Port guides
Filter 2,777 cruise ports by region or search by name — each links to its guide and the cruises calling there.
Ports in Northern Europe & Baltic
483 ports
Dordrecht
The Netherlands · Northern Europe & Baltic
The Dutch city of Dordrecht is a former trading town thanks to its location on the water. This past can still be felt in the place today. Be it in the historic city center, at the port or in one of the several museums. The "Grote Kerk" and the Augustinian monastery from the 13th century are also worth seeing. The best way to discover the history of the place is to stroll through Dordrecht.
597 cruises
Hammerfest
Norway · Northern Europe & Baltic
Laying claim to being the world’s most northerly ‘town’, Hammerfest in Norway is also one of the country’s oldest, but has undergone extensive modernisation, resulting in a colourful town on the island of Kvaløya. Thanks to its location within the Arctic Circle, Hammerfest experiences the ‘midnight sun’ phenomenon between May and July, during which the sun never sinks below the horizon. These long days throughout summer provide the perfect opportunity to explore the region’s rugged landscape, with hiking and fishing popular activities to enjoy. The town itself has some interesting sights, including The Museum of Reconstruction for Finnmark and Northern Troms, which details the town’s colourful history, and The Polar Bear Society, which, in addition to housing stuffed polar bears, provides information on the town’s early life. Hammerfest is also home to one of 10 monuments that form the Struve Geodetic Arc, a chain of markers that stretch from Norway down to the Black Sea. These UNESCO-recognised monuments helped astronomers Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve to work out the size and shape of the planet.
592 cruises
Torghatten, Norway
Northern Europe & Baltic
A scenic cruise along the shores of Toget Island allows you see one of Norway's most astonishing natural wonders - Torghatten Mountain. The mountain is known affectionately as 'the mountain with the hole', Torghatten is famous for the huge tunnel that strikes right through the middle of it and has has to be seen to be believed.
573 cruises
Sortland
Northern Europe & Baltic
Sortland, the largest town of the beautiful Vesterålen archipelago, is one of Northern Norway’s most unique destinations. Nicknamed ‘Blue Town’, Sortland is almost entirely painted in various shades of blue, thanks to any idea put forward by artist Bjorn Elvenes at the start of the new millennium. Elvenes proposed that – with the help of other local artists and residents – Sortland should become a living 3D painting, and today the town’s mix of architecture, comprising Swiss style wood, concrete and glass structures, is an exhibit of his vision. It’s worth exploring the town to see how the blue colour scheme is developing alone, though there are plenty of attractions such as interesting art exhibitions, a beautiful early 20th century church and the pretty downtown, where you can enjoy ‘Writings on a Field of Blue’. Visiting Sortland offers chances to seek-out Vesterålen's natural treasures, too. Rugged, unspoilt countryside landscapes and miles of gorgeous island coastline are within reach, while the archipelago and its surrounding waters are also home to diverse wildlife, from seals and seabirds to whales. In the summer months it is possible to experience the magical midnight sun here; and in the winter, visitors might be lucky enough to witness the awe-inspiring Northern Lights.
567 cruises
Finnsnes
Northern Europe & Baltic
Finnsnes is a small town located on the mainland in the municipality of Lenvik. Every summer, the community prepares for the one-week summer festival, aiming to put Finnsnes on the map. The central park offers the rare attraction of a natural lake within it. Fishing and agriculture is still important, and fish farming is of increasing economic importance. Several small boroughs surround Finnsnes, forming one large urban area. It is an important hub for transportation both on land and sea. Tromsø and Harstad can be reached within a little more than an hour by speedboat.
559 cruises
Havoysund
Northern Europe & Baltic
Havøysund is a small fishing village of 1,000 inhabitants, with fish processing factories and a boat yard as key economic pillars. You will be struck by the varied and charming architecture, with post-war houses in different colours livening up the shoreline. The Måsøy Museum was established in a building originally built as a rectory. The collection of items consists of 19th century fishing tools and equipment. In addition there are several fixed exhibitions such as a kitchen, living room, school building and line-baiting booth. Norsk Hydro has built a windmill park on the island, which has become a landmark for people at sea. The 15 windmills are located at Gavlen, where the viewpoint and the cafe provide a stunning view to the Barents Sea and the surroundings.
