viking.com | 29
W I N T E R I S S U E 3 0
In Copenhagen, we stroll through Tivoli
Gardens, founded in 1843 and one of the
oldest amusement parks in the world, and
take a tour of Christiansborg Palace. Here our
guide delights in telling the Australians in the
group how much they love their Tasmanian-
born queen, before showing us the balcony
where Queen Mary and King Frederik waved
to the crowd after their coronation.
I may have visited Copenhagen before, but
the cruise takes me to a different side of
Denmark on the island of Bornholm. Just
60km from Sweden, the island was declared
the first European World Craft Region by the
World Craft Council, and along with visiting
the island's medieval round white churches,
discovering the arts and crafts traditions as
you stroll down cobblestone lanes is another
highlight not to be missed.
All too soon, day 15 arrives and it's time to
disembark in Stockholm. Fortunately, the
blow is softened by sailing past dots of
islands into one of the most spectacular
harbours in the world. We add extra
post-cruise days to take our time in museums
for everything from ABBA and Avicii to the
17th century warship Vasa and Sweden's
crown jewels. I may not have learned the
Swedish national anthem, but I know all
about 'fika'. And as we embrace this Swedish
tradition of coffee breaks with a snack and a
chat, I'm in a happy fika place.
CULINARY DELIGHT
Gjetost or brunost, is a sweet, caramel-like Norwegian whey cheese
made by boiling down goat's milk, cow's milk and cream for several
hours, causing the sugars to caramelise. Delicious on waffles, it is a
signature culinary experience at Mamsen's onboard café.
SCULPTURES & STORIES
Within Frogner Park in Oslo is an area packed with over 200
sculptures by Gustav Vigeland, all celebrating the human experience.
Walking among the striking figures and lush greenery, it's easy to
spend hours exploring this quirky, Norwegian landmark.
GETTING THERE: The 15-day Viking
Homelands voyage sails from Stockholm
to Bergen, or in reverse.
Stockholm
B al t i c
S ea
N o r t h
S ea
Copenhagen
Ålborg
Tallinn
Stavanger
Eidfjord
Oslo
Bergen
Berlin
(Warnemünde)
Rønne
BORNHOLM
Gdańsk
NORWAY
SWEDEN
ESTONIA
POLAND GERMANY
DENMARK
–
C r ui s e
••
O ve r night in Po r t
VIEW
VOYAGE
