Expedition Wild Scotland And Iceland

Dublin is making a comeback. The decade-long "Celtic Tiger" boom era was quickly followed by the Great Recession, but The Recovery has finally taken a precarious hold. For visitors, this newer and wiser Dublin has become one of western Europe's most popular and delightful urban destinations. Whether or not you're out to enjoy the old or new Dublin, you'll find it a colossally entertaining city, all the more astonishing considering its intimate size.It is ironic and telling that James Joyce chose Dublin as the setting for his famous Ulysses, Dubliners, and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man because it was a "center of paralysis" where nothing much ever changed. Which only proves that even the greats get it wrong sometimes. Indeed, if Joyce were to return to his once-genteel hometown today—disappointed with the city's provincial outlook, he left it in 1902 at the age of 20—and take a quasi-Homeric odyssey through the city (as he so famously does in Ulysses), would he even recognize Dublin as his "Dear Dirty Dumpling, foostherfather of fingalls and dotthergills"?For instance, what would he make of Temple Bar—the city's erstwhile down-at-the-heels neighborhood, now crammed with cafés and trendy hotels and suffused with a nonstop, international-party atmosphere? Or the simple sophistication of the open-air restaurants of the tiny Italian Quarter (named Quartier Bloom after his own creation), complete with sultry tango lessons? Or of the hot–cool Irishness, where every aspect of Celtic culture results in sold-out theaters, from Once, the cult indie movie and Broadway hit, to Riverdance, the old Irish mass-jig recast as a Las Vegas extravaganza? Plus, the resurrected Joyce might be stirred by the songs of Hozier, fired up by the sultry acting of Michael Fassbender, and moved by the award-winning novels of Colum McCann. As for Ireland's capital, it's packed with elegant shops and hotels, theaters, galleries, coffeehouses, and a stunning variety of new, creative little restaurants can be found on almost every street in Dublin, transforming the provincial city that suffocated Joyce into a place almost as cosmopolitan as the Paris to which he fled. And the locals are a hell of a lot more fun! Now that the economy has finally turned a corner, Dublin citizens can cast a cool eye over the last 20 crazy years. Some argue that the boomtown transformation of their heretofore-tranquil city has permanently affected its spirit and character. These skeptics (skepticism long being a favorite pastime in the capital city) await the outcome of "Dublin: The Sequel," and their greatest fear is the possibility that the tattered old lady on the Liffey has become a little less unique, a little more like everywhere else.Oh ye of little faith: the rare ole gem that is Dublin is far from buried. The fundamentals—the Georgian elegance of Merrion Square, the Norman drama of Christ Church Cathedral, the foamy pint at an atmospheric pub—are still on hand to gratify. Most of all, there are the locals themselves: the nod and grin when you catch their eye on the street, the eagerness to hear half your life story before they tell you all of theirs, and their paradoxically dark but warm sense of humor. It's expected that 2016 will be an extra-special year in the capital, as centenary celebrations of the fateful 1916 Easter Rising will dominate much of the cultural calendar.

With untamed power, the Atlantik forms a stage for breathtaking natural spectacles in Northern Europe - and the box seats for this are on board the HANSEATIC nature. Beautiful, close, magical - from the Irish Sea to Iceland, a journey full of contrasts lies ahead of you: imposing and lovely, barren and inviting, lonely and full of life. Now in summer, the north is lush and fresh. Seabirds welcome their offspring. The days are nice and long and the nights are almost light. This makes remote islands and magnificent landscapes dream destinations for nature lovers and a paradise for ornithologists. How diverse will the realm of kings and clans be? Where do testimonies of moving history crown your landings with the Zodiacs? When cruising the Scottish islands, curiosity and that first expedition feeling mix.

Deep bays such as the wild and romantic Loch Linnhe alternate with narrow straits. One of these is the Corran Narrows, where the HANSEATIC nature makes perfect use of its advantages as a small expedition ship. This will take you far into picturesque landscapes to reach Fort William. This cosy town is overlooked by Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. Unlock the secrets of Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle1 from here. Even if Nessie doesn't show herself: The castle ruins from the 14th century. The 18th century church is an extraordinary photo motif. Alternatively: please get on board for a ride on the Jacobite Steam Train1! As you cross the stone Glenfinnan Viaduct to the fishing village of Mallaig, you will be transported to the film set of Harry Potter, who travelled this route to wizard school.

