The classic introduction to any Copenhagen visit
is a canal boat ride.
Since the word "Copenhagen" means "merchants' harbor,"
it's only natural that many of the city's
most impressive buildings, both new and old,
are visible from the water.
Harbor tour boats come and go constantly,
giving visitors a relaxing glide down canals
and along the harbor front.
Colorful merchants' houses and historic bridges
recall an affluence stoked by trade.
Slotsholmen Island, the city's 12th-century birthplace,
is lined with grand 17th-century Renaissance-style building,
and this part of the tour reminds us of Denmark's
powerful seafaring past.
While the town preserves its rich heritage,
it's also building for the future.
The harbor front, dotted with new landmarks,
is a showcase for Danish architectural design.
The Royal Library, nicknamed the Black Diamond,
uses shiny black granite to make its impression.
The striking play house, with its copper roof
matching the city's famous spires,
feels integrated into the community --
open, inviting, and bringing the arts to the people.
Just across the harbor, Copenhagen's Opera House
is even bigger than it looks.
Much of it is underground.
And, as if to proudly show off the newest part
of Copenhagen, sightseeing boats venture
further from the center for a peek
at once-rundown industrial zones
that have taken on new life.
Former industrial buildings are transformed into
high-end offices and condos, creating a playful new skyline.
Glass seems to be
the construction material of choice.
And the harbor's Cover Girl.
The most-photographed citizen of Copenhagen
is the little mermaid.
In the much-loved Hans Christian Andersen
fairy tale, she saves the life of
a shipwrecked prince and sets off on a futile quest
to win his love.
Rivers of ice, like this, carved huge valleys,
creating the defining feature of Norway’s landscape,
the fjords.
Those glaciers, as much as a mile thick,
spent eons carving up western Norway
as they worked their way
to the sea.
Slowly, they gouged u-shaped valleys
that later filled with water.
The distance from seabed to mountaintop around here
is as much as 9,000 feet -- nearly two vertical miles.
Dramatic waterfalls continue to cut into the mountains.
This viewpoint makes sure
car-hikers get out and appreciate the view.
Sognefjord is Norway’s biggest,
and that's the one we're exploring.
Of its many arms,
the most scenic is called "Naeroyfjord."
Rain or shine, traditional ferries
offer a relaxing yet thrilling fjord experience.
These ferries, while popular with tourists,
are the lifeline of many fjordside communities.
Some remote farms are connected to the outside world
only by ferry.
Mail is dropped and visitors come and go by request.
And the visual highlight of this ride, Naeroyfjord,
is ten miles long and breathtakingly narrow --
as little as 800 feet wide.
Man: So we're ready to go? Let's go!
Steves: For an exhilarating alternative,
we're suiting up for a much speedier tour
with the Fjord Safari company.
Survival suits keep everyone cozy and comfortable
at thrillingly high speeds.
Our guide, rune, knows all the interesting stops.
Man: A long way down!
Long way down? [ Laughing ]
So, this is what makes the fjords in Norway so special.
'Cause it's steep, steep walls down in the fjord everywhere.
And this cliff is a very big cliff,
and this is only a little part of the cliff.
So it continues 100 meters down,
so it's very deep here.
Today, with this idyllic fjord-side setting,
locals seem content not to sail far away
but to simply enjoy the delightful setting
of the city they call home.
And for the people of Oslo,
their fjord is a natural wonderland.
Many choose to live in peaceful island communities,
just an easy commute from downtown.
Others see it as a playground.
My cousin Kari-Anne
and her partner Knut are picking us up for a short cruise.
Within minutes, Oslo is a world away,
and we're surrounded by the beauty
of its fjord -- islands provide a quick escape
for commuters, vacationers, kayakers, and campers.
While locals love to zip off in their boats,
even tourists can hop on a ferry
to enjoy much of the same experience.
We're anchoring in a charming cove
only about ten minutes from the city.
So it's the perfect escape, Oslofjord.
Mmm, very nice resort for everybody.
When a tourist comes to Norway,
we kind of think "expensive" and "high taxes."
Mm-hmm, but we also have
a thorough social democratic principle
where the idea is that
the basic things should be free for everybody.
Now, a normal American worker pays probably 30%
of their income in taxes, I think.
What would a worker...
Generally would be around 50%.
Okay, but if you add in the cost of education
to send your kids to college, and health care in America...
Probably be the same. Probably the same.
But does this idealism
demoralize people from being innovative
and working really hard to get ahead?
I think it is the opposite,
because you have security in the bottom,
and then you can actually have creativity
and productivity that's based upon that.
I'm sure it's not perfect, but all in all,
do you like the system?
I'm convinced it's a good idea.
I mean, politically, it's a basic idea I believe in,
so -- and of course it can always be better,
but I think the best thing is that you're free from
the kind of anxiety that I have a feeling
many Americans feel, that, um, "How can I afford
to go to hospital in case I get ill?"
"What happens when I get old, if I don't have the money
to stay in a nice place," for instance.
All these things are more or less
taken care of in this system.
Steves: Wherever I travel, it's stimulating to learn about
different social systems that confound many Americans.
The city's harbor is busy with ferries,
and many take people into its vast archipelago --
an amazing playground of literally thousands of islands
stretching 80 miles from the city.
There are plenty of ways to see the archipelago.
Those taking the huge cruise ships
that ferry travelers to Helsinki
enjoy three hours of island scenery
before they finally reach the open Baltic Sea.
You can take a quick boat tour,
or, what we're doing, catch a ferry with the locals.
One of the joys of an archipelago trip is to
grab a perch on the breezy sun deck with the Swedes
as they enjoy their island wonderland.
Ferries serve over a hundred islands.
They stop at others on request...
Or to plop down the day's mail.
Every cabin seems to have a couple of lounge chairs
strategically placed to soak up the relaxing view.
Your archipelago options are endless,
and you don't need to own a cabin
to enjoy this idyllic island escape.
Our first stop is the popular destination of Vaxholm.
About an hour from downtown,
it has a well-preserved fortress just off its busy harbor front
as well as a quiet and charming old town,
mixing shops and restaurants.
Today, it's hard to imagine that
back when Sweden was a military power,
this fort was built to secure the city from attack by sea.
The ramparts remain, but they're manned not by soldiers,
but by sun-worshippers
enjoying Sweden's long summer days.
My favorite lookout post? Annette's Homestead Cafe.
For Swedes, their coffee and pastry break is a ritual,
embraced with all the vigor of a constitutional right.
And here, savoring life to its fullest
just seems to come naturally.
For an even more peaceful and remote destination,
ride a couple hours past Vaxholm
and hop off in Svartsö.
The little grocery provides this island community
with whatever it needs.
Residents stock their cabins using the island's answer
to a moving van.
And visitors can hop a rental bike.
In moments, you're out in the countryside,
immersed in pastoral farmland and pristine nature.
Your bike ride is memorably capped
with a stop at the island eatery.
We requested the house specialty,
and were overwhelmed with the bounty of the Baltic.