My third cruise was with Norwegian Cruise Line again and this time was to visit cities on the Baltic Sea. I set sail on the Norwegian Getaway from Copenhagen on an exciting vacation that was filled with history, art, and culture. Click on the linked headings to read more about each city. St. Petersburg, Russia After 2 days at sea, we reached St. Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, it was the imperial capital for 2 centuries. It remains the country’s cultural center with venues like the historic Mariinsky Theatre hosting opera and ballet. Also the Russian Museum showcasing Russian art, from Orthodox icon paintings to abstract works by Kandinsky. St. Petersburg is also home to numerous parks and gardens. While in St. Petersburg, I witnessed the amazing Swan Lake ballet and also took a guided tour of the most iconic cathedrals of the city. Helsinki, Finland The next port was Helsinki, Finland’s southern capital that sits on a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland. Its central artery, Mannerheimintie, is flanked by institutions including the National Museum (tracing Finnish history from the Stone Age to the present), imposing Parliament House and Kiasma contemporary art museum. On busy Senate Square, you’ll find the neoclassical Helsinki Cathedral which stands in contrast with the Uspenski Cathedral and its cupolas. Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn, Estonia was my favorite port of call and is now my favorite Eastern European city. Tallinn, Estonia’s capital on the Baltic Sea is the country’s cultural hub. It retains its walled, cobblestoned Old Town, home to cafes and shops, as well as Kiek in de Kok, a 15th-century defensive tower. Its Estonian History Museum is dedicated to the country’s 20th-century history and its Gothic, towering Town Hall is among the Baltic region’s oldest. Stockholm, Sweden The only city that I had previously been to was Stockholm, Sweden. Laced by an ingenious network of waterways and bridges strung between a freshwater lake and the sea, Stockholm is easily seen on foot or by waterway cruise. Its gabled old townhouses peer over cobblestone streets, while its magnificent 17th-century palace sits watching over the harbor. The city is spread across a total of 17 islands and was founded in 1252 by a Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. Visby, Sweden The last stop on the cruise was Visby, Sweden. I had never heard of Visby before so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. The first thing that catches your eye when arriving at the Port of Visby, is the impressive cathedral and all the rooftops of the stone buildings in the town, surrounded by the mighty medieval town wall with its towers. Centrally placed, Visby was for a long time the natural meeting point for sailors and merchants from all over the Baltic region. Still today, you can enjoy the majestic merchants’ houses from 17th and 18th century along with almost 200 stone buildings – some of them dating back from the 12th century. Copenhagen, Denmark After one more day at sea, we arrived back at Copenhagen where I spent two days before heading back home. It is one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and is also one of Europe’s busiest hubs. On just about every street you will spot something beautiful.
Visby is the one stop on the cruise that pleasantly surprised me. Visby is Scandinavia’s best-preserved medieval town. It was a very photogenic destination with cobbled streets, pastel cottages, and historic buildings within the city walls. It has beautiful ruined Gothic churches. I visited during Medieval Week, which is definitely the week to go! I think my experience would have been much less exciting if I wasn’t there during their most famous week of the year. Everywhere you look, you are surrounded by knights, queens, peasants, and strumpets, dining, drinking, and dancing against a UNESCO World Heritage backdrop. The festival lasts for one week with 500 events and 40,000 visitors. During the week, you will witness jousting, markets, church concerts, street theater, fire shows, storytelling, walks, lectures, and more. You can get a full schedule on the Medieval Week on Gotland website. I started off my gorgeous day in Visbyat Almedalen Park. It is well known in Sweden as the central site of the annual Almedalen Week, an annual event in Visby, which is an important meeting place for everyone involved in Swedish politics. During the week, which takes place during the 27th week of every year, representatives from the major political parties in Sweden take turns giving speeches in the park. It was a nice place to walk around and get a good view from outside of the city walls. Visby City Wall is a medieval defensive wall surrounding the town. The oldest part of the wall is a defensive tower, today called Kruttornet (the Gunpowder Tower), which was erected at the harbor entrance in the 12th century, making it the oldest surviving non-religious building in the Nordic countries. After taking a look at the tower, I walked along the water and even took a short break to relax in the hammock. You will get some amazing views from the outskirts of the island. This would be an amazing spot to watch the sunrise or sunset. It is very peaceful here. From the walking point, you will see an entrance to DBW’s Botanical Gardens, the most beautiful park in Visby. A member of the DBW committee, submitted a proposal to create the botanical gardens in 1854. The objective was to spread knowledge of both horticulture and botany to all corners of the island. Upon entering, you can pick up an information map. The gardens are free to enter. Next to the gardens are where a lot of the Medieval festivities take place. The first ruin of the day that I saw was St. Clemens Ruin. Majestic arches, columns, walls, and a tower are all that is left from this 11th century church. Not far from it is St. Nicolai Ruin. It is another major ruin listed by UNESCO, which history reaches back to the 12th century. Having great acoustics, it hosts numerous concerts. From this ruin, I took an opportunity to get a good view of the City Walls. As the strongest, most extensive, and best preserved medieval city wall in Scandinavia, the wall forms an important and integral part of the Visby World Heritage Site. Built in two stages during the 13th and 14th century, approximately 3.44 km of its original 3.6 km still stands. Of the 29 large and 22 smaller towers, 27 large and 9 small remain. A number of houses that predate the all were incorporated within it during one of the two phases of construction. During the 18th century, fortifications were added to the wall in several places and some of the towers were rebuilt to accommodate cannons. Be sure to walk along the walls at some point. Next, I visited Helgeandskyrkan (Holy Communion Church), which was built in the early 13th century. From most places in Visby’s town center, you will be able to spot Visby Cathedral, also known as St. Mary’s Church, which is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally build for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350, the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. There are 400 graves under the church floor. While you are visiting the cathedral, make sure you take a walk up the stairs and get a wonderful view from above. If you are here during Medieval Week, you may also witness people jousting in the fields. The next ruin that I visited was Drottens Kyrkoruin (The Lord’s Church Ruin). It is the common name of the ruins of Trinity Church. The church was built around the year 1240 as a parish church for the Germans but was rebuilt during the latter part of the Middle Ages. Across from Drottens Church is St. Lars or St. Lawrence’s Church. It has a different shape from the other churches of Visby. Whereas they were inspired by German ecclesiastical architecture, St. Lawrence’s resembles the Byzantine churches of the east. The numerous staircases and passages In the walls are a distinctive feature. My favorite of the ruins is St. Katarina Ruins. The construction of St. Catherine’s Church was started in the 1250s and continued through the 14th century. It was actually never completed, and in the 1540s, it was partially collapsed during the worship. The pillars are still very impressive. The square beside these ruins is always busy. There is a central market and lots of restaurants and cafes for you to choose from. If you are into museums, Fornsalen (Gotlands Museum) is a great option. There are actually different options that you can choose from including the Historical Museum, the Art Museum, and Norby’s Rural Museum. The main museum is located near Packhusplan Fountain. The final ruins that I looked at were The Church Ruins of Saint Hans and Saint Peter. It is two combined church ruins that were erected in the 13th century and were dedicated to the evangelist John and the apostle Peter. The oldest (St. Hans) was probably the first stone church built on Gotland and happened around 1060. It was the parish church for the Gotlanders
