150 Telephone 01473 742424 or contact your travel agentToulon - VarnaToday, Tórshavn is a picturesque town of flagstone streets, elegant buildings, informative museums, exhibitions, theatres and parks. Many of the older buildings are open to the public. The Reynagarður vicarage dates from the mid-1600s, while Munkastovan, with its heavy stone walls, is part of the medieval fort that protected the town from pirates. Skansin fort, started in 1580 and finished about 200 years later, retains marks of the occupation of the Faroes by nations as diverse as the Danes and (from the Second World War) the British. Toulon, FranceWith a beautiful natural harbour and surrounding hills topped by forts, Toulon has long been one of France's main maritime centres. In the old town, close to the harbour, the Romanesque Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure dates from the 11th and 12th centuries. In front of the town hall and the naval museum, the columns are carved figures of men, known as atlantes or caryatids - it is a style borrowed from Ancient Greece. The naval museum itself is interesting, with models of ships, displays about galley slaves and pirates and equipment ranging from wheels to figureheads. The Toulon Museum has collections of art from the past 500 years.On Cours Lafayette in the Old Town there is a fabulous open-air market selling fresh fruit, vegetables and charcuterie. It's open every morning apart from Monday and it's worth visiting just to savour the smell of fresh herbs and lavender that hangs in the air. Trapani, Sicily, ItalyOnce a Phoenician trading station, Trapani has been owned by Carthage and Rome, conquered by the Saracens and Peter of Aragon - all of whom have left their mark on its amazing architecture. The medieval core is on a short peninsula and is built like a North African Kasbah, with a maze of streets that once lay behind the city walls. The Via Garibaldi is interesting - every other building is either a church or a palace, while the palm-filled central square is a great place to relax. The ornate Santuario dell'Annunziata is a 14th-century church with an eye-catching rose window and a Gothic porchway. Next to the church is the Museo Pepoli, which combines displays of regional art with archaeological finds, including statues and coral carvings. On the headland is the Torre del Ligny, once part of the defences and now a Prehistoric Museum. Villa Margherita are public gardens between the old town and the newer part: they offer a chance to relax among fountains, trees and scented flowers.Travemünde (for tours to Lübeck), GermanyA coastal suburb of Lübeck, Travemünde is a short journey from the centre of this magnificent town, the former capital of the Hanseatic League. Here wealthy merchants built wonderful gabled houses, stunning churches and public buildings with massive gates, towers and gilded steeples. The Altstadt - old town - has many ancient buildings: particularly well-preserved is the Koberg area, and the Gänge where tiny passageways lead away from wide streets.The wide variety of different styles makes a walk through the old town a charming experience. The 13th-century town hall, the stunning Cathedral and the palatial Rantzau Castle are all highlights, while the two remaining city gates - Holstentor and Burgtor - both have interesting museums. Tripoli, LibyaEstablished by the Phoenicians more than 2,700 years ago, Tripoli has a well-deserved reputation for friendliness and charm and there is plenty to see. The heart of the old town is the medina and its souq, which sit inside the old city walls. Within the medina is the Gurgi Mosque. It's quite small, but has 16 domes and, unusually, an eight-sided minaret. The XXXarch of Marcus Aurelius is here as well; at one time this served as the entrance to the city. In the souq are many traditional shops selling locally made products, as well as fruit and spices. Tripoli Castle - Assai al-Hamra - was started in the 7th century. Once surrounded by water, it now houses the massive Jamahiriya Museum, which covers the history of Libya in almost 50 galleries.Booking a tour of the local sights is advised to avoid any Libyan visa restrictions. Trois-Rivières, CanadaTrois-Rivières, so named because the St Maurice River splits into three channels at this point, was founded in 1634, making it the second-oldest settlement in Canada, after Quebec. However, it was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1908, so little remains of its historic origins. Nonetheless, the city's cafés and bars, artists' workshops and museums make this a great place to visit. The Promenade de la Poésie is a delightful walk punctuated with more than 300 panels displaying love poems. By contrast, Boréalis is a new museum on the Canadian pulp and paper industry, housed in the former filtration plant of what used to be the world's largest paper mill. Other museums celebrate Canada's iron and steel industry, flour-milling, military life and a couple of religious orders. There's also the Old Prison - in use until 1986 - where tours are led by former convicts! Tromsø, NorwayThere's evidence of human settlement in the Tromsø area dating back 10,000 years; although the town was not founded until 1794, there was a church here in the 13th century. Set well within the Arctic Circle, it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks that rise to 1,800m: from the edge of town a cable car takes visitors up 420m for panoramic views over the city.Visitors are sometimes surprised to find cultural sophistication, good food and a vibrant nightlife - the town sometimes likes to boast of itself as the Paris of the Arctic - and there is plenty to see here. The Arctic Cathedral is a distinctive structure with a highly original glass mosaic that reflects Tromsø's long religious heritage. Polaria has aquariums with marine-life from the region, as well as multi-media presentations on the Arctic while, at the other end of the scale, Mack's, the world's northernmost brewery, offers guided tours finishing with samples of the product.Trondheim, NorwayFounded over a thousand years ago, Trondheim is packed with interesting sights, from