Southampton to Copenhagen

The Isle of Portland is a tied island, 6 kilometres long by 2.7 kilometres wide, in the English Channel. The southern tip, Portland Bill lies 8 kilometres south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A barrier beach called Chesil Beach joins it to the mainland.

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The tied island of Portland sprawls out attractively into the English Channel linked to the mainland by just the Chesil barrier beach’s thin sliver of sand. Portland forms part of England’s dramatic Jurassic Coast a UNESCO World Heritage Site of limestone cliffs coastal rock formations and beautiful bays. It may be a tiny teardrop of an island but with pirate heritage historic castles and soaring lighthouses there’s a lot to keep you busy as you soak in Dorset’s relentlessly wonderful coastal appeals. Photograph the handsome white and red-banded lighthouse which watches out over the rock-interrupted waves on a breathtakingly photogenic outcrop. Flashing out warnings of a hull-shredding offshore bank the lighthouse marks the southern tip of this island and lurches out five miles towards the Channel Islands. Rock mined from Portland has been used to create some of the most famous buildings in the world including St Paul’s Cathedral and the United Nations’ Building of New York. The stunning natural arch of Durdle Door is close by – looming over a scenic cove it is undoubtedly one of England’s prettiest beaches and most beautiful natural landmarks. A 16th-century Tudor castle stands guard over Portland’s harbour and was one of London 2012’s more unusual Olympic venues hosting sailing events. You can also learn of D-Day history and the role this area played in one of the most important land invasions ever seen at Castletown D-Day Centre.

The bustle of this resort town’s fishing harbor, yachting center, and commercial port only adds to its charm. In the 18th century Falmouth was the main mail-boat port for North America, and in Flushing, a village across the inlet, you can see the slate-covered houses built by prosperous mail-boat captains. A ferry service now links the two towns. On Custom House Quay, off Arwenack Street, is the King’s Pipe, an oven in which seized contraband was burned.

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The bustle of this resort town’s fishing harbor, yachting center, and commercial port only adds to its charm. In the 18th century Falmouth was the main mail-boat port for North America, and in Flushing, a village across the inlet, you can see the slate-covered houses built by prosperous mail-boat captains. A ferry service now links the two towns. On Custom House Quay, off Arwenack Street, is the King’s Pipe, an oven in which seized contraband was burned.

Cork City’s nearby harbor district has seen plenty of history. Cork Harbour’s draws include Fota Island—with an arboretum, a wildlife park, and the Fota House ancestral estate—and the fishing port of Cobh.

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The picturesque little seaside town of Cobh, pronounced Cove, has a magnificent natural harbour, the second largest in the world. This contributed to Cobh’s connection with some of the worlds most famous ships.Of all the passenger ships that sailed from here though, the most notorious must be the Titanic, Cobh being her final port of call. Not surprisingly there are plenty of memorials to the ship in town including the not to be missed is the Titanic Experience. Through interactive experiences, visitors get the chance to experience life on board the ship and to discover more about the passengers who made that ill-fated voyage.Back when the town was called Queenstown from 1849 – 1920, over 2.5 million people emigrated from Ireland through Cobh port. Some were heading to start new lives in North America, some involuntarily as convicts and others escaping famine. The Cobh Heritage Centre tells the moving stories of how these Irish people became scattered around the globe.Spike Island, just a short ferry ride away is Irelands version of Alcatraz. Over 1300 years old, the star shaped fortress later had the dubious honour of being the world’s largest prison. Daytime and spooky nighttime tours are possible for those who dare.Cobh is an extremely walkable town, down on the waterfront are some of the best views of the town. Brightly coloured houses and friendly pubs, meander up the hilly street, drawing the eye to the towns focal point, the impressive St Colman’s Cathedral towering above.

