloud is that it can visit small cities like Aalborg. This northern itinerary was a perfect mix of all the standard Scandinavian and Baltic capitals, along with some interesting small ports such as Aalborg that gave passengers a better sense of the culture and people of Scandinavia.
Silversea offered two shore excursions in Aalborg--a walking tour of the city and a bus tour to the coastal city of Skagen. We heard good things about both of these, although the walking tour group experienced a downpour of rain in mid-tour.
Since we were still a little jet lagged, we decided to do our own exploring of this picturesque Danish town. Mother and I waited out the short rain shower over a leisurely breakfast and walked over to the Aalborg Tourist Bureau, which was located across the street from Aalborg's most famous house, Jen Bangs Stenhus. The tourist bureau had a brochure with two self-guided walking tours, each of which would take about an hour. These two tours ended up being a good selection. The tours gave us an opportunity to see much of Aalborg and to gain a better understanding of life in a major merchant city in the 17th century.
Lillesand, Norway - Scandinavian Port of Call
The Silver Cloud sailed the 138 miles from Aalborg to Lillesand, Norway, arriving in the early morning. The small seaside town of Lillesand was reminiscent of a New England village, with white wooden houses and a beautiful harbor. Lillesand was definitely a summer holiday town, with lots of vacationers.
Many of the Silver Cloud passengers opted for a day bus trip to nearby Kristiansand or a Norwegian coastal boat ride.
We walked the short distance into town and enjoyed the lovely day. Everyone seemed to be browsing in the small shops, eating ice cream, or sitting on the grassy beach. Lillesand was anoher small village that passengers on large ships would miss seeing. Everyone I spoke with thought it was a delightful port of call.
Next we were off to Oslo, our second Scandinavian capital city.
Oslo - Things to Do and See in Oslo, Norway
Oslo has many exciting and diverse options ashore. Here are a few of the top sights of Oslo.
More Oslo travel information --
Oslo, Land of the Midnight Sun
Viking and Explorers Museums of Oslo, Norway
Oslo Photo Gallery
Gdansk, Poland - Reconstructed Hanseatic City and Home of Solidarity Movement
The Silver Cloud had a relaxing day at sea while sailing the 505 nautical miles from Oslo to Gdansk, Poland. We sailed by the famous Kronborg Castle and under the Oresund Bridge separating Denmark and Sweden on the way to Gdansk.
Many passengers chose one of the three shore excursions in Gdansk:
Old town Gdansk was over 90 percent destroyed during World War II, so we were particularly impressed with the restoration effort. Today Gdansk's Renaissance-style buildings look much like those in Copenhagen or Amsterdam.
Walking along the wide streets of Gdansk, admiring the gabled roofs, and exploring the interesting shops was a great way to spend the day in Gdansk.
Visby, Sweden - Medieval Town on the Island of Gotland
Visby is on the Swedish island of Gotland, home of the ancient Goths. Visby is encircled by medieval fortifications dating back to the time of the powerful Hanseatic League, and the city has been a UNESCO World Heritage City since 1995. The town of Visby should be explored on foot so that you can enjoy the cobbled streets, quaint homes, ancient churches, and many spectacular flower gardens. The tourist bureau is on the walk from the cruise ship and ferry pier.
You can pick up a map there and explore the city on your own.
When you visit Visby, be sure to tour the botanical gardens and then go a little further west to the magnificent western wall seen in the photo above. Visby is famous for its 16 ancient churches, but all are in ruins except for the Cathedral of St. Mary's, which has been beautifully restored. The walls of some of the churches are still standing and are a good reminder of ancient times.
The Silver Cloud offered three tours on Gotland. The first was a guided walking tour of Visby. The second tour was a bus tour of the island of Gotland, focusing on the western coast of the island. Some of the adventurous passengers on the Silversea Silver Cloud chose the third tour--a bicycle tour of Visby and the surrounding countryside. Those who explored outside the city all returned to the ship with great impressions of the beauty of Gotland. Those of us who stayed in Visby loved the extra time we had to explore the numerous narrow, cobbled streets and fascinating shops.
The Visby City Wall was selected as one of the seven wonders of Sweden in a 2007 Swedish newspaper poll.
Riga, Latvia - Largest City in the Baltic States and Capital of Latvia
Riga was once an important port of trade and commerce and a major city of the Hanseatic League. The town center has been largely rebuilt after it was damaged in World War II.
