Europe - Northern Capitals

Le Havre is a city in the NW of France, situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River and 170 km from Paris. Best known for being the ferry terminal for the English Channel crossings, it should not be quickly dismissed. This city was devastated during WWII, but was rebuilt in modernist style and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Read more about Le Havre, France

Tilbury is a modern deep-water port in Essex, England, bordering the Thames River, about 30km upstream from the river mouth and 40km downstream from London Bridge. The Tilbury Docks are branch off the north side of the river via three locks. It is a strategic logistics location: the principal commercial port for London, and London’s only Cruise Ship Terminal. Read more about Tilbury, Great Britain

IJmuiden, Netherlands, is located at the mouth of the North Sea Canal leading to Amsterdam, lying approximately 17 km north of Haarlem. It is known as North Holland’s gate to the North Sea due to the canal that connects the North Sea with the IJ Bay in Amsterdam. The places to be seen include the Zee-en Haven Museum in the city, the Hoogovens Museum, and the system of sluice gates at the mouth of the canal. Read more about IJmuiden, Netherlands

The port city of Zeebrugge is a harbour town at the western end of the Belgian coast and a subdivision of the city of Bruges - one of the best preserved cities in Europe - for which it is the modern port. The new port has reinvigorated the city as an art and tourist centre for northern Europe. Upon visiting Bruges you will immediately notice that this city has always carefully cherished its architectural and artistic treasures from the past, but what makes Bruges so unique though is the way it deals with this past today. Read more about Zeebrugge, Belgium

Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in SW France. It is the world’s major wine industry capital, while the historic part of the city is on the UNESCO Heritage List due to its elegant18th century architecture. It has become a sought-after destination for both tourists and cinema production crews. Read more about Bordeaux, France

Bilbao, situated on the estuary of Bilboa in the north-central part of Spain, is a bustling city that epitomises the merger of the modern and the historical, as modern architects erect new buildings next to 19th-century structures. Thanks to its history and location, Bilbao is a magnificent ‘cocktail’ where architecture, tradition, character, and history, are blended to offer the visitor endless leisure and culture opportunities. With the railway connecting Bilbao and the coastal neighbourhood of Las Arenas, the city became a popular beach destination, but it was the inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao - a true masterpiece - in 1997 that gave the tourism industry its real impetus. Read more about Bilbao, Spain

Located in the NW corner of Spain, La Coruna is part of the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia. It’s a region of vast green landscapes with a rich Celtic and Roman heritage that keeps, to this day, a mystic and magic allure. Once protected by walls on three sides and by the sea on the other, the lively streets of the early medieval town with good examples of preserved Romanesque architecture, make for a fascinating visit. Read more about La Coruna, Spain

Oporto - aka Porto - is Portugal's second city and capital of the region. It is located in the estuary of the Douro river in northern Portugal and is considered the economic and cultural heart of the entire region. Ribeira, the historic Centre of Oporto has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Read more about Oporto, Portugal

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, lies in the western Iberian Peninsula aside the Atlantic Ocean and the Tagus River. As one of the oldest cities in the world, it is rich in Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Modern and Post-Modern constructions. The city is also crossed by historical boulevards and monuments along the main thoroughfares. Read more about Lisbon, Portugal