553 cruises
Kjollefjord
Northern Europe & Baltic
Kjøllefjord is the administrative centre of Lebesby Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the northwestern part of the Nordkinn Peninsula, on the shore of a small fjord which empties into the larger Laksefjorden.
553 cruises
Nesna
Northern Europe & Baltic
Nesna is a municipality in Nordland county and part of the Helgeland region. The scenic surroundings comprise the islands of Hugla, Handnesøya and Tomma. Our ships arrive twice a day, but unfortunately, we do not stop long enough here for you to take a walk. Still, from deck you can see locals embark and disembark, and mail and cargo getting loaded on and off the ship – a part of everyday life along the coast.
553 cruises
Risoyhamn
Northern Europe & Baltic
Risøyhamn is a village in Andøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located on the southern part of the island of Andøya. The island of Andøya is connected to the neighboring island of Hinnøya by the Andøy Bridge at Risøyhamn.
553 cruises
Vadso
Northern Europe & Baltic
Vadsø is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark County, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vadsø, which was the administrative centre of the former Finnmark county. Other settlements in Vadsø include Ekkerøy, Kiby, Krampenes, Skallelv, Valen, and Vestre Jakobselv.
553 cruises
Zeebrugge
Belgium · Northern Europe & Baltic
The ultimate fairytale city, Bruges is a snowglobe medieval town brought to life and lovingly preserved. The medieval majesty rises just inland from Zeebruge's busy port and sandy beaches, and the two are linked by the short stretch of the Baudouin Canal. Arrive in Bruges to discover a dreamlike place where time has stood still. Explore the Unesco World Heritage Site centre to wander at leisure among some of the world's most atmospheric streets. View less Laced with pretty canals, winding paths of cobbled stones, and glorious squares surrounded by soaring church spires, Bruges is an irresistible journey back through time. A city for the seasons, see the towering cups of tulips glowing, or snowy layers adding a cosy blanket during winter. The climb is not to be underestimated, but there are few better places to start a visit to Bruges than the ascent up to the 83-metre lookout of the Belfry of Bruges, which rockets up from the city's primary market square. Discover the city's pretty canals, and admire the colour-splashed facades - tangled with ivy - that line up appealingly on their banks. With plenty of museums and galleries among the incredible architecture, Bruges is a city that effortlessly lives up to its heavy hyping, and there are countless cultural attractions to immerse yourself in. Indulge a sweet tooth at the chocolate museum - or sample the wares of countless artisan chocolate shops - to leave this Zeebrugge's port with the most satisfying of tastes lingering.
552 cruises
Kehl
Northern Europe & Baltic
The Roman commander Drusus founded Strasbourg as a military outpost in 12 BCE. Today it is a thriving metropolis that has maintained many small half-timbered houses and an historic old town. Even the briefest glance at Strasbourg Cathedral will tell you that you are standing before one of the most important of its kind in Europe – and one of the largest sandstone buildings in the world.
551 cruises
Heidelberg
Northern Europe & Baltic
Heidelberg is a town on the Neckar River in southwestern Germany. It’s known for venerable Heidelberg University, founded in the 14th century. Gothic Heiliggeistkirche church towers over the cafe-lined Marktplatz, a town square in the Altstadt (Old Town). The red-sandstone ruins of Heidelberg Castle, a noted example of Renaissance architecture, stand on Königstuhl hill. ― Google Area: 108.8 km²
542 cruises
Kristiansand, Norway
Northern Europe & Baltic
In Kristiansand the MSC cruise of Northern Europe touches the southernmost part of Norway, the region of Sørlandet, where thousands of islands and rocks dot the coast along the Skagerrak straits. As you step ashore from the ship you find yourself in a lively town offering plenty of opportunities and attractions, such as the Kilden Performing Arts Centre, a striking building for its bold architecture, that hosts exhibitions and concerts all year round. The zoo and the Kristiansand amusement park (12 km from the town) are also an experience for the whole family. There are museums like the Vest-Agder that gives the visitor insight into the local culture and history with impressive models of the town with its most representative buildings. The nature museum with its botanical gardens instead hosts the largest collection of cactus plants in Norway. The Sørlandet museum of art hosts a permanent collection of Norwegian art while the imposing canons museum hosts the second largest cannon in the world and a rich collection of military exhibits. If instead you wish to immerse yourself in Kristiansand’s everyday life, visit the fish market, here you can find restaurants where you can enjoy the freshest fish, while there’s a bustling of boats coming and going. Try an experience into the past with a ride on the steam engine train. You can get to the village of Vennes and then get a ticket for the Setesdal railway, which has since the 19th century connected Kristiansand and the other coastal towns to the once remote region of Setesdal. You should not miss an excursion to the delightful town of Lillesand, known as the jewel of the Sørlandet, with picturesque fishermen’s houses that have been turned into holiday homes in an environment of rare charm with the colourful port and ever-present Norwegian nature.
