Posts In The “Norway” Category
Svolvær, with a population of over 4,500, is the largest city in the Lofoten archipelago and the biggest center we’d stopped at so far in Norway. It also is a Hurtigruten coastal ferry stop—we had a great view from our berth to the twice-daily Hurtigruten arrivals and departures. While in Svolvær, we climbed to the…
Reine, north of the Arctic Circle in the Lofoten islands, was recently voted the most scenic village in Norway. When we first saw a photograph of the town years ago, the idea that we’d visit in our own boat seemed at best fanciful. So it was a real thrill to be anchored beneath Reine’s signature…
The natural beauty of Norway’s remote Lofoten islands attract over a million visitors a year. Many come to make the islands’ often-challenging hikes for the spectacular views. We made our first Lofoten hike at Værøy, about 15 miles north of Røst. From an anchorage off the once-abandoned fishing village of Måstad, we climbed 1,480 ft…
Dirona crossed the Arctic Circle just north of Træna on an open-ocean run to the famed Lofoten group of islands. Conditions were calm enough to anchor and launch the tender for a picnic lunch at the lighthouse on Skomvær, the southernmost island in the chain. As we continued north to anchor for the night in…
The dramatic Træna archipelago lies just four miles south of the Arctic Circle. Within the group, Sanna is perhaps the most spectacular, with several peaks jutting near-vertically up to 790-1000ft (240m-300m). A pitch-dark 1650ft (500m) underground tunnel leads through the inside of one to a NATO radar station perched atop, with fabulous views to the…
Torghatten is a famous landmark in Norway due the hole through right through the mountain. A hiking trail leads up and through the hole and back down the other side, and you also can hike over the top to the summit of Torghatten. We did both. Below are trip highlights from May 15th through 17th,…
Stad, a headland on Norway’s southwest coast, is one of 24 areas listed in the Norwegian Coastal Pilot as likely to have rough seas in certain wind and tide conditions. Stad is considered the worst and is so notorious for dangerous conditions that an escort service is provided for small boats and funds have been…
Before arriving in Fjærland, we had planned to hike up to the Flatbrehytta Mountain Cabin, 3,280 ft (1000 m) up at the head of Fjærlandsfjord. But the Fjærland information center said the trail wasn’t passable yet due to snow and suggested Nesahaugen instead for great views. Below are trip highlights from May 9th, 2018 in…
Jostedalsbreen, at 188 sq miles (486 sq km), is the largest icecap in mainland Europe. The icecap extends close to Fjærland at the head of Fjærlandsfjord, a northerly arm of Sognefjord, Norway’s longest fjord. From the guest dock at Fjærland we made an easy bike trip to Jostedalsbreen at Supphellebreen Glacier. On the way back…
Flåm is a small village at the head of Aurlandsfjrod, a branch off Sognefjord, the longest fjord in Norway. The village is the terminus of the Flåm Railway, considered one of the world’s most scenic railway trips. It’s also the main embarkation point for boat tours of UNESCO World Heritage site Nærøyfjord, and is home…
Nærøyfjord was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005 for being among the most scenically outstanding in the world. At its narrowest the fjord is only 820ft (250m) across with sheer cliffs on either side. Dozens of dramatic waterfalls plunge down the steeply-sloped shores. A standout is Kjelsfossen, one of the highest waterfalls in…
The Stegastein Viewpoint juts 100ft (30m) out from the mountain 1,250ft (650m) above Aurlandsfjord. While in Flåm, we rented a car to visit the viewpoint and explore a few other attractions around Aurlandsfjord by road. Below are trip highlights from May 7th in Flåm, Norway. Click any image for a larger view, or click the…
As we’ve been travelling the world, longtime blog reader Jacques Vuye has been scouting ahead and recommending scenic and unique train trips. One of our favourites was the West Coast Wilderness Railway in Tasmania, Australia. Shortly after we arrived into Norway, Jacques encouraged us to take a trip on Flåmsbana (the Flåm Railway), considered one…
We left Indrefjord, but not the waterfalls and fabulous mountain scenery, as we cruised to the village of Flåm at the head of Aurlandsfjord. We lost count of the waterfalls en route, and pretty much ran out of superlatives to desribe the scenery. At Flåm we had their guest dock all to ourselves, with a…
Our initial plan for cruising Norway was to run straight north to Tromsø with few diversions en route, and to tour the Norwegian fjords on our return trip south. But we decided to take a few days to explore 110-mile Sognefjord, the longest fjord in Norway. This time of year the mountains would still have…
From our first Norwegian anchorage at Vorlandsvagen, we ran 105 miles north past Bergen to the mouth of Sognefjord in two day trips. Over that time we completed a few chores, explored in the tender, and enjoyed the relaxed running through Norway’s sheltered and scenic ‘inner lead’. En route we passed ships of all sizes…
From the Netherlands we made a 500-mile, 3-night run to Norway with a pitstop in Helgoland, Germany for duty-free fuel. Conditions for the first two days were wonderfully calm and for the final night were rough in tight seas on the bow with pitching to 20.5° as we closed on the Norwegian coast. But we…