Star Collector: Viking Lore, Finnish Fortresses & the Russian Ballet

About 1000 years ago, the Vikings founded Aalborg. Trade and wealth set their mark on the city and many of the old buildings from that time have been preserved as central elements in the city picture.

Today, Aalborg is the fourth largest city in Denmark and constitutes a natural center for the North Jutland region. In addition Aalborg is Denmark’s largest conference center, outside Copenhagen. Aalborg has many cultural attractions which appeal to a wide variety of tastes; a varied night-life and more than 300 restaurants, bars and clubs, as well as the only casino in the region. The city is full of activity and it is known for its good shopping facilities, including a charming pedestrian area.

Fringe the coast line just a few miles outside the city. Within the region, you will also find Rebild Park the site of the largest 4th of July festivities celebrated outside of the US. Visitors also enjoy exploring the many century old castles and manor houses that dot the region.

You can thank Olav Kyrre.

He’s the Viking king who founded Bergen in 1070. During the Middle Ages, the city became Scandinavia’s primary port, and today, against all odds, you can still see buildings and other relics of this long period. There’s the medieval fortress of Bergenhus, as well as the summer home of composer Edvard Grieg. Bergen, Norway is also a jumping off point for excursions to some of Norway’s wonders, such as Sorfjord, Samnangerfjord, Tokagjel Gorge and Steindalsfjoss Waterfall. After you’ve visited all of these, there will be a short spelling quiz.

Elegant is the word that will come to mind.

As you take in the Danish capital’s rich history and traditions. With castles and crown jewels, galleries and museums, cathedrals and canals, the sightseeing ranks among the best in Europe.

The Strøget is a series of pedestrian-only streets which make strolling and shopping a pleasure. And be sure to visit Tivoli, a unique combination of picture-perfect flower gardens, lakes, theaters and restaurants with more than 100,000 colored lights.

Graceful design, imaginative architecture the Finns have long been admired for their beautiful buildings, gardens and parks. You’ll enjoy visiting them too, as you pass all styles of centuries past and present, from medieval to neoclassical, as well as the superb ultramodern creations by Aalto, Saarinen, and other Finnish masters.

On the shores of the Nordfjord, little Olden is a gateway to a spectacular ice wilderness of stunning dimensions. Climb an amazing zig-zag road past towering cliffs and tumbling waterfalls to the giant Jostedal Glacier- the largest icefield in Europe, where summer skiers zip over ice moguls! Guests of Olden can also take a horse-drawn carriage to a beautiful lake watershed by the blue ice massif of Briksdal Glacier.

Skagen is a port town at the north end of Denmark’s Jutland peninsula.

Wasn’t Leningrad here a minute ago? Maybe a few years ago, but since the fall of Communism this shining jewel of a city has reverted to its original name, St. Petersburg, named for Peter the Great, who built it as a fortress in 1703.

Elegant facades, glorious cathedrals and grand residences were built along the city’s canals. Construction flourished under Catherine the Great, and the city gained new splendor with elaborate palaces, lovely parks and magnificent squares designed by French and Italian architects. St. Petersburg is the most European city in Russia, and the most
spectacular.

Founded as a fortress in the 13th century, Stockholm eventually grew to become the capital of Sweden. It is a city of remarkable beauty with numerous parks, tree-lined squares and boulevards, and pleasant water vistas. To grasp the full character of Stockholm, visitors must hop from island to island, each of which boasts its own personality. Sergels Torg, a central square located in Norrmalm, serves as the focal point for modern Stockholm. On Helgeans Holmen, the tiny island
immediately south of Norrmalm, sits the Riksdagshuset (Parliament Building), followed by the medieval Gamla Stan (Old Town) island and then the large Sodermalm, a bohemian enclave in a former blue-collar quarter.

Across the Strommen (the Current) lie the two scenic islands of Skeppsholmen and Kastell-Holmen. Farther east, Djurgarden Island houses a number of city museums and connects to the northern Ostermalm, a pricey residential neighborhood that adjoins Norrmalm sprawling across 14 islands, the Swedish capital has always enjoyed an ideal
commercial location at the confluence of Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea. As a result, a forest of high-rise office buildings and condominiums has grown up beside the medieval castles that once guarded Sweden’s strategic waterways. Founded in the mid-13th century, this former outpost developed into a vibrant capital in the 17th century, when landscapers and architects began to build elegant parks and squares that rivaled those in the finest European cities.

Today, picturesque Stockholm boasts a stunning combination of man-made gardens in its center and natural scenery on its outskirts, where sun-lit lakes shimmer in the pine-clad countryside.

The capital and largest city in Estonia, Tallinn is located on the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, Finland. It offers an interesting blend of modern, Western atmosphere with well preserved medieval buildings, walls and narrow streets. It is very popular with artists and has numerous galleries, museums and cultural festivals.