The great period of “the Discoveries” accounted for phenomenal wealth brought back from India, Africa and Brazil by the great Portuguese navigators. Gold, jewels, ivory, porcelain and spices helped finance grand new buildings and impressive monuments in Lisbon, the country‘s capital city. As you sail up the Tagus River, be on deck to admire Lisbon‘s panorama and see some of the great monuments lining the river. Lisbon is one of Europe‘s smallest capital cities but considered by many visitors to be one of the most likeable. Spread over a string of seven hills, the city offers a variety of faces, including a refreshing no-frills simplicity reflected in the people as they go unhurriedly through their day enjoying a hearty and delicious cuisine accompanied by the country‘s excellent wines.

The commercial center of northern Portugal and hub of the port wine trade, Porto is a gracious, cosmopolitan city noted for its 12th century cathedral and medieval churches, picturesque narrow streets and wine lodges at Vila Nova de Gaia. It is clustered on hills overlooking a river, and is a northern European style city with granite church towers, narrow streets and hidden Baroque treasures.

A Coruna is the largest Galician city with a culture uniquely its own, a rich folkloric tradition and its own language. Of historically remote origin, A Coruna has preserved a considerable heritage of monuments and ancient buildings, among which are Romanesque churches and a Roman lighthouse. Its most beautiful and original feature is perhaps the characteristic façade of its houses, which are completely covered by mirador windows.

This ancient port city on the green Atlantic coast of Spain has a history of some 3,000 years. From its humble beginnings the city has grown to become an important port city in Spain. Its old historic fishing village Cimadevilla with its picturesque cobble stoned streets and old-world architecture remains today its main tourist attraction.

Straddling the banks of an estuary opening into the Bay of Biscay, Bilbao is the largest city in Spain’s northeastern Basque Country. Its earliest beginnings are preserved in the Casco Viejo, seven medieval streets that used to be guarded by walls. There visitors will find the city’s old churches, a large market, a public theater and the Academy of the Basque Language. Nearby sources of iron ore made Bilbao an important industrial and shipping center from the 14th century onward. The Spanish Civil War also started here. Today the city is being transformed by a growing service economy, and its prominence on the global traveler’s radar may be dated from the 1997 inauguration of the striking Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. In fact, the estuary town has become a veritable magnet for architects, boasting notable masterworks including Santiago Calatrava’s beautiful Zubizuri (“White Bridge” in Basque) and airport complex, the 541-foot Iberdrola Tower by the Argentine Cesar Pelli, a subway system by Norman Foster, the 1909 wine warehouse called Alhóndiga, converted a century later by designer Philippe Starck and the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall by Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios. The Zorrozuarre area is also being redeveloped, following a 2007 master plan by the Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. For views of all of this, take the funicular from the city center to the top of Mt. Artxanda, where a sports complex, restaurants and a balcony await you.

Bordeaux is the starting point for many exciting excursions into the surrounding wine country. The patricians of Bordeaux have always been merchants and shipbuilders. Under the Romans the city had a flourishing trade with Spain and Britain. In 1154, as a part of the dowry of Eleanor of Aquitaine, it became English and remained so until 1453. In the 18th century, Bordeaux prospered from the slave trade, and later in commerce with French colonies in Africa. Since Roman times the quality of the region‘s vines and wines has been zealously maintained.

Bordeaux is the starting point for many exciting excursions into the surrounding wine country. The patricians of Bordeaux have always been merchants and shipbuilders. Under the Romans the city had a flourishing trade with Spain and Britain. In 1154, as a part of the dowry of Eleanor of Aquitaine, it became English and remained so until 1453. In the 18th century, Bordeaux prospered from the slave trade, and later in commerce with French colonies in Africa. Since Roman times the quality of the region‘s vines and wines has been zealously maintained.

