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 Kristiansand. On arrival, the Comfort Hotel Kristiansand (or similar) will be your home for the night.

Kristiansand boasts a pretty old town with traditional wooden houses, a neo-Gothic Cathedral and a stunning shoreline with a city beach, a 17th century fortress and Fiskebrygga quay, lined with fishmongers selling their catch.

After a morning at leisure exploring Kristiansand, it’s time to return to the station for an afternoon Norwegian InterCity service covering the 200 miles or so 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.

Your holiday comes to an end today as you enjoy a last morning in Oslo before making your way to Oslo Gardermoen Airport for your flight back to the UK (not included). If you would prefer to return to the UK by rail and/ or ferry instead, we can certainly help with this. Just let us know when you enquire.