Grand Voyage: Northern Europe & the Arctic Circle

Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital, known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age. Its Museum District houses the Van Gogh Museum, works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, and modern art at the Stedelijk. Cycling is key to the city’s character, and there are numerous bike paths.

The Kiel Canal is a 98-kilometre-long freshwater canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The canal was finished in 1895, but later widened, and links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau.

Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, sits on the coastal islands of Zealand and Amager. It’s linked to Malmo in southern Sweden by the Öresund Bridge. Indre By, the city's historic center, contains Frederiksstaden, an 18th-century rococo district, home to the royal family’s Amalienborg Palace. Nearby is Christiansborg Palace and the Renaissance-era Rosenborg Castle, surrounded by gardens and home to the crown jewels.

Oslo, the capital of Norway, sits on the country’s southern coast at the head of the Oslofjord. It’s known for its green spaces and museums. Many of these are on the Bygdøy Peninsula, including the waterside Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Viking Ship Museum, with Viking ships from the 9th century. The Holmenkollbakken is a ski-jumping hill with panoramic views of the fjord. It also has a ski museum.

Kristiansand is a city in southern Norway. Its old town, Posebyen, features traditional wooden houses. In the center, neo-Gothic Kristiansand Cathedral is near the Sørlandets Museum, which displays Norwegian art from 1800 to today. The southeastern shoreline includes the Bystranda city beach, the 17th-century Christiansholm Fortress rotunda and Fiskebrygga quay, lined with fishmongers selling their catch.

Flåm is a village in southwestern Norway, in an area known for its fjords. It sits at the end of Aurlandsfjord, a branch of the vast Sognefjord. The dramatic Stegastein viewing platform juts out high above the Aurlandsfjord. South of Flåm Harbor, the 17th-century wooden Flåm Church lies in the valley. The Flåm Railway offers valley and waterfall views as it climbs to a station on the Hardangervidda plateau.

Nordfjord is a traditional district of Norway. Contents. 1 Geography; 2 Population; 3 References; 4 External links.

Bergen is a city on Norway’s southwestern coast. It's surrounded by mountains and fjords, including Sognefjord, the country’s longest and deepest. Bryggen features colorful wooden houses on the old wharf, once a center of the Hanseatic League's trading empire. The Fløibanen Funicular goes up Fløyen Mountain for panoramic views and hiking trails. The Edvard Grieg House is where the renowned composer once lived.

Ålesund is a port town on the west coast of Norway, at the entrance to the Geirangerfjord. It’s known for the art nouveau architectural style in which most of the town was rebuilt after a fire in 1904, as documented at the Jugendstilsenteret museum. There are panoramic views of Ålesund’s architecture, the surrounding archipelago and fjords from the Mount Aksla lookout.

Tromsø, a city in northern Norway, is a major cultural hub above the Arctic Circle. It’s famed as a viewing point for colorful Northern Lights that sometime light up the nighttime sky. The city’s historic center, on the island of Tromsø, is distinguished by its centuries-old wooden houses. The 1965 Arctic Cathedral, with its distinctive peaked roof and soaring stained-glass windows, dominates the skyline.

North Cape is a cape on the northern coast of the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway. The cape is in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county

Bear Island is the southernmost island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. The island is located in the western part of the Barents Sea, approximately halfway between Spitsbergen and the North Cape. Bear Island was discovered by the Dutch explorers Willem Barentsz and Jacob van Heemskerck on 10 June 1596.

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.

Longyearbyen is a small coal-mining town on Spitsbergen Island, in Norway's Svalbard archipelago. This Arctic town is known for its views of the Northern Lights. The modern Svalbard Museum chronicles the region’s natural and cultural history. It includes a stuffed polar bear. Live bears can occasionally be seen in the area. The North Pole Expeditions Museum recounts early efforts to reach the pole by air.

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.

Akureyri is a city at the base of Eyjafjörður Fjord in northern Iceland. In the center, the 1940 Akureyri Church has stained-glass windows portraying scenes from Icelandic Christian history. There are views of the fjord from the forecourt. Nearby, the Akureyri Art Museum displays contemporary art from Iceland and farther afield. To the south are the Botanical Gardens, with specimens from across Iceland.

Reykjavik, on the coast of Iceland, is the country's capital and largest city. It's home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history. The striking concrete Hallgrimskirkja church and rotating Perlan glass dome offer sweeping views of the sea and nearby hills. Exemplifying the island’s volcanic activity is the geothermal Blue Lagoon spa, near the village of Grindavik.

Grímsey is a small Icelandic island, 40 kilometres off the north coast of the main island of Iceland, straddling the Arctic Circle. In January 2018 Grímsey had 61 inhabitants. Before 2009, Grimsey constituted the hreppur of Grímseyjarhreppur. In that year, island residents voted to join the municipality with Akureyri.

Sauðárkrókur is a town in Skagafjörður in northern Iceland and a part of the municipality of Skagafjörður. Sauðárkrókur is the largest town in Northwest Iceland and the second-largest town on the north coast of Iceland, with a population of 2,612.

Northeast Greenland National Park is the world's largest national park and the 9th largest protected area. Established in 1974 and expanded to its present size in 1988, it protects 972,000 km² of the interior and northeastern coast of Greenland and is bigger than all but 29 of the world's 195 countries.

Northeast Greenland National Park is the world's largest national park and the 9th largest protected area. Established in 1974 and expanded to its present size in 1988, it protects 972,000 km² of the interior and northeastern coast of Greenland and is bigger than all but 29 of the world's 195 countries.

Northeast Greenland National Park is the world's largest national park and the 9th largest protected area. Established in 1974 and expanded to its present size in 1988, it protects 972,000 km² of the interior and northeastern coast of Greenland and is bigger than all but 29 of the world's 195 countries.

Ísafjörður is a town in the Westfjords region of northwest Iceland. It's known for its dramatic landscapes. The old town has wooden houses with corrugated tin roofs built by fishing merchants in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Westfjords Heritage Museum has exhibits on the town’s maritime history, including a collection of old fishing boats. The old hospital, now a cultural center, contains archives and photography.

Reykjavik, on the coast of Iceland, is the country's capital and largest city. It's home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history. The striking concrete Hallgrimskirkja church and rotating Perlan glass dome offer sweeping views of the sea and nearby hills. Exemplifying the island’s volcanic activity is the geothermal Blue Lagoon spa, near the village of Grindavik.