Located between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, Hamburg will fascinate you from the moment you first set eyes on its elegant and austere buildings looking onto the port, one of the largest in Europe.

When you reach this destination on an MSC Cruise of Northern Europe, you can get a taste of its glorious history. Hamburg is a cosmopolitan, wealthy and fashionable city, with an aggressive economy, that still prides itself of the title “free Hanseatic city”.
It has, in fact, never cut its umbilical cord with maritime trade that has its heart in the port where your cruise liner will be waiting for you. Many tourist come here to visit the Reeperbahn, the red light district, but if you want to take in the atmosphere of the city, you shouldn’t miss an excursion to Speicherstadt (Warehouse Town), where the cobbled streets, gables and turrets combine to make the area on the other side of Zollkanal (Tax Canal) a world apart from the city opposite.
Another city icon, St Michaelis, at the western edge of the city centre by Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse, is Hamburg’s iconic church and no wonder. More than any other building, the “Michael” mirrors the city’s irrepressible spirit. Burned down after a lightning strike in1750, it was rebuilt in Baroque style under Ernst Georg Sonnin but it again accidently caught fire in1906.
In 1945, the Allies obliterated the roof and decor of church number three. Reconstructed again to Sonnin’s plans, it is now the finest Baroque church in North Germany. Probably the most gratifying attraction during an excursion on an MSC Cruise is the scenery you can admire from one of the best views over Hamburg: the 360-degree panorama takes in Speicherstadt, the container port and shipping on the Elbe, the Alster lakes, and the five spires of the churches and Rathaus.

Haugesund, an ancient Viking settlement located on the atmospheric Karmsundet sound, is surrounded by pristine Norwegian forests. This MSC Northern Europe Cruises destination boasts striking architecture including the Neo-Classical Town Hall and the charming Our Saviour’s Church.

Nordfjordeid is the administrative centre of the municipality of Stad in Vestland county, western Norway. It is located at the end of the Eidsfjorden, an arm off of the main Nordfjorden, west of the large lake Hornindalsvatnet.

Founded in 997 by Olaf I of Norway, the Viking proponent of the conversion of Norway to Christianity, Trondheim was the capital of the country for over two hundred years and takes its name from the fjord on the shores of which it was erected.

Doing an MSC cruise to Northern Europe, you will be able to visit what remains of the city’s medieval centre and admire the vivacious university life. The imposing Nidarosdomen (Nidaros Cathedral) dates back to the 12th century and was a pilgrimage site throughout the entire Medieval period. It is an impressive Gothic structure of grey-blue rocks with a main façade decorated in minute detail, “protected” one either side by two proud bell towers. What we see today is the result of meticulous restoration lasting one hundred years that was completed in 1970. The Gamle Bybro (the Old Town Bridge), also called the Portal of Luck, was constructed to allow access to the Kristiansten Fortress, which is situated on a hill from where a splendid view can be enjoyed.
From the bridge, it is also possible to spot the Bryggen, the characteristic commercial buildings erected between the 18th and 19th centuries along the banks of the Nidelva River. The Ringve Museum with its permanent exhibition dedicated to music and to musical instruments from all over the world is of particular interest. In these rooms, you will be able to learn the history of the pianoforte but also of modern musical genres such as rock and pop. The museum’s botanical gardens, opened all year round, are spectacular.
They boast 2000 different plants: medicinal herbs, ornamental flowers, evergreen trees… To get an overview of the city, it is best to take a bus tour, during which you will be able to see the city’s sites of interest and the typical cheerfully coloured buildings facing the blue of the sea while comfortably seated.

The thrill of reaching Cape North, Nordkapp in Norwegian, the northernmost stretch of land in the European continent, on an MSC cruise, will impress even the most distracted traveller.

When the ship anchors in Honningsvåg, the sky decorated with permanently iridescent clouds and illuminated by the sunlight that shines 24 hours a day from mid-May to July, offers the most incredible spectacle. We cannot fail to realize we’re in a special place, on the last stretch of continental land before the end of the world.
To understand the spirit and lifestyle of the fishermen living in these extreme lands, you should visit the Honningsvåg museum: as well as offering a display of everyday objects, you will find a section that illustrates the consequences of the Second World War on these lands.
During your MSC cruise of Northern Europe you should not miss an excursion to Cape North, where you will find a cliff that is 500 million years old and rises 307 metres above sea level, dominating the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean from where you can admire the spectacle of the midnight sun.
A short distance from the monument that celebrates this remote location is the Nordkapphallen, the visitors’ centre which hosts exhibitions and screenings of documentaries on the beauty of the area. Here you can find everything you need: a café and a restaurant, as well as a post office and even a chapel in the northernmost part of the world: the St Johannes Kapell.
In spite of the extreme latitude, the average temperature in the summer never drops under seven degrees. Here in the western Finnmark, nature is still the queen and one can admire it by taking part in photographic safaris to explore the local flora and fauna. You can go to Gjesvær, a short distance from Cape North, where you can come across sea puffins, gannets, cormorants and other marine birds.

The thrill of reaching Cape North, Nordkapp in Norwegian, the northernmost stretch of land in the European continent, on an MSC cruise, will impress even the most distracted traveller.

