Explore some of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders
There is nothing like time spent in nature to make everything right with the world. On every Viking journey, you can explore some of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders. Indeed, the journey itself, whether by river, ocean or expedition, brings you in touch with the great outdoors and stunning scenery.
So, take a front row seat and sit back and relax as the world’s natural wonders unfold before you.
1
THE AEGEAN SEA
Is there any sea in Europe as blue as the Aegean? Vivid turquoise, it is mesmerising. Located between mainland Greece and Turkey, the Aegean Sea is an extension of the Mediterranean Sea, and contains seven groups of islands. The islands have gained mythical status. The Aegean is, according to Greek mythology, named after Aegeus, the King of Athens and father of Theseus, who threw himself into the sea and drowned because he mistakenly believed that his son was dead. Today, the stories of the fabled Aegean islands are far happier, as people discover their legendary beauty and fall under their magical spell.
You can sail the Aegean Sea on our Ancient Mediterranean Treasures journey.
2
MONET’S GARDEN, GIVERNY
Few gardens are more beautiful than Monet’s masterpiece at Giverny. One look and you can see that it has been designed with an artist’s eye. Not for this great painter and leader of the Impressionist movement an ordered, formal affair. Monet married flowers according to their colours, mixing simple daisies and poppies with rare expensive varieties, and leaving them to grow freely. The result is a symphony of colour, lush and full of light and shade, and perspectives; a garden of life. This natural wonder may be manmade, but it is no less mesmerising for that fact. If anything, it is even more of a wonder.
3
NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA
A thunderous torrent of water surges over the rock in an unstoppable motion. An icy mist rises up in towering sprays. The vision is otherworldly, the sound, deafening. Horseshoe Falls, one of two falls in Niagara, is named after its 670m curved shape, and has the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America; at 40 mph, more than 2,575 kilolitres of water per second crashes over the ridge. Viewed from the top of the gorge, or on a thrilling boat ride to its misty base or from a helicopter for a bird’s eye view, the power of the falls is spectacular.
Experience the majesty of the falls on Viking’s expedition journey Niagara & the Great Lakes.
4
THE MIDDLE RHINE, GERMANY
In Germany, the River Rhine cuts deeply through the Rhenish slate mountains, meandering between forested hillsides, craggy cliffs and steep terraced vineyards. The dramatic landscape is punctuated by some 40 hilltop castles, fortresses and villages of half-timbered houses which date back centuries. At 80 miles long, this majestic stretch of river makes up the Middle Rhine, but is more affectionately known as the Romantic Rhine. In 2002 a portion of the Middle Rhine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This beautiful waterway offers a fascinating window into the past, as well as some of the world’s most spectacular views.
5
ANTARCTICA
One of the most remote places on Earth, Antarctica is simply stunning. Untamed and desolate, the White Continent is nature at its most dramatic and elemental. Snow, ice, water and rock are home to unique wildlife; whales, orcas, seals and penguins, and millions of seabirds, including albatrosses and petrels. Gazing upon a magnificent glacier or a range of misty mountains untouched by humans is both a surreal and humbling experience. In this magical place, virtually free of the imprint of humankind, you can experience a true sense of majesty and awe.
You can explore Antarctic on a choice of Viking expedition journeys, including Antarctic Explorer.
6
THE AMAZON RAINFOREST
A place of legendary status, the Amazon in South America is the largest, most diverse tropical rainforest on Earth, covering an area of 2.1 million square miles. It accounts for more than half of the planet’s remaining rainforests and is home to more than half of the world’s species of plants and animals. This vast biome is crisscrossed by thousands of rivers, including the powerful Amazon. Its stunning biodiversity and countless mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles can begin to be explored on a hike through Tapajós National Forest, a protected portion of the Amazon rainforest, and a place of peace and tranquility.
Explore the Amazon on our Amazon & Caribbean Adventure itinerary.
7
THE CHILEAN FJORDS
Carved out by retreating glaciers from past millennia, the Chilean fjords are a network of waterways framed by snow-capped mountains and towering, icy-blue glaciers. Staggeringly beautiful, this untamed wilderness is home to whales, dolphins and Magellanic penguins. Andean condors, one of the largest birds on earth, fly overhead, while leopard sea lions laze on the rocky shores. Descending from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the beautiful Amelia Glacier is a receding glacier, and receding fast. The steep-sided fjords’ deep blue waters are a highlight of a journey to South America.
Explore the glaciers and fjords of Chile on our South America & the Chilean Fjords journey.
8
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Stretching across more than 1,200 miles of Queensland’s coastline, the magnificent Great Barrier Reef is comprised of 3,000 individual reefs and 900 tropical islands, and is the largest coral reef system in the world. This vividly colourful undersea ecology is home to an astonishing array of marine life, including fish, whales, dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles, sharks and giant clams, as well as 360 species of hard corals, and one third of the world’s soft corals. You can explore Earth’s greatest living structure in a variety of ways on a Viking journey to this natural wonder.
You can explore the Great Barrier Reef on our Komodo & the Australian Coast itinerary.
9
THE MISSISSIPPI SWAMPLANDS
The Mississippi swamplands form North America’s largest river swamp ecosystem. With a tranquil, other-worldly beauty, the Atchafalaya Basin is a unique combination of wetlands, bayous, marshes, estuaries and a river delta. This 1.4-million-acre wilderness of majestic cypress- and tupelo-covered swampland is home to hundreds of plant, bird, fish and reptile species. Keep your eyes open for alligators, beavers, others, owls, bald eagles, egrets, ospreys and turtles. Uniquely, the cypress trees produce roots known as ‘knees’ which protrude from the surface of the water. Explore these ethereal waterways by motor boat or canoe, and be transported to another world.
Explore the swamplands of the Mississippi on our Heart of the Delta journey.
10
THE MEKONG DELTA
In southern Vietnam, the mighty Mekong River splits into smaller rivers, creating a vast maze of tributaries known as the Mekong Delta. This richly fertile region is called the rice bowl of Vietnam, and is carpeted in vibrant hues of greens of plant life, contrasted with colourful floating markets and fruit-laden boats. Mangrove forests teem with a wealth of bird life. Buffalos wallow in rice paddies. Fishermen cast their nets in the water. The Mekong Delta is an incredible water world that ebbs and flows with the Mekong River, and a way of life that has changed little in hundreds of years.
