Lively, cosmopolitan Stockholm sports an appealing mix of modern Scandinavian architecture and fairy tale palaces, watched over by a Board of Beauty, responsible for preserving the city. One third of its area is devoted to green space, and another third to waterways, providing lots of room to breathe. Gamla Stan is the oldest section, retaining the medieval layout of narrow meandering paths. For the contemporary take there’s Sodermalm, known trendily as SoFo, with welcoming restaurants and pubs, specialty shops and boutiques. Stieg Larson fans hang out here, as it is the area of the city where most action in the Millennium novels takes place.

Visby boasts a rich history with tales of the Viking Age when it was a stronghold and trading post, a flourishing medieval period, and its membership in the powerful Hanseatic League. Today Visby is best known as the Town of Roses and Ruins; you can stop and smell the blooms in all their glory in the Botanical Garden, and visit an array of impressive ruined medieval churches. Wander a maze of cobbled streets in the old walled city, bicycle through beguiling countryside and dramatic coastal scenery, cast a line on a fishing expedition, or take a few swings at one of the seven excellent golf courses.

Gdańsk is a 1,000-year-old port city on the Baltic coast of Poland, which, together with the city of Gdynia and the town of Sopot, makes up the metropolitan area Trójmiasto, “the Tricity”. Home to the Westerplatte, where World War II broke out in 1939, Gdańsk was mostly destroyed during the war, but there are still many impressive sights. Wander through cobblestone streets and mazes of red-brick buildings to discover the Upland Gate, St. Mary’s Church, the medieval Gdańsk Crane or the stunning façade of the Great Arsenal. Explore treasures of “Baltic Gold” at the Amber Museum or collections of paintings, fabrics, and furniture at the National Museum, housed in a former Franciscan monastery. Relax at a beer garden or restaurant and take in the beautiful coastline. Make your way to Gdynia, home of the Polish navy, to feast on seafood or a visit to a floating museum in the form of two ships—Dar Pomorza and Blyskawica.

Gdańsk is a 1,000-year-old port city on the Baltic coast of Poland, which, together with the city of Gdynia and the town of Sopot, makes up the metropolitan area Trójmiasto, “the Tricity”. Home to the Westerplatte, where World War II broke out in 1939, Gdańsk was mostly destroyed during the war, but there are still many impressive sights. Wander through cobblestone streets and mazes of red-brick buildings to discover the Upland Gate, St. Mary’s Church, the medieval Gdańsk Crane or the stunning façade of the Great Arsenal. Explore treasures of “Baltic Gold” at the Amber Museum or collections of paintings, fabrics, and furniture at the National Museum, housed in a former Franciscan monastery. Relax at a beer garden or restaurant and take in the beautiful coastline. Make your way to Gdynia, home of the Polish navy, to feast on seafood or a visit to a floating museum in the form of two ships—Dar Pomorza and Blyskawica.

The island of Bornholm is a far-flung bit of Denmark that appears to have gotten lost in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Poland. It boasts numerous picturesque fishing villages and 15 medieval churches, some of which are 12th century round structures with unique artwork and architecture. Take a stroll down quiet cobbled lanes in the old part of the capital, Ronne, a garden town, where backyard plots produce flowers and fruit, though they may not be easy to spot behind the fine half-timbered houses. Wednesday is market day on the main square of St. Tory, a great opportunity to chat up the locals, and see what’s on offer at their stalls.

Warnemunde is a seaside resort neighboring the red brick 800-year-old Hanseatic city of Rostock. From here it is possible to spend the day in Berlin, capital city of a reunited Germany. Its historical core, home to important monuments like the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building, is part of a revitalized city center, with cafes, restaurants, museums, and galleries. Layered over the Prussian past are WWII, recognized in a Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe; and Cold War relics, including a surviving section of the Berlin Wall and the infamous Checkpoint Charlie.

Arriving in Kiel by ship seems appropriate, given its long shipbuilding and naval traditions. In fact today it is one of Germany’s most visited cities, due to an enormously popular annual sailing regatta. This modern and spacious city is strikingly set on the Kiel Fjord, with a charming street of late 19th century buildings at its heart. For a glimpse of historic countryside life, investigate the Schleswig-Holstein Open Air Museum, a collection of rustic farms and country homes dating from the 16th through 19th centuries. Here local craftsmen demonstrate traditional skills in the smithy, potter’s workshop, old loom, and mill, and tantalizing scents arise from the old-fashioned bakery and smoke house.

One of the most important harbors in Europe, Hamburg is proud of its mercantile roots. It was a member of the medieval Hanseatic League, and has been doing business with the world ever since. It is both the wealthiest city in Germany, and its greenest, with many parks and nature reserves, a diverse collection of museums (from the working-class life of the St. Pauli district to the spooky Hamburg dungeon) and galleries (from famous masters to erotic art). Hamburg is also a gateway to Berlin, capital city of a reunited Germany, and home to major monuments and Cold War relics, including a section of the Berlin Wall and the infamous Checkpoint Charlie.

Amsterdam has a personality all its own, including a long time reputation for tolerance. You’ll be thinking of tulips and wooden shoes, perhaps Heineken beer, and some of the city’s past inhabitants: Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Anne Frank, who wrote her famous diary hidden in a canal-side house. But do you know that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice (connecting a jigsaw puzzle of 90 islands), joined by some 1280 bridges (many illuminated by fairy lights at night)? Or that it boasts the oldest stock exchange in the world?

Amsterdam has a personality all its own, including a long time reputation for tolerance. You’ll be thinking of tulips and wooden shoes, perhaps Heineken beer, and some of the city’s past inhabitants: Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Anne Frank, who wrote her famous diary hidden in a canal-side house. But do you know that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice (connecting a jigsaw puzzle of 90 islands), joined by some 1280 bridges (many illuminated by fairy lights at night)? Or that it boasts the oldest stock exchange in the world?

Antwerp is a stylish and sophisticated city filled with monumental reminders of its prosperous medieval and Renaissance past, currently reinventing itself as an exciting contemporary city. Long a major diamond center, it is now making a name as an important player on the world fashion scene. Belgium has the highest density of Michelin star restaurants in Europe, and Antwerp has become a hot spot for foodies. Numerous urban renewal projects are underway, especially in the arts, including MAS, a new museum of the city and a spectacular architectural achievement, and MoMu, a trendy fashion museum.

Antwerp is a stylish and sophisticated city filled with monumental reminders of its prosperous medieval and Renaissance past, currently reinventing itself as an exciting contemporary city. Long a major diamond center, it is now making a name as an important player on the world fashion scene. Belgium has the highest density of Michelin star restaurants in Europe, and Antwerp has become a hot spot for foodies. Numerous urban renewal projects are underway, especially in the arts, including MAS, a new museum of the city and a spectacular architectural achievement, and MoMu, a trendy fashion museum.

Muse on voyages past as you sail in or out of Southampton, long a maritime center, its yards turning out warships for king and country from the Hundred Years War in the 14-15th centuries, to two world wars in the 20th. It was the departure point for the Mayflower in 1620, and for the ill-fated Titanic in 1912. The charms of London are not far away, but pray tarry in the south to explore other wonders, including Bath, with its natural hot springs and stunning architecture and the mysterious megaliths of Stonehenge, or venture all the way west to Lands End, and the wild moorlands and pirate haunts of Cornwall.