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Atmospheric cobbled streets, with buskers scraping fiddles and characterful pubs inviting passersby inside, is Dublin in a snapshot. A city of irrepressible energy and lust for life, Ireland’s capital is as welcoming a place as you’ll find. Horse-drawn carriages plod along cobbled centuries-old streets, blending with an easy-going, cosmopolitan outlook. Known for its fun-filled gathering of pubs, any excuse works to enjoy a celebratory toast and chat among good company. Home to perhaps the world’s most famous beer – slurp perfect pourings of thick, dark Guinness – cranked out for the city’s thirsty punters. Learn more of the humble pint’s journey at the Guinness Storehouse. Dublin has come along way since the Vikings established a trading port here, back in the 9th Century. In the time since, the city became the British Empire’s defacto second city, and the Georgian imprint still adds oodles of historic character. Learn of 1916’s Easter Uprising, when the Irish rebelled and established their independence here, as you visit the infamous, haunting Kilmainham Gaol. The uprising’s leaders were tried and executed in these dark confines. Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral has immense history below its steep spire, which dates back to 1191. There’s rich literary heritage to leaf through too, and the city’s streets were rendered vividly in James Joyce’s classic Ullyses. The Museum of Literature celebrates the full scope of Dublin’s lyrical talents. Trinity College also has a prestigious roll-call of alumni – visit to see the Book of Kells, a beautifully illustrated bible of the medieval era.

Trendy stores, a booming cultural life, fascinating architecture, and stylish restaurants reinforce Glasgow’s claim to being Scotland’s most exciting city. After decades of decline, it has experienced an urban renaissance uniquely its own. The city’s grand architecture reflects a prosperous past built on trade and shipbuilding. Today buildings by Charles Rennie Mackintosh hold pride of place along with the Zaha Hadid–designed Riverside Museum.Glasgow (the “dear green place,” as it was known) was founded some 1,500 years ago. Legend has it that the king of Strathclyde, irate about his wife’s infidelity, had a ring he had given her thrown into the river Clyde. (Apparently she had passed it on to an admirer.) When the king demanded to know where the ring had gone, the distraught queen asked the advice of her confessor, St. Mungo. He suggested fishing for it—and the first salmon to emerge had the ring in its mouth. The moment is commemorated on the city’s coat of arms.The medieval city expanded when it was given a royal license to trade; the current High Street was the main thoroughfare at the time. The vast profits from American cotton and tobacco built the grand mansions of the Merchant City in the 18th century. In the 19th century the river Clyde became the center of a vibrant shipbuilding industry, fed by the city’s iron and steel works. The city grew again, but its internal divisions grew at the same time. The West End harbored the elegant homes of the newly rich shipyard owners. Down by the river, areas like the infamous Gorbals, with its crowded slums, sheltered the laborers who built the ships. They came from the Highlands, expelled to make way for sheep, or from Ireland, where the potato famines drove thousands from their homes.During the 19th century the population grew from 80,000 to more than a million. And the new prosperity gave Glasgow its grand neoclassical buildings, such as those built by Alexander “Greek” Thomson, as well as the adventurous visionary buildings designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and others who produced Glasgow’s Arts and Crafts movement. The City Chambers, built in 1888, are a proud statement in marble and gold sandstone, a clear symbol of the wealthy and powerful Victorian industrialists’ hopes for the future.The decline of shipbuilding and the closure of the factories led to much speculation as to what direction the city would take now. The curious thing is that, at least in part, the past gave the city a new lease of life. It was as if people looked at their city and saw Glasgow’s beauty for the first time: its extraordinarily rich architectural heritage, its leafy parks, its artistic heritage, and its complex social history. Today Glasgow is a vibrant cultural center and a commercial hub, as well as a launching pad from which to explore the rest of Scotland, which, as it turns out, is not so far away. In fact, it takes only 40 minutes to reach Loch Lomond, where the other Scotland begins.