532 cruises
Zurich
Northern Europe & Baltic
The city of Zurich, a global center for banking and finance, lies at the north end of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland. The picturesque lanes of the central Altstadt (Old Town), on either side of the Limmat River, reflect its pre-medieval history. Waterfront promenades like the Limmatquai follow the river toward the 17th-century Rathaus (town hall).
520 cruises
Le Pecq
Northern Europe & Baltic
Le Pecq is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, 18.4 km from the center of Paris
515 cruises
Reims
France · Northern Europe & Baltic
Reims is a city in northeastern France's Grand Est region. It's the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine-growing region, and many of the champagne houses headquartered there offer tastings and cellar tours. For more than 1,000 years, French kings were crowned at its Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. This grand cathedral is known for its stained-glass windows and Gothic carved portals, including the Smiling Angel.
508 cruises
Frankfurt
Germany · Northern Europe & Baltic
‘Hier bin ich Mensch, hier darf ich’s sein’ (‘Here I am man, dare man to be’). This quote by Frankfurt’s most famous son – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – actually comes from his play Faust (and the English translation by Bayard Taylor), but it is also a very fitting way to describe Goethe’s hometown. Frankfurt’s combination of modern skyscrapers housing major finance companies and the old town with its historic buildings and half-timbered houses is unique. And if you fancy a break from the hustle and bustle, you can take a leisurely walk along the lovely bank of the Main.
484 cruises
Warnemunde
Germany · Northern Europe & Baltic
The Warnemünde quarter in Rostock is a famous German seaside resort that you can visit when you reach the German coasts on your MSC cruise of northern Europe. At the mouth of the river Warnow, in the Baltic Sea, Warnemünde will surprise you with its villas, hotels and the large white and silver beach. Its heart is Am Strom, next to the port, where the homes of old captains and fishermen have been turned into coffee shops and boutiques. With an excursion during the cruise, you can continue towards Schwerin. Surrounded by lakes and with a fairytale Schloss that tickles the imagination, the town represents a pleasant surprise, given by the architecture and spirit of a historic capital. Continuing the excursion you can admire Lubeck, one of the few cities along Europe's northern coasts that preserves the glory of medieval times. For more than two centuries the standard bearer of the Hanseatic League, this was one of the wealthiest and most powerful of European cities, the Venice of the Baltic. The commercial opulence is best expressed in its architecture: from the oldest Rathaus in Germany to the churches with the tallest bell-towers to the merchants’ mansions. Lubecca is the first city in Northern Europe to be included in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites in 1987. Finally, you should not leave out a visit to the cosmopolitan Berlin, the largest and liveliest city in Germany. Amongst the monuments to visit are the Brandebourgh Gate. Situated close to the Reichstag, the seat of the German parliament, the monument, designed on the model of Athens’ Acropolis, was built as the city’s arch of triumph in 1791 and soon became the symbol of unified Germany. The Brandenburg Gate looms over the ornamental gardens in Pariser Platz which extends eastwards towards the wide, tree-lined Unter den Linden avenue, that means “Beneath the linden trees”, flanked by shops and cafés.
