Baltic Cruise Photo Guides - - Oslo and Copenhagen

This is the time of year for cruising the Baltic. The days are long and often filled with sunshine. The temperatures are pleasant with just a touch of cool crispness that is refreshing for people traveling from more southerly areas. In short, it is perfect for exploring the cultural abundance of this area and viewing its splendid scenery.




Two ports which are often included in the itinerary of a Baltic cruise are Oslo, Norway and Copenhagen, Denmark. Although they are both Scandinavian capitals, they are quite different experiences.



Ships calling at Oslo arrive at their destination after traveling through a 60-mile long fjord. This fjord does not have tower cliffs jutting up from the water like those further north in Norway. Rather, it is surrounded by tree-covered rolling hills punctuated by ancient rock outcroppings. The city of Oslo is not inconsistent with this scenery as it too is surrounded by hills and has much green space within its boundaries. Although large in geographic area, it has a small city feel with much of the city within walking distance from the cruise terminal.



Copenhagen is the largest city in Scandinavia. It has much more of a big city feel. However, at the same time, it feels more relaxed than cities in the United States or the UK. As in Oslo, most cruise ships dock in the center of the city and again many attractions are within walking distance. However, the cultural and historic sights have more of a cosmopolitan air and include several palaces, cathedrals and world class art collections.



In part, these differences reflect the large difference in the populations of the two cities. But it also reflects the countries’ histories. For significant periods, Norway was under the control of either Denmark or Sweden. Denmark has been a dominant force in the Baltic.



One thing that the two cities share is that they are delightful and interesting cruise ports. Oslo has an intimate feel with pretty broad boulevards and scenic panoramas from places such as the Ackershus Castle that overlooks the fjord. The center of Copenhagen is also charming with its Old World architecture interspersed with majestic buildings.



Beyondships cruise photo guide to Oslo is at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Oslo.html and the cruise photo guide to Copenhagen is at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Coph.html The object of these guides is to give a flavor of the port. They give a brief description of the city, its history, and its cruise port. There is also a photo tour of some of the places that cruise passengers visit in those ports. In addition to the photos and descriptions, there are links to other websites that have additional information including the webpages about the port posted on the websites of a number of the major cruise lines. There are also links to the Beyondships’ profiles of some of the ships that have called at the port recently.