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A titan of culture and character, with a disarmingly warm welcome, Glasgow is a lively, Scottish city with bucket-loads of personality. Built on a bedrock of hard-work, and deep industrial roots, the city is a fascinating balance of old and new. Architectural treasures like the elegant Glasgow City Chambers of 1888 blend with new, angular shocks like the Riverside Museum and armadillo-shaped Clyde Auditorium – both part of a clutch of exciting new developments along the River Clyde’s banks. Also towering over the river – and perhaps Glasgow’s mightiest symbol – is the Titan – a colossal crane and an almighty reminder of Glasgow’s heritage as a constructor of giant battleships and cruise liners. It is far from a grey industrial city these days, however, and leafy parks, manicured gardens and stacked galleries douse the city with its colour and cultural intrigue. George Square is at the heart of it all, overlooked by Glasgow City Chambers and adorned with memorials, columns and statues honouring influential Scots and Prime Ministers of history. The sounds of shoppers and searing bagpipes rattle along the bustling Buchanan Street, where you can stroll and shop to your heart’s content. Stumble across the West End – Glasgow’s quirkier side – which is brimming with brightly painted cafes and pubs of character and characters, and the perfect spot for a sit-down. Glasgow’s Medieval Cathedral is the city’s oldest building and one of Scotland’s oldest cathedrals, while the university is an immaculate, turreted and vaulted temple of learning. With enormous concert halls, overflowing museums and storied castles, Glasgow is one of the United Kingdom’s most characterful, rewarding cities.

Before English and Scottish settlers arrived in the 1600s, Belfast was a tiny village called Béal Feirste (“sandbank ford”) belonging to Ulster’s ancient O’Neill clan. With the advent of the Plantation period (when settlers arrived in the 1600s), Sir Arthur Chichester, from Devon in southwestern England, received the city from the English Crown, and his son was made Earl of Donegall. Huguenots fleeing persecution from France settled near here, bringing their valuable linen-work skills. In the 18th century, Belfast underwent a phenomenal expansion—its population doubled every 10 years, despite an ever-present sectarian divide. Although the Anglican gentry despised the Presbyterian artisans—who, in turn, distrusted the native Catholics—Belfast’s growth continued at a dizzying speed. The city was a great Victorian success story, an industrial boomtown whose prosperity was built on trade, especially linen and shipbuilding. Famously (or infamously), the Titanic was built here, giving Belfast, for a time, the nickname “Titanic Town.” Having laid the foundation stone of the city’s university in 1845, Queen Victoria returned to Belfast in 1849 (she is recalled in the names of buildings, streets, bars, monuments, and other places around the city), and in the same year, the university opened under the name Queen’s College. Nearly 40 years later, in 1888, Victoria granted Belfast its city charter. Today its population is nearly 300,000, tourist numbers have increased, and this dramatically transformed city is enjoying an unparalleled renaissance.This is all a welcome change from the period when news about Belfast meant reports about “the Troubles.” Since the 1994 ceasefire, Northern Ireland’s capital city has benefited from major hotel investment, gentrified quaysides (or strands), a sophisticated new performing arts center, and major initiatives to boost tourism. Although the 1996 bombing of offices at Canary Wharf in London disrupted the 1994 peace agreement, the ceasefire was officially reestablished on July 20, 1997, and this embattled city began its quest for a newfound identity.Since 2008, the city has restored all its major public buildings such as museums, churches, theaters, City Hall, Ulster Hall—and even the glorious Crown Bar—spending millions of pounds on its built heritage. A gaol that at the height of the Troubles held some of the most notorious murderers involved in paramilitary violence is now a major visitor attraction.Belfast’s city center is made up of three roughly contiguous areas that are easy to navigate on foot. From the south end to the north, it’s about an hour’s leisurely walk.

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Reborn as a cool modern city Belfast has successfully left its troubles behind emerging as a hotbed of culture and architecture where the comfort of a cosy pub is never far away. A walk across the Lagan Weir Footbridge brings you to Belfast’s fascinating Titanic District – an area of the city devoted to its rich ship-building heritage. The state-of-the-art Titanic Museum brings the story of the doomed vessel to life and is the largest museum dedicated to the infamously ‘unsinkable’ ship. There’s just enough time to give the 10-metre long Salmon of Knowledge sculpture a quick peck for luck before continuing to explore. A stark barbed wire and graffitied sheet metal barrier marks an abrupt scar through the city’s residential areas. The Peace Line was constructed during the height of the Troubles when Belfast was plagued by sectarian divisions between Protestants and Catholics. Nowadays you can jump in a black taxi tour to see the colourful murals and living history of the walls which stand as a stark reminder of the fragility of peace. After exploring the city’s historic divisions a reminder of Belfast’s uniting creativity can be found at the Metropolitan Arts Centre – a seven-storey tall building which invites light to gloriously cascade inside. The Cathedral Quarter is a cobbled blend of flower-adorned pubs restaurants and theatres and venues where music spills out onto the streets at night and many a pint is cheerily shared.

