Cruising the Baltic Sea

Dog and Dragon have been cruising Northern Europe for the last two months, a trip that began with cruising the Baltic Sea. Despite a break in blog posts there have been nearly daily updates to our social media. So for the most up to date status jump over to our Instagram or Facebook feeds and hit follow. So what amazing places have we visited lately?

We’ve been all over the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic this summer, including watching the total eclipse from somewhere in between Greenland and Iceland! Having covered so much territory there is a ton to update you on. Our recent cruising has taken us to so many countries: Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Iceland, and Greenland. You are probably wondering how we’ve visited 13 countries in two months. Holland America line has legendary cruises that are a great way to visit a slew of countries. We joined Dragon’s current assignment aboard the Nieuw Statendam on June 27.

I was initially trying to write a single post to sum up, but my editor (Dragon) told me it was getting too lengthy. Under threat of this becoming a TLDR post I’m going to make it a series of posts. There is actually a little too much to cover everything in one brief travel log post. This travel log update will cover some of the highlights of cruising the Baltic Sea.

Itinerary Overview

We started this journey by joining the ship in Rotterdam before heading into the Baltic. This leg of the journey took us to Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. For us this was a massive highlight and we were stoked to head deep into the Baltic. We’d both been to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway previously, while Dragon had been to Germany in 2023. Estonia and Finland were brand new experiences for us both. In their own way they both seem unusually distant from Colorado, making them unlikely targets for us to visit outside of this environment on the ship. I’m not sure why that is exactly, but hey, problem solved via the cruise itinerary. Thinking back on this leg of the trip those two countries ended up being real highlights.

Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia has one of the best preserved medieval old towns in Europe. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old city of Tallinn is like walking into a fairy tale with it’s cobblestone streets, gothic spires, and largely intact city walls from the 13th century. Beyond the mind blowing towers of the city walls, some of the other highlights included the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn Town Hall, and St. Olaf’s Church. You’ll also find an abundance of local shops specializing in Baltic amber, once known as Baltic gold, a product which this entire region of the Baltic is known for. Here is a link for an affordable guided walking tour of the old town. After exploring the old city, check out the Sessel Speakeasy for a relaxing cocktail perched on a second story balcony overlooking the bustling street below. While the old city is remarkable, Tallinn also has a reputation as a modern tech hub. Estonia should be on any list of hidden gems of Europe and we can’t wait to go back. We had such a fantastic day there before heading across the Gulf of Finland to experience Finland in Helsinki.

Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki is only 80 km away and the two cities are easily accessible via ferry. To our joy, Helsinki was an equally delightful discovery. One of the things that continues to impress us all across Europe is the way each of these countries seamlessly blends the old world with the new. The capital of Finland, Helsinki was founded in 1550. It is a wonderful blend of neoclassical architecture and bold Nordic modernism with a smoothly functional design. For a city of 1.3 million it is incredibly clean, safe, and welcoming. Helsinki routinely ranks as one of the world’s most livable cities. The city center has many highlights like the Senate Square, Helsinki Cathedral, Old Market Hall, Helsinki Market Square, and Uspenski Cathedral. We really loved the extensive green spaces and waterfront parks. Use this link for an epic tour or Helsinki and the nearby sea fortress of Suomenlinna.

Norway’s Vøringsfossen

After leaving the Baltic we headed up the Atlantic coast of Norway for a couple of new ports of call. From the port of Eidfjord we were lucky to squeeze in an outing to Vøringsfossen, one of the most epic waterfalls you’ll find anywhere. I say lucky because it was a slow, winding bus ride there and back that allowed a short window of time to check out the falls before getting Dragon back to work. All worked out though and we witnessed what is described as Norway’s most famous falls. At over 182m in height it is an incredible spectacle that has seen the construction of multiple viewing platforms, including a bridge over the top of the falls. This was one outing that was totally worth it!

Deserves a Nod

As I said, this leg of the trip included stops in a variety of countries. Some other notables from this stretch included discovering the Sarti Spritz in Rostock, Germany, visits to Kristiansand, Norway, Aarhus, Denmark, Stockholm, Sweden, and Visby, Sweden.

I found Visby to be particularly intriguing with a delightful botanical garden and medieval walls dating from the 13th century the entire town center is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you find yourself in Visby, they are making killer Italian pizza at Mille Lire just off the Great Square.

Not Too Shabby

This trip started out with a bang! We were excited about being able to visit Estonia and Finland, if for nothing else just to add them to the map of places we’ve been. What we found was that they are both lovely and appealing in different ways. I’d recommend both places to all of you as destinations to add to your own lists of places to visit. Dog finally made it to Germany having had his previous trip cancelled at the last minute. So that was cool. Throw in all the new cities and natural wonders and cruising the Baltic Sea turned out to be fantastic. Talk to you again soon from the British Isles. Cheers!