11 Days Luxury Baltic Sea Cruise - Copenhagen to Copenhagen

Effortlessly cool and built to be livable, Copenhagen is a green, clean Scandinavian metropolis where cycling is the default mode of transport and the colourful warehouses of Nyhavn frame a pastoral waterfront. The Little Mermaid statue, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, is the city's most quietly self-assured landmark. Danish smørrebrød and a constellation of Michelin-starred restaurants make Copenhagen one of Europe's most rewarding food cities.

Southern Sweden is considered, even by many Swedes, to be a world of its own. Once a part of Denmark, the region is clearly distinguished from the rest of the country by its geography, culture, and history. Småland, the northernmost of Sweden's southern provinces, is also the largest, but its harsh countryside and poorer, bleaker way of life led thousands to emigrate to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. Those who stayed behind developed a reputation for inventiveness. The area has many small glassblowing firms, and it is these glassworks, such as the world-renowned Kosta Boda and Orrefors, that have given the area the nickname the Kingdom of Glass. Kalmar was a rather important outpost from the 13th to the 17th centuries because it was one of the southernmost cities in Sweden. However, in the Treaty of Roskilde, the King of Denmark–Norway was forced to cede what is now southern Sweden, and the town's importance diminished gradually over the years as its fortress no longer defended the country's southern border. Now the Öland Bridge makes it the gateway to that island.

Visby, the medieval Hanseatic capital of the Swedish island of Gotland, is enclosed by one of the best-preserved town walls in northern Europe. Its 3.6 kilometres of 13th-century limestone stand almost entirely intact around a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gothic churches and merchants' houses. The island's medieval week each August draws visitors to jousting tournaments and period recreations that fill the narrow streets.

Klaipeda is Lithuania's only seaport and third-largest city, founded in 1252 by the Teutonic Order under the name Memel. The Germanic influence is visible in the well-ordered centre's half-timbered fachwerk buildings, with surviving examples concentrated in the Art Yard alongside street art, coffee shops, and boutiques. The neighbouring Spit National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a 5,000-year-old peninsula of woods and beaches separating the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Lagoon.

Riga is the Baltic's largest city and its most architecturally diverse. The UNESCO World Heritage Old Town is surrounded by the finest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in the world — over 800 in a compact area. Church spires, the House of Blackheads, and a revitalised Central Market in a former Zeppelin hangar anchor a city of considerable cultural depth.

Tallinn's UNESCO World Heritage old town is one of northern Europe's best-preserved medieval city centres — limestone towers, guild buildings, and a 13th-century town hall square almost entirely intact. Estonia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and has since built one of Europe's most digitally advanced societies, creating a city where 800 years of history coexists with the birthplace of Skype.

Helsinki Cathedral crowns the city's waterfront with its pearly white domes, while the Rock Church, built into the rock underground with a copper bowl roof suspended on glass, is one of the city's most extraordinary buildings. The Suomenlinna fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering six islands, recalls the historical struggles that shaped this stretch of sea. The Design Museum offers insight into Helsinki's celebrated balance of style, function, and form.

Stockholm is built across 14 islands where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea, its Gamla Stan medieval old town rising from the water. The city pairs Michelin-starred restaurants and design museums with the Vasa warship museum — home to the 17th-century warship that sank on its maiden voyage and was raised intact in 1961. The city's waterways, parks, and archipelago of 30,000 islands complete an urban setting of exceptional quality.

Stockholm is built across 14 islands where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea, its Gamla Stan medieval old town rising from the water. The city pairs Michelin-starred restaurants and design museums with the Vasa warship museum — home to the 17th-century warship that sank on its maiden voyage and was raised intact in 1961. The city's waterways, parks, and archipelago of 30,000 islands complete an urban setting of exceptional quality.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and pursue personal interests, whether visiting the gym, the spa, or simply watching for whales from deck. These blue sea days offer an ideal balance to busy days spent exploring ashore.

Effortlessly cool and built to be livable, Copenhagen is a green, clean Scandinavian metropolis where cycling is the default mode of transport and the colourful warehouses of Nyhavn frame a pastoral waterfront. The Little Mermaid statue, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, is the city's most quietly self-assured landmark. Danish smørrebrød and a constellation of Michelin-starred restaurants make Copenhagen one of Europe's most rewarding food cities.

Itineraries are subject to change.