Not only is it the same sun that shines on the Mediterranean beaches as on the Swiss Alps but, instead of trash, crowds, traffic and hazzle, there is the stark contrast of the silence, space and relaxation of Europe's highest mountains. I soon discovered which of the two holidays I would find the more restorative writes Adam Jacot de Boinod. What I...

Warnemünde is a seaside resort and a district of the city of Rostock in Mecklenburg, Germany. It is located on the Baltic Sea and, as the name implies, at the estuary of the river Warnow. Warnemünde is one of the world's busiest cruise ports. Images : Boats in winter and tall ships : Joachim Klook Many never see Warnemunde. They walk off cruise shi...

Helsinki, the Capital of Finland, is nicknamed the White City of the North. We arrived in pouring rain but left in bright sunshine. It is situated on a penisula in the Gulf of Finland and, like the weather, it is a city of contrasts. Wide streets and green parks, a bustling harbour, roadworks, which does impede travel. Shopaholics can indulge with ...

The Grand Palace at Peterhof was designed to be the centerpiece of Peter the Great's "Russian Versaille". Around 1720, the Tsar gave up on attempts to establish his court at Strelna, mainly because the boggy ground proved entirely unsuitable for the canals and fountains that he envisioned. Moving his attentions further west to Peterhof, the Tsar be...

Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, is situated on the eastern coast of the island of Zealand. It is separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the strait of Øresund, with the Øresund Bridge connecting the two cities by rail and road. Images by Visit Copenhagen and : Lead mage : Rasmus Flindt Kalvebod : Thomas Hyrup Christenson Botanical Gardens : Brigi...

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous city in the Nordic countries. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Just outside the city and along the coast is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC, and was f...