Tour description Stornoway, Scotland The Isle of Lewis and Harris is the northernmost and largest of the Outer Hebrides-the Western Isles in common parlance. The island’s only major town, Stornoway, is on a nearly landlocked harbor on the east coast of Lewis. It’s the port capital for the Outer Hebrides and the island’s cultural center, such that it is. Stornoway has an increasing number of good restaurants. Lewis has some fine historic attractions, including the Calanais Standing Stones-a truly magical place. The Uists are known for their rare, plentiful wildlife. Stornoway. Besides being the island’s main entry point for ferries, Stornoway is also Lewis’s main arts center. You’ll find some good restaurants in town if you want to have lunch off the ship. The town can be explored by bicycle if you are so inclined. Local rental shops can give you advice on where to ride, including a route to Tolsta that takes in five stunning beaches before reaching the edge of moorland. An Lanntair Arts Centre. The fabulous An Lanntair Arts Centre has exhibitions of contemporary and traditional art, as well as a cinema, a gift shop, and a restaurant serving international and Scottish fare. There are frequent traditional musical and theatrical events in the impressive auditorium. Kenneth St.. Black House. In the small community of Arnol, the Black House is a well-preserved example of an increasingly rare type of traditional Hebridean home. Once common throughout the islands-even into the 1950s-these dwellings were built without mortar and thatched on a timber framework without eaves. Other characteristic features include an open central peat hearth and the absence of a chimney-hence the soot and the designation black. On display inside are many of the house’s original furnishings. To reach Arnol from Port of Ness, head south on the A857 and pick up the A858 at Barvas. Off A858, 21 mi southwest of Port of Ness. Admission charged. Calanais Standing Stones. These impressive stones are actually part of a cluster of several different archaeological sites in this area. Probably positioned in several stages between 3000 BC and 1500 BC, the grouping consists of an avenue of 19 monoliths extending northward from a circle of 13 stones, with other rows leading south, east, and west. Ruins of a cairn sit within the circle on the east side. Researchers believe they may have been used for astronomical observations, but you can create your own explanations. The visitor center has an exhibit on the stones, a gift shop, and a tearoom. On an unmarked road off A858. Admission charged. Dun Carloway. One of the best-preserved Iron Age brochs (circular stone towers) in Scotland, Dun Carloway dominates the scattered community of Carloway. The mysterious tower was probably built around 2,000 years ago as protection against seaborne raiders. The Dun Broch Centre explains more about the broch and its setting. Off A857. Gearrannan. Up a side road north from Carloway, Gearrannan is an old black-house village that has been brought back to life with a museum screening excellent short films on peat cutting and weaving. For a unique experience, groups can rent the restored houses. Leverburgh. At Leverburgh you can take the ferry to North Uist. Nearby Northton has several attractions; St. Clement’s Church at Rodel is particularly worth a visit. MacGillivray Centre. Located in a round building overlooking the bay, the MacGillivray Centre gives insight into the life and work of William MacGillivray (1796-1852), a noted naturalist with strong links to Harris. MacGillivray authored the five-volume History of British Birds. This is a great location for a picnic (there are tables for just such a purpose). A walk to a ruined church starts at the parking lot. A859, Northton. Seallam! Visitor Centre and Co Leis Thu? Genealogical Research Centre. The center is where you can trace your Western Isles ancestry. Photographs and interpretive signs describe the history of Harris and its people. The owners organize guided walks and cultural evenings weekly between May and September. Off A859, Northton. Admission charged. St. Clement’s Church. At the southernmost point of Harris is the community of Rodel, where you can find St. Clement’s Church, a cruciform church standing on a hillock. This is the most impressive pre-Reformation church in the Outer Hebrides; it was built around 1500 and contains the magnificently sculptured tomb (1528) of the church’s builder, Alasdair Crotach, MacLeod chief of Dunvegan Castle. Rodel is 3 mi south of Leverburgh and 21 mi south of Tarbert. A859, Rodel. Port of Ness. The stark, windswept community of Port of Ness, 30 mi north of Stornoway, cradles a small harbor squeezed in among the rocks. Butt of Lewis Lighthouse. At the northernmost point of Lewis stands the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse, designed by David and Thomas Stevenson (of the prominent engineering family whose best-known member was not an engineer at all, but the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson). The structure was first lighted in 1862. The adjacent cliffs provide a good vantage point for viewing seabirds, whales, and porpoises. The lighthouse is northwest of Port of Ness along the B8014. Shopping Harris tweed is available at many outlets on the islands, including some of the weavers’ homes; keep an eye out for signs directing you to weavers’ workshops. Harris Tweed Artisans Cooperative. The Harris Tweed Artisans Cooperative sells stylish and quirky hand-crafted tweed clothing, hats, accessories, all made by artists belonging to the cooperative. 40 Point St., Stornoway. Borgh Pottery. At Borgh Pottery, open from Monday to Saturday 9:30 to 6, you can buy attractive hand-thrown studio pottery made on the premises, including lamps, vases, mugs, and dishes. Fivepenny House, A857, Borve.

