Hamburg's port on the river Elbe has been busy since medieval times, when it was a cornerstone of the Hanseatic League. It is a graceful city of parks and lakes, and grand old buildings like the Rathaus (City Hall). Brahms and Mendelssohn were born here, and Hans Leip, who wrote Lili Marlene.

From the waterfront of Molde, the City of Roses, look up and count the ring of snowcapped peaks that circle you. Listen to the magical sound of fiddles playing while beribboned children dance. Understand why Vikings chose this place to make their homes, to farm and settle here and build a town.

Norway's royal residence since 997 AD, when King Olaf I founded Trondheim, the city still boasts Stiftsgarden, the huge wooden palace. A century later, St. Olaf II began to perform miracles for the people, making Trondheim a major pilgrimage destination. Be sure to visit Nidaros Cathedral, where the Norwegian kings are still crowned, which is certainly one of Europe's premier Gothic-style churches.

This magnificent fjord is the second largest in Norway, a vast waterway inland between the towering mountains of the Hardanger Plateau - snowy above yet colorful below with orchards and farmsteads. The fjord branches into numerous small "fjordlets" and impressive waterfalls tumble into the clear blue waters from far above - including the massive Vorings Falls with a vertical drop of almost 500 feet.