Cruises - Azores Cruise Club

108
SCandinaVia, The BalTiC & UK
porTS of Call
St PeterSburg, Russia
Beautiful bridges. Shimmering canals. Ornate palaces. St Petersburg really is
special. It’s one architectural delight after another. Even its metro stations
resemble underground palaces.
• Tick off a rich list of sights, including the gilded cupola of St. Isaac's Cathedral
and the Palace Square with its beautiful Baroque Winter Palace.
• Discover the Hermitage, home to an astounding collection of three million pieces
of art. Feast your eyes on works by grand masters like Leonardo Da Vinci,
Titian, El Greco and Rembrandt.
• Visit Russia’s capital, Moscow, where you can delve into the great treasure trove
that is Kremlin, the old royal citadel that’s packed with palaces and cathedrals.
Stavanger, Norway
This sophisticated little city thrives in a patchwork of heather-covered hills and
breathtaking fjords. Whether you come here to unravel its spellbinding history or
just to soak up the magical scenery, Stavanger puts it all there on a plate for you.
• Stroll through the old quarter, packed with olde-worlde wooden houses,
and see artists hard at work in their studios.
• Pay a visit to the 12th-century Stavanger Domkirke. One of Norway’s most
beautiful Medieval creations, its features include a vaulted ceiling and a late
13th-century Gothic chancel.
Stockholm, Sweden
Spread out across 14 islands, spotless Stockholm is an enchanting slice of
Scandinavia. It’s bursting with museums, galleries, bars and restaurants.
• Explore the quaint cobbled streets of the old town and stumble upon the
splendid Royal Palace, surrounded by grand houses and elegant boutiques.
• Discover some of the city’s museums. There are 70 in total, the two favourites
being the National Museum of Art and the Vasa Museum.
• Flex your credit card in the city’s legendary shopping districts. Then spoil
yourself rotten with a traditional Swedish massage in an Art Nouveau spa
tallinn, Estonia
Across the water from Finland lies this captivating World Heritage Site,
the capital city of Estonia. Without doubt, Tallinn is one of Europe’s most
remarkable architectural havens. The old town is a magnificent jumble of
Medieval walls and turrets, spires and winding cobbled hills. Don’t forget
your cameras for this one.
• Start off with a trip to Toompea. Here you’ll find the beautiful Alexander
Nevsky Russian Orthodox Cathedral and Toompea Castle, where Estonia’s
parliament sits.
• Follow the twisting cobbled streets that open out on to Town Hall Square,
whose pièce de résistance is Europe’s oldest surviving Gothic town hall.
Look out for the building’s 16th-century weathervane. It depicts Old Thomas,
the Medieval warrior and guardian of the city.
• When you’re ready for a rest, pull up a chair in one of the city’s open-air cafés
and taste Saku, the local beer.
torquay, England
Torquay unravels along a 22-mile stretch of coast. Its sandy beaches and
rocky coves are backed by a palm-lined promenade, so it’s got more of a
tropical feel than your average British seaside town. Don’t be fooled, though,
because the hallmarks are still there. Fish and chip shops line up along the
waterfront, angling boats bob in the harbour, and ice-cream-laden families
spill out of pastel-coloured cafés.
• Torquay’s claim to fame is Kents Cavern, a network of caves created around
two million years ago. As well as fossils from prehistoric creatures, Europe’s
oldest fragment from the modern human species was found here.
• Agatha Christie lived and worked in Torquay, and you can trace the famous
writer’s life along the Agatha Christie Mile. The walk takes in an exhibition
about the Queen of Crime, and you can collect clues at each landmark to
spell out a famous character from one of her books.
Visit your local travel shop | 0871 230 2800 | thomson.co.uk/cruise
Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. The cost of calls was correct at the time of publication.
See page 3.