the Gothic-style Nidaros Cathedral to an eclectic choice of museums. Best of all, it can be explored easily on foot - most of the historic centre is on a small island reached by a series of bridges. Medieval pilgrims flocked to the Cathedral to worship at the tomb of St Olaf: it's also the burial place of medieval Norwegian kings, and much of the original structure remains. Nearby is the Archbishop's Palace, now a museum displaying artefacts, sculpture and gargoyles from the Cathedral and surrounding area. Elsewhere, the Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustri museum has stunning collections of furniture, textiles and jewellery. The Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum displays over 60 historic buildings, while within the grounds, the Sverresborg Ski Museum traces the history of skiing in Norway from the 17th century to modern times. Turku, FinlandThe former capital of Finland, and its oldest town - it was founded around 1229 - the picturesque approach to Turku takes you through countless islands. Turku was a spiritual, secular, and commercial centre until a devastating fire destroyed most of the town's wooden houses in 1827. It was rebuilt with stone buildings and wide boulevards, and many older buildings, such as the cathedral were completely restored - its 102m west tower has panoramic views over the grid-pattern streets. Turku Castle dates from the 1280s, and has been carefully renovated. It's the largest medieval castle in the country, and is packed with interesting exhibits, not least the Museum of Turku, which has a large scale model of the castle in its heyday. In the Rettig Palace are the twin museums of Ars Nova - modern art - and Aboa Vetus. The latter enables visitors to walk through medieval streets, perfectly preserved, that were discovered 7m beneath the town in the 1990s.Valletta, MaltaThe Maltese capital was founded by the Knights Order of St John of Jerusalem, in 1568. They created a late Renaissance city which has hardly changed over the centuries: visitors to this bustling city find churches, palaces, squares and cobbled streets, with plenty of museums in between. It's compact and can be explored on foot, though it is somewhat hilly. St John's Co-Cathedral is rather dull-looking on the outside, but the interior is incredible. Chapels line the walls, each outdoing the next in ornateness, while the ceiling is one huge fresco. But it is the floor that takes the eye, entirely covered with the graves of the knights, each inlaid with marble. The Palace of the Grandmaster is now the office of the President of Malta, but it is open to visitors. The Armoury at the back has a fine collection of medieval and Renaissance weaponry, while the Palace also has tapestries and frescos among its treasures. Look out for various Auberges or palaces built for the groups of knights, or for individuals. Those of Castille, Auberge, Aragon, Provence and Italy are among the best Renaissance buildings in Europe. Valparaiso, ChileBuilt on more than 40 hills, on which are piled big colourful houses, Valparaíso is both a busy international port and a vibrant cultural centre. The hills invite exploration. There are huge staircases, as well as over 20 lifts, to carry visitors up to the top, where there are observation decks - the views are astonishing - beautiful historic streets, museums, narrow winding lanes and stairs everywhere. The Open Air Museum is an exhibition of massive murals by famous Chilean artists, with panoramic vistas of the city. The house of the poet Pablo Neruda, La Sebastiana, is open to the public: it is packed with things the artist collected during his life, including work by local painters. The Playa Ancha hill claims an identity separate from the rest of the city. The university campus is here and the local bars and cafés have a lively atmosphere. There's also Torpederas Beach, and the Municipal Stadium, home of the Wanderers football team, which was founded by English immigrants.Down in the port area is the 19th century monument to Arturo Prat, a Chilean naval hero, surrounded by attractive houses. Close by is the Prat Pier, home to a handicrafts fair where stall owners will talk endlessly and proudly about their work. Varna, BulgariaA cosmopolitan city that's both a naval base and seaside resort: it was from here that Dracula set sail for Whitby, in Bram Stoker's horror classic. In the city centre are the largest Roman baths complex in Bulgaria - over 7,000 square metres in area, once with a dome 20m high. Next door is the History Museum, which has displays tracing the lifestyles of local people in years gone by. There's a fine archaeological museum, displaying around 100,000 objects - all from the Varna area - in 39 rooms. The city also has a number of excellent art galleries, a Dolphinarium and Bulgaria's only naval museum. The 19th century cathedral has some interesting murals and stained glass windows, as well as wonderful views from the

www.fredolsencruises.com 151Venice - YALTAtop of the bell tower - for those who have the stamina to climb the spiral staircase with its 133 steps. Venice, ItalyWith 180 canals, 450 bridges and countless magnificent palaces, Venice is justifiably known as La Serenissima - The Most Serene. There are no cars here - everything goes by water or foot - but there are magnificent buildings everywhere, testament to the wealth of the Venetian empire. