EXPLORER 16 Days in SVALBARD

Dover, the world’s busiest ferry port, is located in the county of Kent, England, at the extreme SE corner of Britain. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, 35 km away across the Straits of Dover. Possibly best known for its lyrically famous ‘White Cliffs’, archaeological finds have revealed that the area has always been a focus for peoples entering and leaving Britain, and this continues to this day. Read more about Dover, Great Britain

Harlingen is a city in the northern Netherlands in the province of Friesland at the Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea is bounded against the Atlantic by the 460km length of the Wadden Archipelago, and continental Europe. The sea forms a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. Read more about Harlingen, Netherlands

Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the SE corner of the North Sea. Helgoland's rust-coloured sandstone cliffs jut dramatically out of the North Sea some 70 kilometres from the mainland. Lange Anna, a single finger-like rock formation, covered by breeding sea birds in the spring, should not be missed. Read more about Heligoland, Germany

Hamburg is a major transport hub in Northern Germany and is one of the most affluent cities in Europe. Located on the river Elbe, some 110 km from its mouth in the North Sea, the port can take the world’s largest cruise ships. The birthplace of Johannes Brahms, who spent his early formative years in the city, it is renowned for its numerous musicals, operas and orchestral presentations. Read more about Hamburg, Germany

Esbjerg (pronounced ess-be-air) is the second largest harbour in Denmark, situated on the west coast of the Jutland Peninsula. It faces the North Sea, on the same latitude as Newcastle in England. The port is busy with fishing, shipping and agricultural exports. Read more about Esbjerg, Denmark

Florø is a charming costal town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is the westernmost town on the Scandinavian Peninsula and mainland Nordic countries. Herring fisheries have long been an important part of the economy, in addition to shipbuilding and service industries to the North Sea oilfields. Read more about Floro, Norway

Read more about A i Lofoten, Norway

Tromsoe, the home of the famous Northern Lights, is situated a mere 2000 km from the North Pole, on the same latitude as Northern Siberia and Alaska. Most visitors are surprised by the prominence and sophistication of this fascinating port. On offer are high-quality theatre, arts and music, which contrast with the boundless and vast wilderness surrounding the city. Read more about Tromsoe, Norway

Honningsvåg, Norway, lies deep within the Arctic Circle at 71 deg.N. latitude, on the island Magerøya. Twenty-two km north of Honningsvåg is North Cape, the northernmost part of mainland Europe. Read more about Honningsvag, Norway

Ny-Ålesund is one of four permanent settlements on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago in the Kingdom of Norway. It is administered by Kings Bay company, a Norwegian government enterprise. Lying within the Arctic Circle just 1255 km from the North Pole, it is the northernmost functional civilian settlement in the world, with a population varying from 35 to 180 (winter to summer). Read more about Ny-Alesund, Norway

Longyearbyen lies on the river Longyearelva on the Norwegian Island of Spitsbergen high in the Arctic. It is the world’s northern-most town, as all settlements further north are research or meteorological outposts. The modern town, fringed by abandoned mining detritus, enjoys a superb backdrop including two glacier tongues, Longyearbreen and Lars Hjertabreen. Read more about Longyearbyen, Norway