The Silver Cloud staff provided an excellent walking tour map and shuttle into the center of Riga. We loved using the map to follow the walking tour route and see many of the sites of the old town.
The Silver Cloud had two shore excursions in Riga.
The first was a bus tour of Riga's highlights, which provided an excellent overview of the city's sights without much walking. The second tour focused on Riga's Jewish history. It was a very somber look at the plight of the Jewish residents of Riga during World War II.
On a lighter note, the black cat house in the photo above is one of the many interesting stories of Riga. The house has two black cats--one on each of its two cupolas. During the height of the Hanseatic League, the owner of the house was not invited to join the Great Guild for Riga's business leaders. The Great Guild headquarters was directly across the street from his home. He was so insulted by the Guild's snub that he turned the two cats so that their rear ends were pointed towards the Guild building. Eventually the owner was invited to join the Guild and the cats were returned to their original position.
If your cruise ship ports in Riga and you enjoy walking, I can highly recommend the walking tour of the old town. The black cat story is just one of many found in this fascinating Baltic city.
St. Petersburg, Russia - Splendid Capital of Imperialist Russia
The Silver Cloud spent three full days in St. Petersburg, but we could have easily spent three more! All of the hype about St. Petersburg is true. It is truly a magnificent city, and the Silver Cloud docked on the Neva River near the Hermitage, almost in the city center.
Unless you obtain a Visa for Russia, you are required to use a licensed guide when leaving the ship. Two days we toured with the ship's shore excursions, and the third we used a private guide, Alla Ushakova.
Although we thought all of the ship's tours were excellent, having a private guide was a special treat. We learned so much about St. Petersburg and its culture and people from Alla. It was like having a good friend show you around her beloved home city!
If your cruise ship docks in St. Petersburg, these are a few of the places that you must see:
We also did two special evenings ashore from the Silver Cloud. The first was an evening at the ballet, where we saw Swan Lake. The second evening was at the Hermitage Museum, where 40 of us were treated to a performance by the State Hermitage Orchestra and a private guided tour of the museum.
More on touring St. Petersburg
The Silver Cloud sailed into Helsinki's beautiful harbor early in the morning. Two magnificent, yet very different churches overlook downtown Helsinki. The first is the massive, neo-classical Lutheran Cathedral or Tuomio kirkko located in Senate Square. The second is the more ornate Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Uspenski. Both can be seen from the harbor and provide wonderful views of the city below.
A third church in Helsinki, which can barely be seen until you are almost on top of it, is the famous Rock Church, Temppeliaukio kirkko. The Rock Church was completed in 1969 and is built inside a huge granite boulder in the middle of an unremarkable neighborhood. Its dome is a 13-mile circle of copper tubing. The church may be unremarkable from the outside, but the inside is amazing. Workers blasted 100 feet down to construct the church and the rock walls and simple circular design are unforgettable. Temppeliaukio is northwest of the downtown area, but it is within walking distance.
Another vivid memory of Helsinki is of Market Square. The usual handicrafts and souvenirs were interesting to look at, but the produce, especially the wonderful berries, was spectacular.
While we enjoyed downtown Helsinki, some of the Silver Cloud passengers took day trips to the Finnish countryside or cruised the picturesque Helsinki archipelago.
Sailing from Helsinki, we stopped for a day at Mariehamn, one of the interesting Aland Islands.
Helsinki Photo Gallery
Next, we were off to Stockholm.
Stockholm was the last port on our Silver Cloud cruise to the Baltics. Sailing through the spectacular Stockholm archipelago is just the beginning. Water is always nearby in Stockholm since it is built on 14 islands at the spot where freshwater Lake Malaren meets the Baltic Sea.
We toured Stockholm with Susanne Aberg, a wonderful guide from the Stockholm Visitors Board and Stockholm Cruising Capital.
Here are some of the top attractions in Stockholm.
Sights in Old Town Gamla Stan
The narrow streets and alleyways of old town Stockholm are perfect for strolling for a few hours or more. Be sure to visit the Royal Palace, Cathedral, Stortoget (Old Square), and Nobel Museum. Find the small Iron Boy statue, rub his head for luck, and leave a coin behind.
Sights on Djurgarden
We took a ferry from Slussen in Gamla Stan across the harbor to Djurgarden. You could easily spend a whole day on this island at its three main sights--the Vasa Ship Museum, the open-air folk museum Skansen, and the Nordic Museum.