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Scotland’s Outer Hebrides can be rainy, remote and cold – yet their inhabitants rank as the happiest people in the UK. What is their secret? One trip to the lovely port of Stornoway and you’ll soon understand why. Like something on the front of a chocolate box, Stornoway is almost a cliché of everything that is lovely about remotest Scotland: buttercups glowing at the side of single track roads, wisps of bog cotton swaying in the breeze, heather was blooming on the swathes of moorland that cover the interior of the islands, dramatic, romantic landscapes as far as the eye can see … But far from being just beautiful – the mountains, hills, lunar-like rocky plateaus, moorlands, meadows, rugged coastlines and white sandy beaches not to be undermined – Stornoway is full of history, culture and unsurprisingly, more wildlife that you can shake a stick at. Set on the eastern coast of the Isle of Lewis and the Isle of Harris, Stornaway is the capital of the Outer Hebrides, and the jumping off point for all those who want to venture even further north. Although it may sound like two separate islands, Lewis and Harris are actually two parts of the one island, and as such, is full of interesting things to do while you are here. Historians will certainly want to start with the truly magical 5,000 year old Callanish Stones. Scotland’s answer to Stonehenge, these impressive stones are actually part of a cluster of several different archaeological sites in this area. Probably positioned in several stages between 3000 BC and 1500 BC, the grouping consists of an avenue of 19 monoliths extending northward from a circle of 13 stones, with other rows leading south, east, and west. Ruins of a cairn sit within the circle on the east side. Researchers believe they may have been used for astronomical observations, but you can create your own explanations.

In bustling Kirkwall, the main town on Orkney, there’s plenty to see in the narrow, winding streets extending from the harbor. The cathedral and some museums are highlights.

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Scattered just off the northern tip of Scotland Kirkwall is the capital of the Orkney Islands – a scenic archipelago of fascinating dual heritage. The Viking influence is deep while a prehistoric past and World War history adds to the endless stories that these dramatic islands have to tell. Sparse and beautiful let the sweeping seascapes of frothing waves and dance of the northern lights enchant you as you explore. Windswept beaches are inhabited by whooping swans while grassy cliffs hide puffins amid their wavy embrace. Sea caves and crumbling castles – and the dramatic meeting of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean add to the romantic beauty of these lands which may be physically close to the UK but feel an entire world away. The sandstone St. Magnus Cathedral is the centrepiece of Orkney’s main town – a place of winding lanes and atmospheric walks – and Britain’s northernmost cathedral is a masterpiece that took 300 years to complete. Started in 1137 the beautiful cathedral is adorned with mesmerising stain-glass windows and has been evocatively named as the Light of the North. Look down over the ruined Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces nearby from the tip of the cathedral’s tower. Or test out the islands’ history-rich distilleries which produce smokey single malts – said to be the best in the world. You can also venture out to Europe’s best-preserved Stone Age Village at the extraordinary World Heritage Site of Skara Brae which offers an unparalleled vision into prehistoric life.

