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Rouen is the capital of Normandy, a cultural, gastronomic and historic center set along the river Seine’s winding route between Paris and the Channel. The Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame is the city’s signature landmark, soaring high over the restored medieval quarter, a delightful pedestrian district of cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and many old churches. A stroll along the Rue du Gros Horloge takes you under a Renaissance archway adorned with a gilded medieval clock for which this central street is named.

Just off England’s Hampshire Coast, the Isle of Wight has been welcoming holiday makers to its miles of beaches and pastoral landscapes since the mid-19^th century. The bustling port of Cowes is the island’s yachting center, famous for its annual regatta. Queen Victoria summered, and later died, here at Osborne House, her lemony Italianate palazzo, and Victorian style endures, especially in south coast resort towns and seaside promenades. The west coast is less developed, extending out to the landmark chalk stacks called the Needles.

The island of Gotland is an unhurried, quiet counterpoint to modern Sweden, home to prehistoric mysteries, Viking treasures and a rich medieval heritage as well as outdoors activities. Visby is the lone town, surrounded by 13^th-century defenses of walls, towers and moats, all easy to explore by foot. Warehouses, guild houses, and merchant homes reflect Visby’s heyday as the center of Hanseatic trade. Flower-bedecked cottages, quaint shops and charming cafes, along with some rose-covered ruins, add to ambience.

Military-maritime heritage, friendly ambience and easy access to outdoor adventures are all part of the urban fabric in Karlskrona. In 1680, King Karl XI chose Sweden’s most southern archipelago for a new base for his Royal Navy. The 17^th-century grid design on the island of Trossö remains the Baroque heart of the city, which today covers 33 islands. On Trossö's highest point, the elegant and expansive town square is a civic and cultural hub, with such landmarks as the Town Hall, an old water tower-turned-exhibition space, and Fredrik's Church.

The seaside resort of Travemünde sits at the meeting point of the Trave river and the Baltic. A holiday destination since the early 19^th century, it offers the timeless pleasures of sun, sand and simple fare like fischbrötchen along broad beaches dotted with giant wicker chairs called strandkörbe. Watersports, including a July regatta, are also major draw. The riverfront Vorderreihe, lined with restaurants, cafes and boutiques, is lovely to stroll, as is the charming Old Town.