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This gateway to Norway’s spectacular fjordlands was once known as the “cradle of the Vikings.” You’ll dock next to the old quarter, known as Gamle Stavanger, which contains a collection of 200-year-old white, wooden homes and a 12th-century cathedral said to have been modeled after Winchester Cathedral in England. The quarter also has an assortment of markets, shops and art galleries.

Look for the eye-catching “Swords in Rock” monument at Hafrsfjord Rock, which commemorates the sea battle by which King Harald Fairhair united Norway as a single kingdom in the ninth century. You can also ride a boat to Lysefjord, which cuts almost 25 miles into the landscape, and see the famed Pulpit Rock -- a massive, flat-top cliff that is popular with hikers.

Language: Norwegian     Currency: Krone (NOK)