When the ship anchors in Honningsvåg, the sky decorated with permanently iridescent clouds and illuminated by the sunlight that shines 24 hours a day from mid-May to July, offers the most incredible spectacle. We cannot fail to realize we’re in a special place, on the last stretch of continental land before the end of the world.
To understand the spirit and lifestyle of the fishermen living in these extreme lands, you should visit the Honningsvåg museum: as well as offering a display of everyday objects, you will find a section that illustrates the consequences of the Second World War on these lands.
During your MSC cruise of Northern Europe you should not miss an excursion to Cape North, where you will find a cliff that is 500 million years old and rises 307 metres above sea level, dominating the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean from where you can admire the spectacle of the midnight sun.
A short distance from the monument that celebrates this remote location is the Nordkapphallen, the visitors’ centre which hosts exhibitions and screenings of documentaries on the beauty of the area. Here you can find everything you need: a café and a restaurant, as well as a post office and even a chapel in the northernmost part of the world: the St Johannes Kapell.
In spite of the extreme latitude, the average temperature in the summer never drops under seven degrees. Here in the western Finnmark, nature is still the queen and one can admire it by taking part in photographic safaris to explore the local flora and fauna. You can go to Gjesvær, a short distance from Cape North, where you can come across sea puffins, gannets, cormorants and other marine birds.

When vacationing in Norway on an MSC Cruise, you can visit the largest complex of wooden buildings north of Trondheim, just four kilometres from the port, in the centre of Tromsø.
One of the first attractions to visit during your MSC cruise of Northern Europe is Polaria. In this Arctic aquarium, you can watch the feeding, twice a day, of the sociable, peaceful bearded seals, and also admire the great variety of fish species that live in the Barents Sea and on the Svalbard.
The most handsome building in Tromsø is undoubtedly the Arctic Cathedral, built in 1965. Its triangular prism shape, with its glass mosaics, mirrors the landscape of this remote region of Norway. Another excursion during your MSC cruise of Northern Europe will take you to the top of the mountain above Storsteinen with the Fjellheisen funicular to enjoy the view, 420 metres above, of the city and the lovely surrounding landscape.
Here one also finds the northernmost botanical gardens in the world, where there are species of plants that, due to their climatic fragility, cannot grow at any other latitude, such as, for example, the Hymalayan blue poppy. Tromsø also hosts the northernmost university in the world, where you find a museum to give you an insight into northern Norway’s culture and environment, with particular attention to the Sami, to archeology, sacred art, geology and the phenomenon of the northern lights.
The polar museum instead shows visitors the harsh life of Arctic explorers. It is fitted in the dock of an old construction built in 1830. For those who like a good beer, there’s a pub like the Ølhallen, which has remained unchanged since 1928. A site not to miss is the Lyngen, an incredible wooden church in the village of Lyngseidet.

Visiting Ålesund on an MSC cruise of Northern Europe means plunging into a fairytale atmosphere. After a devastating fire, the town was rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century in art Amazing venue on the sea nouveau style.
The streets of Ålesund are filled with turrets, spires and splendid decorations that make it truly unique; if you enjoy this style, you should visit the Jugendstilsenteret, the National Art Nouveau Centre. You can admire the centre of Ålesund from above by climbimg up the 418 steps that lead you to the panoramic heights of Mount Aksla with a view of the islands that surround the town and of the Sunnmøre Alps.

In alternative you can reach the Sukkertoppen, the “sugar peak”, by taking a walk that starts from Hessa, just above the port where your MSC cruise ship is anchored. To get a closer look at the traditional architecture you should instead go the island of Godøy, where you can visit Alnes, a picturesque fisherman’s village built very close to the beach where you find local crafts and food sold in the courtyards.

Book an excursion to the characteristic lighthouse from where you have a wonderful view of the ocean. You cannot claim to have visited Norway on an MSC cruise if you haven’t visited a fjord, so don’t miss an excursion to Geirangerfjord. Dropping from the tall mountains that surround it are wonderful waterfalls like the Brudesløret (the Bride’s Veil) and the De syv søstrene (Seven Sisters) or the Storseterfossen, behind which you can take a walk.

And if you like more challenging paths you could climb up the Ørnevegen (the Eagle’s Path), twisting up from sea level to 620 metres above in just 11 hairpin bends!

Located between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, Hamburg will fascinate you from the moment you first set eyes on its elegant and austere buildings looking onto the port, one of the largest in Europe.

When you reach this destination on an MSC Cruise of Northern Europe, you can get a taste of its glorious history. Hamburg is a cosmopolitan, wealthy and fashionable city, with an aggressive economy, that still prides itself of the title “free Hanseatic city”.
It has, in fact, never cut its umbilical cord with maritime trade that has its heart in the port where your cruise liner will be waiting for you. Many tourist come here to visit the Reeperbahn, the red light district, but if you want to take in the atmosphere of the city, you shouldn’t miss an excursion to Speicherstadt (Warehouse Town), where the cobbled streets, gables and turrets combine to make the area on the other side of Zollkanal (Tax Canal) a world apart from the city opposite.
Another city icon, St Michaelis, at the western edge of the city centre by Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse, is Hamburg’s iconic church and no wonder. More than any other building, the “Michael” mirrors the city’s irrepressible spirit. Burned down after a lightning strike in1750, it was rebuilt in Baroque style under Ernst Georg Sonnin but it again accidently caught fire in1906.
In 1945, the Allies obliterated the roof and decor of church number three. Reconstructed again to Sonnin’s plans, it is now the finest Baroque church in North Germany. Probably the most gratifying attraction during an excursion on an MSC Cruise is the scenery you can admire from one of the best views over Hamburg: the 360-degree panorama takes in Speicherstadt, the container port and shipping on the Elbe, the Alster lakes, and the five spires of the churches and Rathaus.