The Inner and Outer Hebrides offer special adventure days. The manoeuvrable HANSEATIC nature is completely in its element in the rugged islands off the coast of Scotland. Pristine landscapes open up before you as you land on Iona and learn fascinating facts about the cradle of Scottish Christianisation. Lunga is a refuge for numerous seabird species. From the Zodiac you can observe puffins, among other things

Your journey continues spectacularly on the St Kilda archipelago, whose black rocks rise steeply from the surf. The most remote islands in Great Britain bear witness to their former inhabitants with the ruins of old stone houses. Today, they are a breeding ground for seabirds and you will go on a hike with your experts to explore them. The Isle of Lewis emphasises the diversity of Scotland with its striking Bergen, tranquil lochs and beautiful beaches. The magic of the landscape is matched by the mysticism surrounding the creation of the Callanish1 stone circles, which take you back almost 4,000 years in time. On a scenic drive to Harris1 you will capture the most beautiful motifs of the home of the tweed. Or would you like to get to know the biodiversity in the middle of the Atlantik? Then experience how the strait provides shelter and food for the animals during Wal and dolphin watching in North Minch1.

St Kilda is a remarkable uninhabited archipelago some 40 nautical miles beyond the Outer Hebrides. The stunning cliffs and sea stacks are home to the most important seabird breeding colony in northwest Europe. St Kilda is one of the few places in the world to have received dual World Heritage status from UNESCO in recognition of its Natural Heritage and cultural significance. Village Bay on the island of Hirta once supported a population of over 200, but the last islanders left in the 1930s. Recent restoration work on the village by the National Trust for Scotland offers a marvellous link with the past. One of the caretakers acts as shopkeeper and postmaster for any visitors who might like to send a postcard home from St. Kilda.

Iceland puts an exclamation mark behind Europe's character landscapes. Volcanic, icy, untamed - an exciting world of contrasts. The fishing village of Seydisfjördur at the end of a deep fjord invites you to take a stroll through its historic wooden buildings.  Or take a hike into the Vestdalur valley1 and enjoy the diversity of plants and the roar of the waterfalls. You can also reach some beautiful hiking trails individually from the ship. The enchanted side of the region unfolds in Bakkagerdi. According to legend, the fairy queen reigns over the bird cliff, where numerous puffins practise their flying skills. Djupivogur in the East Fjords has a close connection to the sea thanks to its long fishing tradition and is the starting point for the glacier adventure on Vatnajökull1, Iceland's largest and most famous ice field.

Seyðisfjörður, a beautiful 19th-century Norwegian village on the east coast of Iceland, is regarded by many as one of Iceland's most picturesque towns, not only due to its impressive environment, but also because nowhere in Iceland has a community of old wooden buildings been preserved so well as here. Poet Matthías Johannessen called Seyðisfjörður a 'pearl enclosed in a shell'. The community owes its origins to foreign merchants, mainly Danes, who started trading in the fjord in the mid-19th century. But the crucial factor in the evolution of the village was the establishment of the Icelandic herring fishery by Norwegians in 1870-1900. The Norwegians built up a number of herring-fishing facilities, and in a matter of years the little community grew into a boom town. Today, about 800 people live in Seyðisfjörður. The local economy has long been based on the fisheries, while light industry also flourishes. Tourism is playing a growing role, as the picturesque town in its spectacular surroundings attracts more and more visitors. The car/passenger ferry Norrøna, which plies between continental Europe and Iceland every summer, docks at Seyðisfjörður every Thursday. Seyðisfjörður has been a cosmopolitan community from its foundation, and the ferry service has contributed to ensuring that it remains so.

On Heimaey, the only permanently inhabited Westman Island, the volcano Eldfell last erupted in 1973 and covered the land with lava flows. Volcanic activity also plays a part in cruising off Surtsey - a final mosaic piece in the kaleidoscope of your journey. You will be envied for the diverse insights into the natural and cultural treasures.

It’s hard to imagine, as you stroll Heimaey’s idyllic streets of white wooden houses, that this island was literally torn apart by a spectacular volcanic eruption, just over 40 years ago. The fact that you can visit incredible Heimaey at all is something of a miracle – because the oozing lava of the Eldfell volcano threatened to seal the harbour off completely. Fortunately, its advance was halted by gallons of seawater, pumped onto it by the plucky islanders, who saved their fishing industry in the process. Iceland's famous for its scenery, and the huge castles of volcanic rock that rise out of the sea's waves here are some of the country's most dramatic.

Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.Reykjavík's name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there's no smoke around. You may notice, however, that the hot water brings a slight sulfur smell to the bathroom.Prices are easily on a par with other major European cities. A practical option is to purchase a Reykjavík City Card at the Tourist Information Center or at the Reykjavík Youth Hostel. This card permits unlimited bus usage and admission to any of the city's seven pools, the Family Park and Zoo, and city museums. The cards are valid for one (ISK 3,300), two (ISK 4,400), or three days (ISK 4,900), and they pay for themselves after three or four uses a day. Even lacking the City Card, paying admission (ISK 500, or ISK 250 for seniors and people with disabilities) to one of the city art museums (Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, or Ásmundarsafn) gets you free same-day admission to the other two.