With close to 220,000 inhabitants, Aberdeen is Scotland’s third most populous city. Locally quarried grey granite was used during the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries for many of Aberdeen’s buildings, and hence the nicknames it has earned as the Granite City, or the Grey City. Aberdeen granite was also used to build the terraces of the Houses of Parliament and Waterloo Bridge in London. Since the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s, Aberdeen has also been called the Oil Capital of Europe or the Energy Capital of Europe. It is no wonder that because of the oil fields in the North Sea, Aberdeen’s seaport is very important. The Heliport with its flights to the oil fields is one of the busiest commercial heliports in the world.

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With close to 220,000 inhabitants, Aberdeen is Scotland’s third most populous city. Locally quarried grey granite was used during the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries for many of Aberdeen’s buildings, and hence the nicknames it has earned as the Granite City, or the Grey City. Aberdeen granite was also used to build the terraces of the Houses of Parliament and Waterloo Bridge in London. Since the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s, Aberdeen has also been called the Oil Capital of Europe or the Energy Capital of Europe. It is no wonder that because of the oil fields in the North Sea, Aberdeen’s seaport is very important. The Heliport with its flights to the oil fields is one of the busiest commercial heliports in the world.

Newhaven is a district in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, between Leith and Granton and about 2 miles north of the city centre, just north of the Victoria Park district. Formerly a village and harbour on the Firth of Forth.

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Edinburgh is to London as poetry is to prose, as Charlotte Brontë once wrote. One of the world’s stateliest cities and proudest capitals, it’s built—like Rome—on seven hills, making it a striking backdrop for the ancient pageant of history. In a skyline of sheer drama, Edinburgh Castle watches over the capital city, frowning down on Princes Street’s glamour and glitz. But despite its rich past, the city’s famous festivals, excellent museums and galleries, as well as the modern Scottish Parliament, are reminders that Edinburgh has its feet firmly in the 21st century.Nearly everywhere in Edinburgh (the burgh is always pronounced burra in Scotland) there are spectacular buildings, whose Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian pillars add touches of neoclassical grandeur to the largely Presbyterian backdrop. Large gardens are a strong feature of central Edinburgh, where the city council is one of the most stridently conservationist in Europe. Arthur’s Seat, a mountain of bright green and yellow furze, rears up behind the spires of the Old Town. This child-size mountain jutting 822 feet above its surroundings has steep slopes and little crags, like a miniature Highlands set down in the middle of the busy city. Appropriately, these theatrical elements match Edinburgh’s character—after all, the city has been a stage that has seen its fair share of romance, violence, tragedy, and triumph.Modern Edinburgh has become a cultural capital, staging the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe Festival in every possible venue each August. The stunning Museum of Scotland complements the city’s wealth of galleries and artsy hangouts. Add Edinburgh’s growing reputation for food and nightlife and you have one of the world’s most beguiling cities.Today the city is the second most important financial center in the United Kingdom, and the fifth most important in Europe. The city regularly is ranked near the top in quality-of-life surveys. Accordingly, New Town apartments on fashionable streets sell for considerable sums. In some senses the city is showy and materialistic, but Edinburgh still supports learned societies, some of which have their roots in the Scottish Enlightenment. The Royal Society of Edinburgh, for example, established in 1783 “for the advancement of learning and useful knowledge,” remains an important forum for interdisciplinary activities.Even as Edinburgh moves through the 21st century, its tall guardian castle remains the focal point of the city and its venerable history. Take time to explore the streets—peopled by the spirits of Mary, Queen of Scots; Sir Walter Scott; and Robert Louis Stevenson—and pay your respects to the world’s best-loved terrier, Greyfriars Bobby. In the evenings you can enjoy candlelit restaurants or a folk ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee, a traditional Scottish dance with music), though you should remember that you haven’t earned your porridge until you’ve climbed Arthur’s Seat. Should you wander around a corner, say, on George Street, you might see not an endless cityscape, but blue sea and a patchwork of fields. This is the county of Fife, beyond the inlet of the North Sea called the Firth of Forth—a reminder, like the mountains to the northwest that can be glimpsed from Edinburgh’s highest points, that the rest of Scotland lies within easy reach.

