Hamburg, Germany

 Place: Hamburg, Germany

Weather: Rain showers in the morning becoming steady light rain in the afternoon, 59/74F.

Route: From Edinburgh 882 miles ESE on A1, Harwich-Hoek van Holland ferry, A20, B4.

Population: 1,845,229

Places to visit: Speicherstadt (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Planten un Blomen, Tierpark Hagenbeck, CHOCOVERSUM, International Maritime Museum, Museum of Hamburg History, Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial, Museum fur Kunst and Gewerbe, Old Botanical Garden.

Images:

Speicherstadt warehouse district - UNESCO World Heritage Site (from traveldailymedia.com)

Hamburg City Hall (from nationsonline.org)

Edinburgh, UK - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Edinburgh, UK

Weather: Intervals of clouds and sunshine, 51/66F.

Route: From Glasgow 47 miles east on M8.

Population: 488,050

Places to visit: Arthur's Seat, Royal Yacht Britannia, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle, Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Inchcolm Abbey and Island, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Hopetoun House, Midhope Castle, Scottish National Gallery, Surgeons' Hall Museums.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Scott Monument and castle in the background (from whc.unesco.org)

View of the city from Calton Hill (from whc.unesco.org)

Glasgow, UK

 Place: Glasgow, UK

Weather: Sunshine and clouds mixed, 51/74F.

Route: From Durham 162 miles on A66 and A74(M).

Population: 612,040

Places to visit: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, The Riverside Museum of Transport and Travel, University of Glasgow, The Necropolis, Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Glasgow Science Centre, Glasgow Cathedral, Pollok Country Park, The Tenement House, People's Palace and Winter Gardens.

Images:

Aerial view of University of Glasgow and downtown (from royalcaribbean.com)

Clyde Bridge and Pacific Quay (from lonelyplanet.com)

Durham Castle and Cathedral, UK - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Durham, UK

Weather: Showers early and overcast skies later in the day. 50/62F.

Route: From Studley Park 57 miles north on A1 (M).

Population: 48,069

Significance: The castle was built in the 11th century in the Norman style, just six years after the Norman invasion. The cathedral was built in the late 11th and early 12th century in a pre-gothic style. The cathedral has the body of St. Cuthbert, who was a monk in the 7th century, who was thought to have performed miracles.  The bishops of Durham ruled the area like princes for 750 years.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Durham Cathedral (from whc.unesco.org)

The Norman Durham Castle (from whc.unesco.org)

Studley Royal Park, UK

 Place: Studley Royal Park, UK

Weather: Mostly cloudy in the morning then periods of showers later in the day.

Route: From Keswick 94 miles ESE on A66 and A1.

Significance: A park designed in the 18th century - meant to be a more natural style to blend in the the surroundings. It also includes ruins of Fountains Abbey, destroyed by King Henry VIII after the creation of the Church of England.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Gothic style church built in the 18th century when the park was designed (whc.unesco.org)

Half moon pond with ruins of Fountains Abbey in the background (from whc.unesco.org)

English Lake District, UK - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: English Lake District, UK

Weather: Cloudy with occasional rain showers, 52/62F.

Route: From Belfast 205 miles east on M2, Larne-Cairnryan ferry, A75, A66.

Significance: English Lake District is the most dramatic landscape in England. There are glacial lakes and mountains. Kendra and I actually went there a few years ago. I went on a fog shrouded hike where it was just me and a lot of sheep. There are old stone fences separating fields.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

Easy to see why artists have always loved this region - Rosthwaite (from whc.unesco.org)

Buttermere reflections (from whc.unesco.org)

Belfast, Ireland

 Place: Belfast, UK

Weather: Cloudy with occasional light rain, 50/63F.

Route: From Bru na Boinne 122 km NNE on M1 and A1.

Population: 341,877

Places to visit: Crumlin Road Gaol, Titanic Belfast, Ulster Museum, St. George's Market, Botanic Gardens, Belfast Castle, Belfast Cathedral, Irish Republican History Museum, Clonard Monastery, Museum of Orange Heritage.

Images:

City Hall (from smartcitiesworld.net)

Harbor and HMS Titanic museum (from ireland.com)

Bru na Boinne Archaeological Ensemble, Ireland - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Bru na Boinne, Ireland

Weather: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers, 53/65F.

Route: From Portmagee 420 km NE on M7.