Saint-Malo, known as the Corsaires city, is situated at the Cote d‘Emeraude on the Rance River in the north-east of Brittany. The city‘s name stems from the Welsh Monk MacLow Saint-Malo. The city, which has been a seaward fortress since the end of the 17th century, had one of the most important ports in France. The mighty fortifications and ramparts were designed by Simon Garangeau, a disciple of the famous Vauban. Founded in the 6th century as a monastic settlement, the city retains much of its august, historic and dignified veneer. Saint-Malo is now a city of granite rebuilt after WWII to its original style and skyline. Nearby is the island monastery of Mont St. Michel, founded in 708. A focal point for tourists and the faithful alike, early pilgrims risked their lives crossing the treacherous mud flats to reach this site. Now a dam is needed to keep Mont St. Michel‘s flats from silting up.

The capital of upper Normandy and fifth largest port in France, picturesque and historic Rouen is renowned as a treasury of medieval architecture. With a large part of the city destroyed during World War II resulting in massive postwar reconstruction, Rouen today appears as an interesting blend of ancient and modern. Fortunately, it has kept its medieval character with still-inhabited houses dating from the 15th century, which line its narrow cobblestone streets. Among the city‘s most noteworthy attractions are the magnificent Cathedrale Notre-Dame built during the 13th century, and the famous Gros-Horloge, a giant Renaissance clock looming over the renowned pedestrian street of the same name. Two blocks away is the Place du Vieux Marche, or old market square, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. She is publicly commemorated at the site on the last Sunday of each May. The “City of a Hundred Spires” as Rouen is known, was an inspiration for Monet‘s impressionistic cathedral paintings. Rouen also makes an excellent point of departure for a visit to Paris, the “City of Light.”

The capital of upper Normandy and fifth largest port in France, picturesque and historic Rouen is renowned as a treasury of medieval architecture. With a large part of the city destroyed during World War II resulting in massive postwar reconstruction, Rouen today appears as an interesting blend of ancient and modern. Fortunately, it has kept its medieval character with still-inhabited houses dating from the 15th century, which line its narrow cobblestone streets. Among the city‘s most noteworthy attractions are the magnificent Cathedrale Notre-Dame built during the 13th century, and the famous Gros-Horloge, a giant Renaissance clock looming over the renowned pedestrian street of the same name. Two blocks away is the Place du Vieux Marche, or old market square, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. She is publicly commemorated at the site on the last Sunday of each May. The “City of a Hundred Spires” as Rouen is known, was an inspiration for Monet‘s impressionistic cathedral paintings. Rouen also makes an excellent point of departure for a visit to Paris, the “City of Light.”

The seaport and naval station of Cherbourg is situated along the English Channel northwest of Paris at the mouth of the Divette River. Believed to rest on the site of an ancient Roman station, Cherbourg has been occupied since ancient times and was frequently contested by the French and English in the Middle Ages because of its strategic location. Most recently passed to France in the late 18th century, the town was extensively fortified by Louis XVI. During WWII the Germans held Cherbourg until it was captured by the American forces shortly after the Normandy landings. Following a vast rehabilitation program that returned it to working condition, Cherbourg became an important Allied supply port. Today, Cherbourg is important for transatlantic shipping, shipbuilding, electronics and telephone equipment manufacturing, yachting and commercial fishing.

Portsmouth is a port city and naval base on England’s south coast, mostly spread across Portsea Island. It’s known for its maritime heritage and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The dockyard is home to the interactive National Museum of the Royal Navy, the wooden warship HMS Victory, where Nelson died in the Battle of Trafalgar, and HMS Warrior 1860. The Tudor ship Mary Rose is also conserved in a dockyard museum.

Crossing the English Channel from continental Europe to Great Britain, the first view of England is the milky-white strip of land called the White Cliffs of Dover. As you get closer, the coastline unfolds before you in all its striking beauty. White chalk cliffs with streaks of black flint rise straight from the sea to a height of 350’ (110 m). Numerous archaeological finds reveal people were present in the area during the Stone Age. Yet the first record of Dover is from Romans, who valued its close proximity to the mainland. A mere 21 miles (33 km) separate Dover from the closest point in France. A Roman-built lighthouse in the area is the tallest Roman structure still standing in Britain. The remains of a Roman villa with the only preserved Roman wall mural outside of Italy are another unique survivor from ancient times which make Dover one of a kind.