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For many, Denmark’s charm might begin and end with Copenhagen. Certainly, the country’s capital is a smorgasbord of culture, canals, gastronomy and design, but one would be foolish to end your Danish discovery there.The country is widely reputed to be the happiest place on earth and Skagen (pronounced skane) is testament to that. Located on the very tip of the Jutland peninsula, where the North Sea meets the Baltic Sea, Skagen is a happy jumble of Scandinavian charm, fabulous arts scene and breathtaking nature, and has the Danish royal seal of approval to prove it!A long time favourite of fashionable Danish holidaymakers, Skagen boats one of the most beautiful coastlines in Europe. White sand beaches espouse vast forests and the whole is something really rather lovely. The sunsets are so spectacular it is not uncommon for whole families to make the trip to the beach and actually applaud as the sun finally dips below the horizon. The town is also home to the Rabjerg Mile, the largest migrating dune in Denmark, which covers 2mk2 and stretches up to 35 metres in height.Unsurprisingly for a place that is on the meeting point of two seas, fishing plays an important part in local economy. Marinated herring is of course a speciality but the nutrient rich surroundings mean that fish of all kind is flavoursome and plentiful. This is usually washed down with a craft beer, so why not make like a local and head for the port, stake a claim at a table and enjoy the very best little Skagen has to offer.

By the 11th century, Copenhagen was already an important trading and fishing centre and today you will find an attractive city which, although the largest in Scandinavia, has managed to retain its low-level skyline. Discover some of the famous attractions including Gefion Fountain and Amalienborg Palace, perhaps cruise the city’s waterways, visit Rosenborg Castle or explore the medieval fishing village of Dragoer. Once the home of Hans Christian Andersen, Copenhagen features many reminders of its fairytale heritage and lives up to the reputation immortalised in the famous song ‘Wonderful Copenhagen’.

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Effortlessly cool and down to earth, Copenhagen is a contemporary, clean and classy highlight of Scandinavia. A city built to be liveable, Copenhagen has refused to compromise, resulting in a forward-thinking metropolis that’s green and clean. Swim in the waters of Havnebadet Islands during summer, or shelter from winter’s bite by snuggling in beside a roaring open fire during winter. You can even hop on a train to Sweden, traversing the famous span of a Nordic Noir star – the Öresund Bridge. It takes just a touch over half an hour to step off the train in Malmö. There’s only one way to truly explore Copenhagen and that’s on two wheels. Easy bike hire schemes will get you moving across this flat city, designed with bikes at the forefront of the mind. Choose a model with electronic assistance to take the strain out of any journey, giving you the freedom to whizz around and explore the modern angular architecture of the centre, and the pastoral colours of Nyhavn waterfront. Head out to the Little Mermaid statue, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale – the strikingly-restrained statue is the perfect landmark for Copenhagen; unshowy, self-assured and utterly irresistible. The Danish concept of hygge is very much alive here, and you’ll feel that warm cosy feeling as you visit cafes illuminated by the warm glow of hanging filament bulbs, and stuffed to the brim with thick, dusty books. Home to mega-brewer Carlsberg, Copenhagen is also a city for hop enthusiasts, and there is a thriving craft brewing scene to sample. Danish Smørrebrød sandwiches are a must try, or for something a little more substantial, settle in for a culinary voyage and try a taster menu – the city’s restaurants are littered with Michelin stars.