Posts In The “Europe” Category
We didn’t require much preparation for our run across the North Sea from Stavanager, Norway to Denmark. All we really wanted was fuel and some good weather. We got the fuel soon after arriving, but not the weather. A major storm system passed through, bringing strong northerly winds and generating large waves in the north-exposed…
The hike to iconic Pulpit Rock is immensely popular. The spectacular formation juts out over Lyseford with a vertical drop of nearly 2,000 ft (600m), creating a dramatic photo opportunity for those willing to perch on the fenceless edge. The trail is fairly tame by Norwegian standards at 2.3-mile (3.8km) long with an altitude gain…
The oil-rich city of Stavanger is the fourth-largest in Norway, and is a wonderful combination of working port, historic districts, modern street art, and excellent restaurants. We were excited to arrive, even if it did mark the end of our five-month Norwegian cruise. As is normally our habit, we spent our first day there on…
Lysefjord, in southwest Norway, is one of the country’s major tourist draws. Waterfalls plunge down cliffs that extend over a thousand feet above and below the water surface. The walls are so sheer in both directions that you can bring a boat within touching distance of shore without getting a depth sounder reading, and in…
We only planned to make a quick pit stop outside Haugesund for gasoline before continuing south through the main channel. But as we left the fuel dock, we made a last-minute decision to take the waterway through town and another last-minute decision to stop for the night. We ended up staying for three. That kind…
Langfossen gushes into the Akrafjorden from 2,008ft (612m) above, with a vertical drop of 400ft (122m). The waterfall was rated the best in Norway in the World Waterfall Database (and the best in the world using an earlier rating system). After a 60-mile run from Bergen to the Romsa Islands, the following day we made…
Hardangerfjord is the second longest fjord in Norway after Sognefjord, and the fourth longest in the world. Besides dramatic scenery, attractions there include the Norwegian Museum of Hydropower and Industry, with the Tyssedal Hydroelectric Power Station fully open to visitors, and the Voringfossen, a group of spectacular waterfalls that include the 600-ft (182m) Voringfoss Waterfall…
A popular outing for Bergen residents is the 8-mile (13km) hike between Mt. Floyen and Mt. Ulriken. With a funicular railway at one end and a cable car at the other, you don’t have to climb up or down to take in the sweeping city views at each summit. The cable car at Mt. Ulriken…
Seven mountains surround Bergen and the city rises up from vibrant Vagan Harbour into the steep hills behind. We moored right downtown and spent our first day on a walking tour of Norway’s second-largest city. It’s easy to see why many consider Bergen to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Below…
Herdla, a small island north of Bergen, is full of military ruins. During World War II, the occupying German forces turned most of the island into a military base and built an air strip and torpedo battery there. Norway kept the torpedo battery in operation during the Cold War, modernizing it several times until it…
On May 11th of this year, we passed north of 61°30′ latitude and returned back south of that line recently as we approached the Bergen area. This latitude is significant because our insurance policy, Jackline, explicity excludes travel north of this without purchasing an additional rider. Prior to this, the farthest north Dirona had ever…
Briksdal Glacier is one of the few European glaciers not constantly receding—the size changes depending upon temperature and precipitation. Between 1935 and 1951, the glacier receded 800m and exposed the lake below, but from 1967 to 1997 it expanded and covered the whole lake and was the only glacier in Europe that was expanding while…
The annual Skala Opp race from Loen to the summit of 6,062ft (1,848m) Skala regularly draws over 1,500 participants, and the record for reaching the top is 1 hour and 7 minutes. After a hike of just under four hours, we were pretty tired and couldn’t imagine running up. Whatever pace you choose, the views…
Via Ferrata means “iron path” in Italian and is an increasingly popular mix of protected climbing and alpine hiking where participants use climbing gear to safely ascend exposed routes with spectacular views while attached at all times to iron cables, rungs, ladders and bridges. A number of Via Ferratas have opened in Norway in recent…
We re-rounded the infamous Stad on our continued southbound return trip along the Norwegian west coast, travelling 135 miles fjord-to-fjord from Hjorundfjord to Nordfjorden. Conditions at Stad weren’t quite as settled as on our northbound leg, but we had an easy run around. The winds fell as we ran up Nordfjorden, with spectacular scenery reflecting…
Starting September 2, the Hurtigruten coastal ferries switch from their summer run to Geirangerfjord to a cruise down Hjorundfjord. On the first day of that switch we were excited to see “our ‘Gruten” the Kong Harald appear at the mouth of Norangsfjorden, an arm of Hjorundfjord. (This is the ship we travelled on from Kirkeness…
The hike to the summit of 5,131 ft (1,564m) Slogen is considered one of the top ten in Norway due to the scenery en route, the views from the top and the fact that it rises directly from Norangsfjorden. It was the most strenuous hike we’d done so far, with an elevation gain from trailhead…
Norangsfjorden is similarly scenic as nearby Geirangerfjord, but smaller and not nearly as busy due to a 42-ft (13m) bar that prevents larger ships from reaching the head. From the anchorage at Honningdalsvagen we made a short, 23nm run to anchor of the village of Oye surrounded by waterfalls and 5,000ft (1,500m) peaks. Below are…