Winter Adventure In Lapland - For Ice Princesses And Snow Kings

Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city with a history dating back to Charlemagne. A major port, this vibrant city is home to art and culture, extensive shopping facilities, Baroque buildings and waterfront vistas. With its well-known fish market, art galleries and Museums together with several beautiful parks including a botanical garden, this is a city with something for everyone. British visitors who remember the Swinging Sixties may like to visit the streets around Grosse Freiheit, where an unknown pop group called The Beatles gave their first public performances in various local clubs before achieving worldwide fame.

A real winter with snow and lots of light on long days – simply wishful thinking? Not at the end of March in Swedish and Finnish Lapland. Because while spring is almost upon us at home, the northern Baltic Sea is still icy and snowy. But life is awakening here too, in the middle of a wintry world where the days, which are longer again, are particularly eventful. And on starry nights, there is a good chance of admiring the magical Northern Lights in the sky. Draw on the wealth of experience of the experts on board: they will provide commentary while cruising off the chalk cliffs of Mon, their presentations turning the entire route into a journey of discovery.

When cruising through the Stockholm Archipelago, you will find yourself in the middle of a network of 24,000 islands. The deck provides the best views. At this time of year, away from the peak season, you will feel a serenity that makes you see Stockholm with different eyes: take a relaxed stroll through the dreamy old town, explore Stockholm on a city tour1 or visit the open-air museum Skansen1.

When cruising through the Stockholm Archipelago, you will find yourself in the middle of a network of 24,000 islands. The deck provides the best views. At this time of year, away from the peak season, you will feel a serenity that makes you see Stockholm with different eyes: take a relaxed stroll through the dreamy old town, explore Stockholm on a city tour1 or visit the open-air museum Skansen1.

Stockholm is a city in the flush of its second youth. Since the mid-1990s, Sweden's capital has emerged from its cold, Nordic shadow to take the stage as a truly international city. What started with entry into the European Union in 1995 gained pace with the extraordinary IT boom of the late 1990s, strengthened with the Skype-led IT second wave of 2003, and solidified with the hedge-fund invasion that is still happening today as Stockholm gains even more global confidence. And despite more recent economic turmoil, Stockholm's 1 million or so inhabitants have, almost as one, realized that their city is one to rival Paris, London, New York, or any other great metropolis.With this realization comes change. Stockholm has become a city of design, fashion, innovation, technology, and world-class food, pairing homegrown talent with an international outlook. The streets are flowing with a young and confident population keen to drink in everything the city has to offer. The glittering feeling of optimism, success, and living in the here and now is rampant in Stockholm.Stockholm also has plenty of history. Positioned where the waters of Lake Mälaren rush into the Baltic, it’s been an important trading site and a wealthy international city for centuries. Built on 14 islands joined by bridges crossing open bays and narrow channels, Stockholm boasts the story of its history in its glorious medieval old town, grand palaces, ancient churches, sturdy edifices, public parks, and 19th-century museums—its history is soaked into the very fabric of its airy boulevards, built as a public display of trading glory.

What awaits you in the northern extension of the Baltic Sea, which is iced over until the end of April? Only a small expedition ship like the HANSEATIC nature, which is suitable for polar regions, can navigate this area. Depending on the weather and ice conditions, a flexible expedition day in the Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay lies ahead of you. Enjoy your exclusive front-row seat on the many open deck areas and look forward to spectacular views of the shores of Swedish Lapland.

Experience the tradition and close relationship with nature of the Sami1 in snowy Lulea, an ideal starting point for discovering Swedish Lapland on a variety of tours. During a winter experience with huskies1 or a ride on a fat bike1 across the ice and snow, the city’s surroundings become a real winter adventure for you. Explore the Gammelstad Church Town1 UNESCO World Heritage Site on a guided tour with insights into the northern Scandinavian past. Alternatively, winter hiking and ice fishing1 provide a taste of adventure. In clear weather, you will have a good chance of observing the Northern Lights from the deck of your ship.

The Finnish town of Kemi is situated not far from the Arctic Circle. You can experience for yourself how the locals get around on a snowmobile safari1, on a dog sleigh ride1 or on a snowshoe hike1 through deep snow-covered forests and along frozen lakes and rivers. Perhaps you would also like to try your hand at ice fishing1? Extend your knowledge about life in northern Europe in Rovaniemi1 on a visit to the Arktikum museum. You will also be amazed by the SnowCastle, a hotel and restaurant that are rebuilt every year.

Oulu is also popular among outdoor enthusiasts. How about an example? Then take a ride in a reindeer sleigh1 and on a snowmobile1 or go cross-country skiing1 through Finnish Lapland.

On the second flexible expedition day in Bothnian Bay and the Bothnian Sea, nature keeps enticing you with new views that are only possible with a small expedition ship like the HANSEATIC nature.

With bobbin lace and picturesque wooden houses, Rauma is a living example of Finnish craftsmanship. You will have the place almost completely to yourself at this time of year. Wind your way through the charming old town that is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In keeping with the contented feeling of hygge, explore the Danish capital of Copenhagen on foot with glogg and a pastry. Use the long lay time into the evening to stroll through the charming streets on your own and pay flying visits to the Little Mermaid and Amalienborg Palace.

By the 11th century, Copenhagen was already an important trading and fishing centre and today you will find an attractive city which, although the largest in Scandinavia, has managed to retain its low-level skyline. Discover some of the famous attractions including Gefion Fountain and Amalienborg Palace, perhaps cruise the city’s waterways, visit Rosenborg Castle or explore the medieval fishing village of Dragoer. Once the home of Hans Christian Andersen, Copenhagen features many reminders of its fairytale heritage and lives up to the reputation immortalised in the famous song ‘Wonderful Copenhagen’.

Reflect on your many unforgettable impressions and experiences during the daytime passage through the Kiel Canal with the best views from the many open deck areas of marshes, forests and meadows.

Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city with a history dating back to Charlemagne. A major port, this vibrant city is home to art and culture, extensive shopping facilities, Baroque buildings and waterfront vistas. With its well-known fish market, art galleries and Museums together with several beautiful parks including a botanical garden, this is a city with something for everyone. British visitors who remember the Swinging Sixties may like to visit the streets around Grosse Freiheit, where an unknown pop group called The Beatles gave their first public performances in various local clubs before achieving worldwide fame.