A short distance away is the Rathaus, the ornate 19th century city hall that is a testament to the city's continued importance as Germany's premiere trading port. Gather at mid-day for a festive welcome lunch followed by an orientation to Hamburg by motor coach. Few other places in Britain can claim the richness of birds, wildlife, and rare plants found in the Shetlands where only a few islands are inhabited and nature reigns. Sheer cliffs and entire islands provide a safe breeding place for thousands of gulls, gannets, kittiwakes, and puffins.
Otters flourish in the shelter of seaweed-strewn inlets and seals bask on rocky outcrops.
As you sail among the Shetlands, spend time on the ship's deck watching for porpoises, dolphins, basking and porbeagle sharks, and even the occasional pod of whales. Fair Isle is renowned worldwide for its bird observatory. This rocky jewel of an island, which lies halfway between the Orkney and Shetland Islands, is a magnet for ornithologists. Here puffins, known in the Shetlands as Tammie Nories, and skydiving skuas, called Bonxies, share the skies with virtually every species of British sea bird. The islands also attract rare visitors such as Brunnich's guillemots, red-necked phalaropes, and Pallas's sandgrouses.