Sights in Downtown Stockholm
The History Museum (Historiska Museet) has a collection of Viking antiquities and a spectacular underground Gold Room filled with ancient fine jewelry. The City Hall is an architectural delight and the site of the Nobel Prize banquet. As seen above, a great finale to your day in Stockholm is the Absolut Ice Bar.
Downtown Stockholm Picture Gallery
Gamla Stan Pictorial Tour
Vasa Museum, Skansen, and the Nordic Museum
Stockholm City Hall
Absolut Icebar Stockholm
Copenhagen, Denmark was the embarkation port for our cruise on the Silversea Silver Cloud. This Scandinavian city is almost always included on cruise ship itineraries to the Baltic. We arrived mid-afternoon and spotted the Silver Cloud luggage tags of one of our fellow passengers in the baggage claim area. We quickly introduced ourselves and agreed to share a taxi to the ship. I found an ATM, withdrew some Danish Kroner, and we were off to the Silver Cloud, which was docked at Copenhagen's Langelinie cruise ship pier.
The taxi for the three of us was 300 Kroner.
The Silver Cloud staff greeted us warmly with a glass of champagne, and we were escorted to our Veranda suite in no time. Our suitcases came almost immediately, and we unpacked, grateful that we wouldn't have to see those suitcases again for two weeks.
After dinner we took a taxi to Tivoli Gardens. The next day in Copenhagen, the Silver Cloud offered two shore excursions -- the first to the Castles of North Zealand that we had done a few years ago, and the second a city tour. We decided to explore this cozy city on foot. Silversea had a free shuttle to Copenhagen's City Hall. We picked up some tourist information there, and then enjoyed walking the city for the day. The links below provide more information on things to do and see in Copenhagen.
Pictorial Tour of Copenhagen - Things to Do and See in Copenhagen
More Copenhagen Photos
Wonderful Copenhagen
Danish Castles and Countryside - Shore Excursion from Copenhagen
Aalborg, Denmark - Northern Jutland Danish Port of Call
Aalborg, Denmark was the Silver Cloud's second port of call. Prior to this cruise, I only knew that Aalborg was was one of the wealthiest cities in Denmark during the 17th century and that it was the home of aquavit liquor, also called schnapps.
One of the best things about a small cruise ship such as the Silver Cloud is that it can visit small cities like Aalborg. This northern itinerary was a perfect mix of all the standard Scandinavian and Baltic capitals, along with some interesting small ports such as Aalborg that gave passengers a better sense of the culture and people of Scandinavia.
Silversea offered two shore excursions in Aalborg--a walking tour of the city and a bus tour to the coastal city of Skagen. We heard good things about both of these, although the walking tour group experienced a downpour of rain in mid-tour.
Since we were still a little jet lagged, we decided to do our own exploring of this picturesque Danish town. Mother and I waited out the short rain shower over a leisurely breakfast and walked over to the Aalborg Tourist Bureau, which was located across the street from Aalborg's most famous house, Jen Bangs Stenhus. The tourist bureau had a brochure with two self-guided walking tours, each of which would take about an hour. These two tours ended up being a good selection. The tours gave us an opportunity to see much of Aalborg and to gain a better understanding of life in a major merchant city in the 17th century.
Lillesand, Norway - Scandinavian Port of Call
The Silver Cloud sailed the 138 miles from Aalborg to Lillesand, Norway, arriving in the early morning. The small seaside town of Lillesand was reminiscent of a New England village, with white wooden houses and a beautiful harbor. Lillesand was definitely a summer holiday town, with lots of vacationers.
Many of the Silver Cloud passengers opted for a day bus trip to nearby Kristiansand or a Norwegian coastal boat ride.
We walked the short distance into town and enjoyed the lovely day. Everyone seemed to be browsing in the small shops, eating ice cream, or sitting on the grassy beach. Lillesand was anoher small village that passengers on large ships would miss seeing. Everyone I spoke with thought it was a delightful port of call.
Next we were off to Oslo, our second Scandinavian capital city.
Oslo - Things to Do and See in Oslo, Norway
Oslo has many exciting and diverse options ashore. Here are a few of the top sights of Oslo.
- The Oslo Maritime Museums
These four museums are definite "must sees" for those who love explorers and adventure. - Vigeland Sculpture Park
This unique sculpture garden is also known as Frogner Park, and has over 150 interesting stone and bronze sculptures. - The Oslo City Hall
You can't miss the dark brown twin towers of the Oslo City Hall. The inside atrium is decorated with some spectacular murals. The Nobel Peace prize is awarded each December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, at the Oslo City Hall. The Oslo Tourist Bureau is across the street from the City Hall.
