Dublin – Bilbao · 7 June – 20 July 2027

Climbing the rigging, untying ropes, setting sails – today is all about sailing. Time to lean back and relax in the deck chair and watch the passionate crew hoisting the sails by hand.

Cobh is beautifully situated on Ireland’s southern coast in Cork Harbour and is one of the country’s most historically significant towns. The colorful port became famous as the final port of call of the Titanic in 1912, when the town was still known as Queenstown. In the 19th century, Cobh was also a major departure point for millions of Irish emigrants heading to North America. Today, brightly painted houses, the lively harbor, and the striking St. Colman's Cathedral define the town’s skyline. Museums, waterfront promenades, and rich maritime history make Cobh a fascinating destination.

Off the south west coast of Cornwall, some 150 small islands and islets emerge from the sea. The privately-owned Tresco is the second largest of the five inhabited British Scilly Isles and has a reputation as an 'island in bloom' thanks to the mild Gulf Stream climate. The subtropical Tresco Abbey Gardens, set up in the 19th century by Augustus Smith on the lands of an old Benedictine Abbey, are home to exotic plants from many regions of the world. This small Garden of Eden is set in a natural paradise with subterranean caverns, sheer granite cliffs, idyllic white sandy beaches, emerald water and spectacular violet-red sunsets.

The old harbor town of Dartmouth in the southern English county of Devon is set in forested hills on the west bank of the Channel estuary. Since the 15th century, Dartmouth Castle and Kingswear Castle, which faces it, have guarded the entry to the town. Little has changed since 1539 in the cobbled Bayard's Cove with its small fort on the old harbor. Sailing boats and yachts now roll gently where great ships once set sail for new shores. Charming old houses line the narrow streets leading from the promenade up the steep slope with its numerous steps. Located in a dominant position above the town, the Britannia Royal Naval College bears testament to the historic significance of seafaring and the navy.

A piece of France fallen into the sea and grabbed up by the English' is how Victor Hugo described his place of exile in the Bay of St. Malo, which is closer to the northern coast of France than the south coast of England. Guernsey, the second largest British Channel Island, later inspired Auguste Renoir to produce a whole series of paintings. Narrow, meandering roads bordered by hedges and embankments wind through the interior of the island, which boasts luscious vegetation courtesy of the mild Gulf Stream climate, while in the south, green hills give way to rocky cliffs on the sea's edge. Here, spectacular crags, bays and sandy beaches have been shaped by the vast tidal range pummelling the rock. The pretty island capital of St. Peter Port overlooking the large sheltered harbor and castle boasts a fascinating mixture of styles in a tangle of terraces and stepped gardens.

Many famous impressionists caught the quaint atmosphere of this town at the mouth of the Seine on canvas in the 19th century. This small town in Calvados is still one of the most charming places in Normandy. Tall and narrow slate-clad buildings crowd around the quayside, the exquisite Vieux Bassin and the old 17th century dock. Honfleur honours its famous sons, painter Eugène Boudin and composer Eric Satie, in a museum. East of Honfleur, the breathtaking Pont de Normandie spans the Seine estuary and links Honfleur with Le Havre, an engineering masterpiece and one of the longest bridges in Europe.

Spend the day sunbathing, enjoy the fresh wind breeze, and relax into the day!

The Breton harbor on the confluence of the river Scorff has always played an important role in the town's history. Its name is derived from the word 'orient' since Lorient was once home to the French East India Company and marked the center of a vast trading network. It is a passenger port, a bustling marina, France's second largest fishing port, a busy commercial port and a naval base. In 2006, a state-of-the-art interactive sailing museum was built in honour of Éric Tabarly, the ocean yachtsman par excellence and trailblazing designer of regatta yachts. This modern town was completely rebuilt and is now considered to be a hub for 20th century art and history.

At 54 square miles, Belle-Île-en-Mer, south of Lorient is the largest of Brittany's islands. For a few weeks every summer, the storms and crashing waves subside and the island takes on a laid-back holiday atmosphere, with lots of bicycles, beach towels and music. On the west coast, the waves break on the rocks causing white crests to dance on the water. Small, idyllic bays and beaches nestle in deep inlets in the rocky coastline, sometimes only accessible from the sea. The island's capital is the port of Le Palais with its imposing citadel and countless street cafés along the harbor and in the Place de la République. Claude Monet spent two and a half months on the island, producing 39 paintings of the wild Côte Sauvage.

Pauillac on the Médoc peninsula at the mouth of the Gironde north-west of Bordeaux is one of the oldest marinas in France. Its wide quayside is just under a mile long and takes a prominent position in the peaceful town center. However, it is Pauillac's location in the middle of one of the best wine-growing areas which has made it famous around the world. The town produces by far the most full-bodied wines in the Médoc and Bordeaux regions. On the outskirts of this town, which has its own 'appellation d'origine contrôlée', are no fewer than 18 of the 61 chateaux included in the list of Grand-Crus in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, as well as three of the five Premier Grand-Cru wine estates: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour and Château Mouton-Rothschild. An excursion to Bordeaux is more than just a visit to an exquisite city with an old town which features...

Pauillac on the Médoc peninsula at the mouth of the Gironde north-west of Bordeaux is one of the oldest marinas in France. Its wide quayside is just under a mile long and takes a prominent position in the peaceful town center. However, it is Pauillac's location in the middle of one of the best wine-growing areas which has made it famous around the world. The town produces by far the most full-bodied wines in the Médoc and Bordeaux regions. On the outskirts of this town, which has its own 'appellation d'origine contrôlée', are no fewer than 18 of the 61 chateaux included in the list of Grand-Crus in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, as well as three of the five Premier Grand-Cru wine estates: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour and Château Mouton-Rothschild. An excursion to Bordeaux is more than just a visit to an exquisite city with an old town which features...

With its beautiful beach bay, the surrounding mountains and the extraordinary gastronomic offer, the seaside resort of San Sebastián (in Basque: Donostia) is one of the most popular towns on the Basque coast. Only a few kilometers to the east there is a more peaceful atmosphere – and this is exactly what makes Pasaias (Castilian Pasajes) so charming. In this traditional port city, small fishermen's houses are squeezed between the water and green hills on both sides of the river. The district Donibane is especially pretty: A small road leads past old stone houses with colorful wooden balconies – and to quaint bars and fish restaurants.

Bilbao has always been an important port and industrial city. In 1993, Bilbao was a pilgrimage destination for lovers of modern art and avant-garde architecture. The Guggenheim Museum, with its idiosyncratic and unique design by famous architect Frank O Gehry, showcases everything that is important within its 11,000 square meters (118,403 foot). Steel used to be manufactured in Bilbao and it now plays a major role here, since other renowned architects have also been inspired to give Bilbao an attractive, distinctive look. Cross the futuristic Calatrava Bridge to reach the old town, where you can take a delightful stroll round the lanes and enjoy the art of Basque cuisine.