Significance: Many of these large burial mounds are from over 5,000 years ago during the Neolithic period.  They are some of the earliest and most impressive examples of prehistoric megalithic art.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The largest burial mound at Newgrange (from whc.unesco.org)

Entrance to Newgrange (from whc.unesco.org)

Sceilg Mhichil, Ireland - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Sceilg Mhichil, Ireland

Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 52/57F.

Route: From Dublin 364 km SW on M7 and then boat 12km to island.

Significance: Imagine being a monk in the 8th century - wanting to find an isolated place, away from everyone in order to focus on the monastic life. You couldn't do any better than Sceilg Mhichil - an island off the southwest coast of Ireland.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

The saddle of the island with stairs to the monastery (from whc.unesco.org)

One of the pyramidal stone huts built by the monks (from whc.unesco.org)

Dublin, Ireland

 Place: Dublin, Ireland

Weather: Steady light rain in the morning, showers in the afternoon, 46/58F.

Route: From Liverpool 166 miles west on A55 and Holyhead to Dublin ferry.

Population: 554,554

Places to visit: Irish Whisky Museum, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, The Little Museum of Dublin, Kilmainham Gaol Museum, Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, The Book of Kells and the Old Library Exhibition, Guinness Storehouse, National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology, St. Stephens Green, National Botanic Gardens, The Irish Rock 'N' Roll Museum Experience, National Gallery of Ireland, GPO Museum.

Images:

River Liffy - center of Dublin's historic neighborhoods (from cntraveller.com)

Dublin Castle (from penguinandpia.com)

Liverpool, UK - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Liverpool, UK

Weather: Periods of rain, 51/59F.

Route: From Manchester 35 miles west on M62.

Population: 498,042

Places to visit: Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, Liverpool Cathedral, Museum of Liverpool, The Beatles Story, Western Approaches Museum, Merseyside Maritime Museum, British Music Experience, World Museum, Walker Art Gallery, International Slavery Museum.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Image: 

Albert Dock and historic downtown in the background (from whc.unesco.org)

Manchester, UK

 Place: Manchester, UK

Weather: Mainly cloudy 51/70F.

Route: From Caernarfon 105 miles ENE on A55 and M56.

Population: 552,858

Places to visit: The John Rylands Library, Science and Industry Museum, The Manchester Museum, National Football Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, People's History Museum, Manchester Cathedral, Fletcher Moss Park and Botanical Gardens.

Images:

City Hall (from visitbritain.com)

University of Manchester (from bbc.com)

Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd, UK - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Caernarfon Castle, UK

Weather: Intervals of clouds and sunshine, 47/62F.

Route: From Bath 253 miles NW on M5 and A55.

Significance: In the late 13th and early 14th centuries King Edward of England expanded his rule to Wales. These castles and walled towns were built to protect the English who were put in charge of the government there. 

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Image:

Caenarfon Castle (from whc.unesco.org)

Bath, UK - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Bath, UK

Weather: Cloudy with periods of light rain, 56/65F.

Route: From Stonehenge 34 miles NW on B390 and A36.

Population: 88,895

Significance: Bath was a Roman spa town in the first five centuries AD. It had a renaissance in the 18th century with the building of many Palladian structures.

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Images:

The original Roman bath with the Abbey in the background (from whc.unesco.org)

Pultenay Bridge (from whc.unesco.org)

Stonehenge, UK - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Stonehenge, UK

Weather: Mostly sunny skies, 58/78F.

Route: From London 88 miles WSW on M3 and A303.

Significance: There are stone circles all over the world, but this is the granddaddy of them all. Building started in 3700 BC. It was used continuously as a ceremonial site for over 2,000 years.

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Images:

Iconic Stonehenge (from whc.unesco.org)

Associated stone circle surrounding a nearby farm (from whc.unesco.org)

London, UK - 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

 Place: London, UK

Weather: Considerable cloudiness, 58/77F.

Route: From Canterbury 65 miles WNW on M2 and A2.

Population: 8,961,989

Places to visit: Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms, National Gallery, The British Museum, Westminster Abbey, Victoria and Albert Museum, St. Paul's Cathedral, Natural History Museum, Hyde Park, St. Jame's Park, Houses of Parliament, Regent's Park, Buckingham Palace, Greenwich, Imperial War Museums, Highgate Cemetery, Kensington Gardens, Museum of London, National Portrait Gallery, Kew Gardens.

Images:

Palace of Westminster (from whc.unesco.org)

The Thames River and London skyline (from london.ac.uk)