- Akershus Fortress
This ancient castle was built around 1300 and overlooks the cruise ship pier. Its thick earth and stone walls tell the tales of many Norwegian battles. - Royal Palace of Norway
The spacious Palace Park is always open and the Royal Palace has guided tours in English during the summer months. The changing of the guards ceremony at 1:30 each afternoon is quite impressive. - Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Ski Museum
The Holmenkollen ski jump can be seen high on a hill from all over the city. We rode an elevator and climbed over 100 stairs to get the ski jumper's perspective seen in the photo above. The views of Oslo and surrounding countryside are amazing.
More Oslo travel information --
Oslo, Land of the Midnight Sun
Viking and Explorers Museums of Oslo, Norway
Oslo Photo Gallery
Gdansk, Poland - Reconstructed Hanseatic City and Home of Solidarity Movement
The Silver Cloud had a relaxing day at sea while sailing the 505 nautical miles from Oslo to Gdansk, Poland. We sailed by the famous Kronborg Castle and under the Oresund Bridge separating Denmark and Sweden on the way to Gdansk.
Many passengers chose one of the three shore excursions in Gdansk:
- Gdansk and the Oliva Cathedral
This tour consisted of a walking tour of the old town, a visit to the town hall, and an organ concert in Oliva Cathedral.
- Malbork Castle and Gdansk
This tour also includes a walking tour of Gdansk, along with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Malbork Castle. Malbork was built in the 14th century and suffered great damage during World War II. The site has required a significant reconstruction to bring it back to its original glory. - Cashubian Lake District
West of Gdansk is the Cashubian Lake District, and residents have carefully preserved many of their traditions and culture from medieval times.
Old town Gdansk was over 90 percent destroyed during World War II, so we were particularly impressed with the restoration effort. Today Gdansk's Renaissance-style buildings look much like those in Copenhagen or Amsterdam.
Walking along the wide streets of Gdansk, admiring the gabled roofs, and exploring the interesting shops was a great way to spend the day in Gdansk.
Visby, Sweden - Medieval Town on the Island of Gotland
Visby is on the Swedish island of Gotland, home of the ancient Goths. Visby is encircled by medieval fortifications dating back to the time of the powerful Hanseatic League, and the city has been a UNESCO World Heritage City since 1995. The town of Visby should be explored on foot so that you can enjoy the cobbled streets, quaint homes, ancient churches, and many spectacular flower gardens. The tourist bureau is on the walk from the cruise ship and ferry pier.
You can pick up a map there and explore the city on your own.
When you visit Visby, be sure to tour the botanical gardens and then go a little further west to the magnificent western wall seen in the photo above. Visby is famous for its 16 ancient churches, but all are in ruins except for the Cathedral of St. Mary's, which has been beautifully restored. The walls of some of the churches are still standing and are a good reminder of ancient times.
The Silver Cloud offered three tours on Gotland. The first was a guided walking tour of Visby. The second tour was a bus tour of the island of Gotland, focusing on the western coast of the island. Some of the adventurous passengers on the Silversea Silver Cloud chose the third tour--a bicycle tour of Visby and the surrounding countryside. Those who explored outside the city all returned to the ship with great impressions of the beauty of Gotland. Those of us who stayed in Visby loved the extra time we had to explore the numerous narrow, cobbled streets and fascinating shops.
The Visby City Wall was selected as one of the seven wonders of Sweden in a 2007 Swedish newspaper poll.
Riga, Latvia - Largest City in the Baltic States and Capital of Latvia
Riga was once an important port of trade and commerce and a major city of the Hanseatic League. The town center has been largely rebuilt after it was damaged in World War II.
The Silver Cloud staff provided an excellent walking tour map and shuttle into the center of Riga. We loved using the map to follow the walking tour route and see many of the sites of the old town.
The Silver Cloud had two shore excursions in Riga.
The first was a bus tour of Riga's highlights, which provided an excellent overview of the city's sights without much walking. The second tour focused on Riga's Jewish history. It was a very somber look at the plight of the Jewish residents of Riga during World War II.
On a lighter note, the black cat house in the photo above is one of the many interesting stories of Riga. The house has two black cats--one on each of its two cupolas. During the height of the Hanseatic League, the owner of the house was not invited to join the Great Guild for Riga's business leaders. The Great Guild headquarters was directly across the street from his home. He was so insulted by the Guild's snub that he turned the two cats so that their rear ends were pointed towards the Guild building. Eventually the owner was invited to join the Guild and the cats were returned to their original position.
