Maritime Cities: Amsterdam, Hamburg and Oslo

The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, as its officially known, is Germany’s second largest city after Berlin and the third largest port in Europe. It’s a cultural hub with a wide range of museums, galleries and concert venues – some of the smaller ones are famous for giving the Beatles their start in the early 1960s. The city’s rivers, streams and canals are criss-crossed by around 2,500 bridges – more than Amsterdam, Venice and London put together.

Once you’ve had your fill of Hamburg’s cultural highlights, there’s plenty of space to relax in the lovely Planten un Blumen park or you can sit back and enjoy the scenery on a boat cruise.

After breakfast this morning, check out of your hotel and return to the station for your onward journey. A handy direct service takes you north from Hamburg, through the flat lands of Schleswig-Holstein, before crossing seamlessly onto Danish soil. Arrive mid-afternoon into Aarhus, where you check in for 2 nights at the Hotel Scandic The Mayor (or similar).

There’s plenty of time to head out and get your bearings before enjoying an evening meal in the centre of town.

Aarhus was named joint European City of Culture in 2017 and with its great museums and lively calendar of annual events, it’s not hard to see why. This small city is easily walkable with not-to-be-missed attractions including the cobbled streets of the Latin Quarter, a pretty harbour area, the redeveloped cultural centre at Godsbanen and ARoS, the contemporary art museum with a rainbow-coloured roof installation that can be seen from all over the town.

If you hire a bike, you can also take advantage of the city’s location on the Jutland peninsula, with local beaches and forests easily accessible.

Your exciting journey today starts with two Danish domestic trains, the first of which takes you to the town of Aalborg, then a regional service which delivers you into the small seaport of Hirtshals. Here, you transfer onto an evening fast-ferry across the Skagerrak Strait and into the historic Norwegian port of Larvik. On arrival, the Farris Bad Hotel (or similar) will be your home for the night.

After a morning at leisure exploring Larvik, it’s time to return to the station for the 2-hour journey northeast to the nation’s capital, Oslo. When you reach the austere Oslo S station, make your way to the Thon Hotel Opera (or similar) where you will have a 3 night stay.

Capital of Norway since the 14th century, Oslo is a thriving city made up of diverse architectural styles and distinct districts. Spend a full day here exploring the city’s museums, galleries and green spaces.

Highlights of any visit here include the elegant Royal Palace and the Viking Ship Museum, boasting amongst other exhibits, two Viking ships that are over 1,000 years old. During the summer, you can also relax on one of the lovely beaches in the Oslofjord or sit and people watch at a café, with some of the world’s best coffee.

Leave Oslo today and catch a train across the border to the Swedish city of Gothenburg. There’s time for lunch here before your connecting service through to Danish capital Copenhagen.

On arrival, check in for an overnight stay at the Hotel Absalon (or similar) and then head out for an evening meal in the centre of town.

There’s time for a leisurely breakfast this morning before you catch a train from Copenhagen back down to Hamburg. Change here onto a high-speed ICE service to Cologne on the River Rhine and check in for an overnight stay at the Mondial am Dom MGallery (or similar).

Your holiday comes to an end today as you enjoy a last morning in Cologne before making your way back to the station for a return journey to Brussels and a connecting Eurostar service to London.