Observation Deck

One of Europe's leading cities, Amsterdam's rings of canals and traditional Dutch architecture are unmistakable. Rich in art, history and culture, Amsterdam is home to the Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank's house, and the Rijksmuseum, which houses many works by Rembrandt and Vermeer.

The European culture capital in 1996, Copenhagen is Scandinavia's liveliest city. The musical and artistic pageantry are rivaled only by the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the Amalienborg Palace, home of the royal family since 1794. Yet certain parts of Copenhagen maintain a village-like feel, like the winding streets around the Raadhuspladsen and enchanting Tivoli Gardens.

From Warnemunde, you can travel on the autobahn or railway to Berlin to view the Brandenburg Gate, Kaiser Wilhelm Church, Checkpoint Charlie Museum, the Reichstag and the collected wonders of the Pergamon Museum. Or stay down by the sea, and visit medieval Rostock and the spas of the Baltic shore.

Tallinn is the capital of the recently independent republic of Estonia. In the medieval old town, with its winding cobbled streets, there is a marvelous cathedral and Gothic town hall dating from the 14th Century.

Peter the Great styled this to be his Venice of the North. Italian architects created baroque facades, the match of any, to line the banks of the Neva River. Long, arched bridges join the city's halves. You'll want to see the spires of the Saints Peter and Paul Fortress, the blue domes of the Ouspensky Cathedral and, of course, some of the million masterworks of art contained in the Hermitage galleries of the Winter Palace.

Finland's national capital is a spacious Neoclassical city in fine white granite, whose upbeat pace and fashion sense belie the Finnish reputation for conservatism. The massive Temppeliaukio Church is carved out of solid stone, while on the Esplanadi, famous Finnish designers like Marimekko or Iitala demonstrate a lighter, more modern style.

Distributed across fourteen immaculate islands in a sheltered Baltic bay, crisscrossed by scenic bridges, Sweden's capital is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. It is a sightseeing smorgasbord, including the medieval "city between the bridges," the vast Royal Palace, and the City Hall, which hosts the yearly Nobel Prize ceremonies.