Northern Isles & The Viking Homeland

A clever floating mooring near the Greenwich Naval Observatory provides your Seabourn ship its proximityGreenwich is a Royal Borough of London, located on a broad meander of the River Thames south-east of central London. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for its maritime history as well as its connection to the Royal Family. The Palace of Placentia has stood on a hill here since the 15th Century. It was the birthplace of both Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I. The buildings were later incorporated into the Old Royal Naval College. Visitors are invited to explore the College, the Royal Observatory (site of the Prime Meridian) and the National Maritime Museum. On the riverfront, the 19th century clipper Cutty Sark, Sir Francis Chichester’s yacht Gypsy Moth IVand a Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender are museum ships. The modern structures of the O2 entertainment complex stand on the peninsula nearby. A floating mooring pier provides a berth for your Seabourn ship, offering easy access to both Greenwich and the city of London visible in the distance. to London. One of the world's premier cities.

With its mountain backdrop and painted wood houses, Norway's second-largest city is one of the country's most appealing places. In the 14th century, the port of Bergen was a Hanseatic trading center and for a time, the country's capital. The buildings on Bryggen, as the Hanseatic Wharf is called, are collectively a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site. The harbor-side market, the lovely parks and the shopping district are all best suited to explore on foot. Take a ride on a funicular up to the 1,050-foot-high Floeien lookout, or head to 13th-century Bergenhus Fortress and 16th-century Rosenkrantz Tower to feel transported back in time.

The village of Olden is situated on the southernmost of three short branches at the end of Nordfjord. As far back as the turn of the last century, cruise ships have been coming here to offer their passengers excursions to the Kjenndal and Briksdal glaciers. The scenery along the fjord is varied and quite beautiful. The peaceful valleys and well-kept farms stand in utter contrast to the stark whiteness of the glaciers and the towering mountains. Olden was for many years home to American landscape artist William H. Singer, scion of a Pittsburgh steel family. A philanthropist, Singer paid to have a road and the regional hospital built here in Olden.

Many a polar expedition has begun from Tromso. The town was founded in 1794, but its roots go back to Hanseatic and, even earlier to Viking times. Situated inside the Arctic Circle on the forest-clad island of Troms, this spirited city is linked to the mainland by the spectacular Tromsobrua Bridge, built in 1960. During WWII, Tromso was one of the few places in northern Norway to escape bombing, and a number of old wood buildings still remain. At the Tromso Museum, the exhibits include an extensive display on the people of Lapland. The town also boasts both the world's northernmost university and brewery.