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in St Mark's Square, with the Doge's Palace, the Campanile - from where there are splendid views over the city - and the Basilica of St Mark. This is one of the world's great buildings, a Byzantine wonder that was added to and embellished over the years by wealthy merchants. The massive interior is decorated with mosaics that cover the ceilings and floors, while the four gilded horses and the Lion of St Mark can be seen in the small museum.A cruise along the Grand Canal in a vaporetto or gondala is a wonderful way to get a feel for the city and the superb palaces and public buildings. Later, perhaps visit the Ducal Palace, then walk over the Bridge of Sighs to the grim Palace of Prisons, where Casanova was once imprisoned and some of the cells still have graffiti scrawled by prisoners. Among many other museums to visit are the Palazzo Mocenigo, the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, and the Galleria dell'Accademia di Venezia.Vigo, SpainThe name Vigo comes from the Latin word Vicus - the Romans had a settlement here in the first century. It survived attacks by Vikings, Turks, Moors and the British, after which the city walls were built. The old quarter of Vigo, with original fishermen's cottages, is on the terraces that lead up from the original port. At the centre is the Iglesia Concatedral de Santa Maria; here there are several charming plazas with open-air cafés and bars. In the newer part of town is La Colegiata de la Santa Maria la Mayor, a fine 16th century church with an authentic Renaissance façade. The Pazo de Castrelos, dating from the 17th century, is home to the Quiñones de León Municipal Museum. This has collections of paintings and displays of local archaeology. Visby, Gotland, SwedenThere are literally hundreds of historical sites on the island of Gotland, including over a hundred medieval churches, burial mounds and the remains of hilltop fortresses. Visby is the only town of any size and is perhaps the best-preserved medieval city in Scandinavia. The 3.5km Ringmuren - Ring Wall - encloses a town of narrow cobbled streets and ancient buildings. There are 44 towers around the wall, with two large breaches thought to be the result of attacks on the town in the 16th century. Overlooking the harbour are the ruins of Visborg Castle. It's also worth visiting the Historical Museum of Gotland, which has treasures from the Viking era, as well as tales of medieval knights. Walvis Bay, NamibiaDiscovered by Europeans in 1497 and established by Cape Dutch settlers in 1793, Walvis Bay is Namibia's only port. It bustles with commercial activity, but it is also the place to see some of the most exotic migratory birds. There are several extensive wetlands around the town, home to flamingos that wade in the shallow waters by the beaches and to the protected Damara Tern. In the town itself there are charming old streets, with small museums, ancient churches, family shops, cafés and small restaurants. Warnemunde, GermanyThis seaside resort with its wide sandy beach is often used as a starting point for visits to Rostock and Berlin, although it does have a very interesting museum of its own. Rostock, an 800-year-old former member of the Hanseatic League, retains much of its original charm, with a well-preserved pedestrianised old town. Worth seeing are St. Mary's church, with its astronomical clock dating from 1472, and the town hall, which has been the seat of local government for eight centuries. Berlin is a magnet, with Brandenburg Gate at the centre. The last survivor of the city's 18 city gates, it is topped by a horse-drawn chariot piloted by the winged goddess of victory. The 368m TV tower is the tallest structure in Germany, and offers stunning views over the city: relax and landmark-spot in the revolving café. Berlin Cathedral, now fully restored to its former glory, also offers wonderful views from its cupola, while Charlottenburg Castle, the largest palace in Berlin, is a jewel surrounded by an exquisite 135-acre garden.Willemstad, CuraçaoWillemstad was originally Spanish, but the influence of later Dutch colonists is much more obvious from the pastel-coloured houses that line the waterfront. Three or four storeys high, with steep gables, they are very reminiscent of old Amsterdam. The Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge connects both sides of the harbour: sit and watch it swing open to let ships through, while relaxing with a drink at a waterside café.There are a number of fascinating museums in the town. The Jewish Cultural Historical Museum is next to the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest in the Americas. In the museum are artefacts dating from the arrival of the first Jewish families in the 17th century. The Museum Kurá Hulanda reflects the culture and history of West Africa: it includes a haunting life-size reproduction of a slave-ship, as well as masks, sculptures, musical instruments and fertility dolls. The Curaçao Museum has artefacts from the island's past, while the Maritime Museum develops the story, beginning with the arrival of the original Caiquetio tribes in around 600BC. Yalta, UkraineYalta was a small and fairly nondescript village until the late 19th century, when the Russian Royal Family built Livadia Palace after doctors recommended the Crimean coast as the best place for treating tuberculosis. In the Soviet era, as many as 18 sanatoriums were created here (including one housed in the Livadia), but many of these have since been converted to hotels. The warm weather has created a southern-European café culture in the town, while the seafront promenade is reminiscent of an English seaside town (Yalta is twinned with Margate). Standing on a hillside overlooking the bay is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the onion domes of which glow like giant lightbulbs on sunny days. Chekhov House-Museum - the White Dacha - is just as it was when the writer died in 1904 - it's where he wrote The Cherry Orchard.The information within the Ports of Call pages includes a brief description for all calls in our 2012/13 programme, for the key destination(s) for each port. These give a taste of what can be enjoyed when ashore and can be used to help guide your cruise choice, or decide what to do in each port for your chosen itinerary. The descriptions include places that can be visited independently and/or on organised shore tours. Opening hours for attractions will vary and, as a cruise can call on any day of the week, some facilities may not be open when a ship calls: this will depend on local operation. The descriptions were written far in advance of the 2012/13 cruise programme operating. While the information was thoroughly researched and checked, details may be subject to change at any time, which is beyond the control of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.