If your cruise ship ports in Riga and you enjoy walking, I can highly recommend the walking tour of the old town. The black cat story is just one of many found in this fascinating Baltic city.
St. Petersburg, Russia - Splendid Capital of Imperialist Russia
The Silver Cloud spent three full days in St. Petersburg, but we could have easily spent three more! All of the hype about St. Petersburg is true. It is truly a magnificent city, and the Silver Cloud docked on the Neva River near the Hermitage, almost in the city center.
Unless you obtain a Visa for Russia, you are required to use a licensed guide when leaving the ship. Two days we toured with the ship's shore excursions, and the third we used a private guide, Alla Ushakova.
Although we thought all of the ship's tours were excellent, having a private guide was a special treat. We learned so much about St. Petersburg and its culture and people from Alla. It was like having a good friend show you around her beloved home city!
If your cruise ship docks in St. Petersburg, these are a few of the places that you must see:
- The Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace
- Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral
- Cruiser Aurora
- St. Isaac's Cathedral
- Church on Spilled Blood
- Palace Square and the Alexander Column
- Peterhof Palace and Park
- Catherine Palace
- Yusupov Palace
- The Cathedral of the Resurrection of the Smolny Monastery
We also did two special evenings ashore from the Silver Cloud. The first was an evening at the ballet, where we saw Swan Lake. The second evening was at the Hermitage Museum, where 40 of us were treated to a performance by the State Hermitage Orchestra and a private guided tour of the museum.
More on touring St. Petersburg
The Silver Cloud sailed into Helsinki's beautiful harbor early in the morning. Two magnificent, yet very different churches overlook downtown Helsinki. The first is the massive, neo-classical Lutheran Cathedral or Tuomio kirkko located in Senate Square. The second is the more ornate Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Uspenski. Both can be seen from the harbor and provide wonderful views of the city below.
A third church in Helsinki, which can barely be seen until you are almost on top of it, is the famous Rock Church, Temppeliaukio kirkko. The Rock Church was completed in 1969 and is built inside a huge granite boulder in the middle of an unremarkable neighborhood. Its dome is a 13-mile circle of copper tubing. The church may be unremarkable from the outside, but the inside is amazing. Workers blasted 100 feet down to construct the church and the rock walls and simple circular design are unforgettable. Temppeliaukio is northwest of the downtown area, but it is within walking distance.
Another vivid memory of Helsinki is of Market Square. The usual handicrafts and souvenirs were interesting to look at, but the produce, especially the wonderful berries, was spectacular.
While we enjoyed downtown Helsinki, some of the Silver Cloud passengers took day trips to the Finnish countryside or cruised the picturesque Helsinki archipelago.
Sailing from Helsinki, we stopped for a day at Mariehamn, one of the interesting Aland Islands.
Helsinki Photo Gallery
Next, we were off to Stockholm.
Stockholm was the last port on our Silver Cloud cruise to the Baltics. Sailing through the spectacular Stockholm archipelago is just the beginning. Water is always nearby in Stockholm since it is built on 14 islands at the spot where freshwater Lake Malaren meets the Baltic Sea.
We toured Stockholm with Susanne Aberg, a wonderful guide from the Stockholm Visitors Board and Stockholm Cruising Capital.
Here are some of the top attractions in Stockholm.
Sights in Old Town Gamla Stan
The narrow streets and alleyways of old town Stockholm are perfect for strolling for a few hours or more. Be sure to visit the Royal Palace, Cathedral, Stortoget (Old Square), and Nobel Museum. Find the small Iron Boy statue, rub his head for luck, and leave a coin behind.
Sights on Djurgarden
We took a ferry from Slussen in Gamla Stan across the harbor to Djurgarden. You could easily spend a whole day on this island at its three main sights--the Vasa Ship Museum, the open-air folk museum Skansen, and the Nordic Museum.
Sights in Downtown Stockholm
The History Museum (Historiska Museet) has a collection of Viking antiquities and a spectacular underground Gold Room filled with ancient fine jewelry. The City Hall is an architectural delight and the site of the Nobel Prize banquet. As seen above, a great finale to your day in Stockholm is the Absolut Ice Bar.
Downtown Stockholm Picture Gallery
Gamla Stan Pictorial Tour
Vasa Museum, Skansen, and the Nordic Museum
Stockholm City Hall
Absolut Icebar Stockholm
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