Top 5 European Cruise Destinations

Europe is home to some of the world’s most romantic cities in the world which seamlessly combine the intrigue of thousands of years of history with the flavors of the modern era. While traveling by car, bus, plane, or train ultimately suffices, there is probably no better way to fully embrace the splendor of these timeless destinations than by taking a cruise to Europe.

Europe’s top cruise destinations

5. Berlin

“We came here to be free,” is the mantra that you will hear from many people who moved to Berlin — a city that has become one of the cultural epicenters of Europe. Once divided by the Iron Curtain, Berlin is now ostensibly Europe’s coolest city and the continent’s beating heart of modern art and edgy alternative culture.

And the best part? You can get there on a cruise. Docking at Rostock, you have easy access to the most exciting parts of Berlin, where you can easily obtain the prime directive of travel: the experience of something different than what you can get back home.

4. Zadar, Croatia

Zadar is not only the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia, but it is among the most beautiful as well. Positioned on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, Zadar provides the visitor the historic context of a Roman-era city mixed a modern and trendy beat.

Places to visit include zany art installations, a Roman forum, and Byzantine churches.

However, the biggest attraction of Zadar is the natural scenery. Here you will step off the cruise ship into a landscape of beautiful beaches and dozens of pristine islands which include hiking trails, lakes, waterfalls, mountains, untouched beaches, and true wilderness in the heart of the Mediterranean.

And don’t forget to greet the sun.

3. Santorini, Greece

When you close your eyes and think of the Greek islands the place that you are likely envisioning is Santorini. Hopping off the cruise ship here means the quintessential Mediterranean island experience: pristine beaches, glistening blue sea, and towns full of those matching whitewashed houses with blue roofs.

Santorini is also an archaeological gold mine, providing some of the most interesting sites of the Minoan age all they way up to the common era.

Come here and dive deep into history by day, relax on the beach, and sip amazing local wines in the evening.

2. Barcelona

Like many of the other top destinations in Europe, Barcelona mixes the old and the new into a temporally surreal fusion that most travelers long for.

Taking a cruise here means losing yourself in time. You can walk along ancient streets with 2,000 year old buildings, delve into the land of the greats of art history — Goya, Picasso, and Dalî — and visit modern marvels like the La Sagrada Família — a medieval-style cathedral that has been under construction for over a century.

But while making this jump into history don’t forget to dine on some unforgettably delicious Catalan cuisine, which includes succulently grilled vegetables (Escalivada), hearty, nutritious stews (Escudella, Ollada), and an entire array of creatively cooked and presented seafood.

With architecture build thousands of years ago alongside one of the world’s most thriving party scenes and topped off with incredible food, Barcelona provides the full gamut of intrigues for the visitor.

1. Venice

There is nowhere in the world like Venice. The city is actually a patchwork of more than 100 islands stretching out in to the Adriatic Sea that are interconnected by a patchwork of canals that you travel on by boat. So rather than flagging down a taxi here, you walk down to the nearest dock and get yourself a gondola, which is truly something to write home about.

When looking to get back on solid ground again, be sure to visit some of the world’s most ornate and recognizable buildings, including 900-year-old St. Mark’s Basilica and the Palazzo Ducale, and visit an array of art galleries which provides a glimpse of the culture that this romantic city has inspired over the centuries.

Taking a Mediterranean cruise with Celebrity to Venice means watching sunsets from the banks of the Grand Canal while sipping delicious local wines and eating plates of Squid-ink spaghetti topped off by world-renown tiramisu.