484 cruises
Belfast
Ireland · Northern Europe & Baltic
Reborn as a cool, modern city, Belfast has successfully left its troubles behind, emerging as a hotbed of culture and architecture, where the comfort of a cosy pub is never far away. Take a voyage of discovery in its maritime quarter, home to a celebrated museum dedicated to the most famous ship ever built, which was constructed right here in the city’s shipyards. A walk across the Lagan Weir Footbridge brings you to Belfast’s fascinating Titanic District – an area of the city devoted to its rich ship-building heritage. The state-of-the-art Titanic Museum brings the story of the doomed vessel to life, and is the largest museum dedicated to the infamously ‘unsinkable’ ship. Wind up a nautical-themed ramble along the Maritime Mile with a visit to SS Nomadic, the smaller cousin of the Titanic, and a ship which serves as a fascinating time capsule back to the pomp and grandeur of the Titanic, while also telling its own stories of service in both World Wars. There’s just enough time to give the 10-metre long Salmon of Knowledge sculpture a quick peck for luck, before continuing to explore. A stark barbed wire and graffitied sheet metal barrier marks an abrupt scar through the city’s residential areas. The Peace Line was constructed during the height of the Troubles, when Belfast was plagued by sectarian divisions between Protestants and Catholics. Nowadays, you can jump in a black taxi tour to see the colourful murals and living history of the walls, which stand as a stark reminder of the fragility of peace. After exploring the city’s historic divisions, a reminder of Belfast’s uniting creativity can be found at the Metropolitan Arts Centre – a seven-storey tall building, which invites light to gloriously cascade inside. The Cathedral Quarter is a cobbled blend of flower-adorned pubs, restaurants and theatres, and venues where music spills out onto the streets at night, and many a pint is cheerily shared.
477 cruises
Grein
Northern Europe & Baltic
Grein is a municipality in the district Perg in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. It lies on the Danube River.
463 cruises
Esztergom, Hungary
Northern Europe & Baltic
This former royal seat is the cradle of the Hungarian nation – and a very attractive one at that. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Adalbert, a neoclassical basilica that stands high above the city, is particularly worth visiting. Esztergom can look back on a long history. Celts settled on the prominent Várhegy (Castle Hill) back in 150 BCE. The Romans also built a settlement there after conquering the region. At one point, the city was part of the Ottoman Empire, whose rulers also recognised the value of its strategic location right on the Danube. All of these influences are still apparent in Esztergom today – and they are what makes it so special.
446 cruises
Kiel, Germany
Northern Europe & Baltic
Arriving on your MSC Cruise of Northern Europe, you will have the chance to visit Kiel, an expanding urban centre on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Kiel became the Imperial military port of Germany in 1871 and, when its canal was opened to connect the Baltic and the North Seas in 1895, the town began to control the largest artificial waterway in the world. Kiel is the ideal location for a relaxing vacation in Germany with an MSC cruise: it is simple and quiet, even during the Kieler Woche international regatta, an event not to be missed by sailing enthusiasts. The few city museums can be visited in one morning, however, if you want to get acquainted with Kiel you cannot ignore its waterways, to which the town is indissolubly bound: they can be visited by taking the Kiellinie footpath or taking a cruise along the Kieler Förde and along the canal. A spacious promenade along the pier will give you the chance to admire a variety of vessels of all sorts, amongst which the dinghies of the sailing school and, from the wet dock in front, the best view one can get of Kiel. 6 km south-west of the centre, in Molfsee, where we find the Schleswig-Holsteinisches Freilichtmuseum. This open air museum shows about seventy traditional buildings taken from the Lande and assembled in miniature villages: the colonial houses still maintain the original furniture – outstanding beds sleeping the entire family in order to keep warm in the freezing winters. While on vacation in Kiel with your MSC Cruise, an excursion will take you to Lubecca, one of the few towns on the northern coasts of Europe that has kept its Medieval glory. For more than two centuries it has been one of the wealthiest and most powerful European cities. The wealth deriving from trade is best expressed through its architecture: from the oldest Rathaus in Germany to the churches with the tallest bell towers and the merchants’ mansions.
440 cruises
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Regions are derived from each port’s coordinates. Sailing counts reflect active upcoming departures, refreshed through our scheduled feed.
