Classic Voyage North: Bergen – Kirkenes

Bergen is surrounded by seven mountains, and one of the most popular attractions of the world: the fjords. The city offers the ideal combination of nature, culture, history and exhilarating city life. What has made Bergen famous is its unique charm, which is something you have to experience for yourself. Enjoy strolling around the old streets and alleyways where people have lived for centuries.

Walking through UNESCO-listed Bryggen’s narrow alleyways, made even darker and more mysterious by overhanging balconies, feels like stepping back in time. Bryggen is not a museum but part of the cultural heritage that is still in use – a living historical area of the city. The Fløibanen Funicular is a very popular attraction, running from the city centre to the top of Mount Fløyen in about 7 minutes. From the viewing platform you can admire spectacular views of the city, mountains and fjords. In addition to the wide range of hikes, you’ll find a restaurant, café, souvenir shop and playground.

A stay in Florø gives you the opportunity to experience Norwegian nature from a more active perspective, with lighthouse safaris, sea fishing, kayaking and coastal hikes. This is an area full of stunning archipelagos, with great opportunities for summit hikes on islands rising straight out of the sea.

The many lush and flowering rose gardens have given this lovely fjord town its label “The City of Roses”. Home to 25,000 inhabitants, Molde is the administrative centre and commercial hub of Møre og Romsdal county. It offers a fabulous mountain panorama view and a relatively mild climate. Molde Jazz, Norway’s largest jazz festival, showcases jazz from all corners of the world for a week each summer.

Kristiansand is a city in southern Norway. Its old town, Posebyen, features traditional wooden houses. In the center, neo-Gothic Kristiansand Cathedral is near the Sørlandets Museum, which displays Norwegian art from 1800 to today. The southeastern shoreline includes the Bystranda city beach, the 17th-century Christiansholm Fortress rotunda and Fiskebrygga quay, lined with fishmongers selling their catch.

Rørvik is a port village in the municipality of Nærøysund in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is on the eastern side of the Vikna archipelago on the island of Inner-Vikna. The 1.82-square-kilometre village has a population of 3,129 and a population density of 1,719 inhabitants per square kilometre.

Brønnøysund is situated on a narrow peninsula on the mainland, surrounded by islands and water. Here, you’re actually half way on the long northbound stretch of land that is Norway. The small coastal town of 5,000 inhabitants is centred on the narrow, but strategically situated harbour, which caters for all trade and fishing. It is a vibrant and pretty little town with an attractive visitors’ marina. Use some time to stroll around the streets – perhaps a walk along Havnegata, where you can enjoy looking at the small boats and bustling life of the archipelago. Sample the street life and go into one of the pubs, or treat yourself to a delicious meal at one of the restaurants.

Svolvær is the administrative centre of Vågan Municipality in Nordland County, Norway. It is located on the island of Austvågøya in the Lofoten archipelago, along the Vestfjorden

Stokmarknes is the settlement and administration centre in Hadsel Municipality on the north side of the Hadseløya. Among the population of only 3,200, you will find people from 25 nations, many of them attracted by job opportunities in the fishing industry.

In Stokmarknes you find the museum of Hurtigruten, offering a journey through time along the coast. See the changes that have been made on board the ships over the last 120 years, and hear darker tales of shipwrecks and loss of life, also part of Hurtigruten’s history. Next to the museum you’ll find the old ship MS Finnmarken as an impressive landmark.

Skjervøy is an island and municipality in the northern part of Troms County. It is a typical fishing community where seafood production provides the main livelihood. In recent years fish farming and aquaculture has grown increasingly important. The 2,900 citizens live on several islands. There are great conditions for outdoor activities in the area. The oldest wooden church in Nord-Hålogaland diocese, built in 1728, is found in Skjervøy.

To the southeast you can glimpse Norway’s fifth largest glacier, Øksfjordjøkulen (1,204 metres above sea level). This is the only glacier on mainland Norway to ‘calve’ directly into the sea, a uniquely arctic phenomenon. The district has a population of 500 and Øksfjord is the administrative centre for the municipality of Loppa. Fish processing plants and a shipyard tell us about an area dependent on outcome from the sea.

With 1,000 inhabitants, Berlevåg is one of the largest fishing villages in Finnmark County. Several fish processing plants encircle its large harbour. The film “Cool and Crazy” (Heftig og begeistret) from 2001 made Berlevåg well-known worldwide. The documentary on the local male choir touched hearts, and both the film and the choir were invited to events all around the world.

The Berlevåg Harbour Museum documents the coastal culture and the amazing story of the 70-year process of building the breakwaters in Berlevåg. Before roads came to Berlevåg in 1959, a safe harbour was a life necessity for the community. The story of the breakwater is a testimony of the strong will and ability to survive in this little fishing village. The breakwater also offers an inspiring walk – whether you want to experience the roaring ocean, the midnight sun or the northern lights.

Båtsfjord is situated on the north coast of the Varanger peninsula. Previously, there were several villages along this barren coast, but today everyone lives in the town of Båtsfjord, sheltered at the end of the Båtsfjord inlet. The municipality has a population of 2,000. Båtsfjord is one of the major centres for the Norwegian fishing industry, and has several fish processing factories, a freezing plant, a filleting factory and ship repair yards. The church dates from 1971. At 241.8 m, the TV mast is the highest in Norway.

Kirkenes is located in the extreme northeastern part of Norway on the Bøkfjord, a branch of the Varangerfjord, near the Russian border. We’re about 400 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and actually as far east as St. Petersburg. Most of the approximately 7,000 inhabitants are of Norwegian background, while a minority is Sami. Others originate from Finland and some 500 immigrants have recently arrived from Russia.