Hamburg's port on the river Elbe has been busy since medieval times, when it was a cornerstone of the Hanseatic League. It is a graceful city of parks and lakes, and grand old buildings like the Rathaus (City Hall). Brahms and Mendelssohn were born here, and Hans Leip, who wrote Lili Marlene.
The southern gateway to the Fjordlands, Stavanger is also the home port of much of the fleet that serves the North Sea oil fields. View its medieval Cathedral, and other highlights of the town, or travel out to Pulpit Rock, a breathtaking vista point high above the fjords.