THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL VOYAGE Norwegian coastal voyage information HURTIGRUTEN AS: P.O. Box 6144, 9291 N-Tromsø Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram hurtigruten.com 71° N NORTH CAPE Mehamn Berlevåg NORWAY Honningsvåg Båtsfjord Havøysund Kjøllefjord Vardø Hammerfest Vadsø Øksfjord Kirkenes Tromsø Skjervøy Lyngenfjord Risøyhamn Finnsnes VESTERÅLEN Sortland Harstad Stokmarknes Svolvær TROLL- FJORD Stamsund L O F O T E N Dear Guest, Bodø Ørnes 6 6 ° 3 3 ' N It all started in the rich fishing grounds along the Norwegian coast. A R C T I C C I R C Nesna A safe trade route was needed to weave its way between the challeng- L E Sandnessjøen ing reefs, islands and inlets that separate the southern and northern Brønnøysund regions of Norway. Rørvik Maritime maps were unreliable and there were only a few lighthouses. When the Norwegian government finally decided to create a connec- tion between the north and the south, the job of thoroughly mapping Kristiansund Trondheim the coastline was taken up by Richard With and his friend Anders Ålesund Molde Holthe. In 1893, Captain Richard With’s Steamer DS Vesterålen was Torvik brought into regular service along the coast of Norway. First from Måløy HjørundfjordGeirangerfjord Trondheim to Hammerfest and later from Bergen to Kirkenes - in only Florø Sognefjord 7 days, he called this important connection ‘hurtig ruten’ (fast route). Dovrebanen NORWAY Flåmsbanen Flåm Be rge Today, 123 years later, Hurtigruten still carries freight and passengers. nsb an Bergen en Hardangerfjord Our Captains use their extensive maritime expertise to ensure that passengers and goods are carried safely from port to port. Oslo Welcome on board for an adventure of a lifetime. CONTENTS Day-to-day programme 4 Equipment list 17 Northbound Voyage Itinerary 4-6 Maritime expressions 18 Southbound Voyage Itinerary 7-8 Ship contact information 18 Information 9-10 Important phone numbers 18 Life on board 11-17 Timetable 19 Cover photo: Edith Flakk. Back cover: Michael Hunnekuhl - Guest image. Small pictures, from left: Stein Lillebo, Gilbert Fitoussi - Guest Image, Orjand Bertelsen - Topaz © Hube Rudolf - Guest image DAY-TO-DAY PROGRAMME Hurtigruten classic voyages – A round voyage from the cultural centre of Bergen to Kirkenes and back again is the ultimate voyage with Hurtigruten. The complete voyage takes 12 days. There are also shorter alternatives like Bergen - Kirkenes - Trondheim, or only northbound Bergen - Kirkenes and southbound Kirkenes - Bergen only. NORTHBOUND VOYAGE ITINERARY walls, green meadows, lonely mountain farms and small villages. DAY 1 Embarkation in Bergen Ports visited today: Bergen DAY 3 The royal city of Trondheim Before you check in, explore the charming port and Ports visited today: Kristiansund, Trondheim and Hanseatic city of Bergen. Stroll through the narrow Rørvik streets of the medieval Hanseatic Bryggen quarter, In the old royal city of Trondheim you can enjoy which is on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage a good view from the Gamle Bybro (“Old Town Sites, the Hanseatic Museum or the fish market. Bridge”). This neo-gothic wooden bridge dating Take the funicular railway up to the 320m Mount from 1861 used to be the only way into the town Fløyen, just outside the city, and you’ll enjoy the centre. The Nidaros Cathedral, built in the period best view of Bergen and its fjords. In the even- 1070 to 1300, is Norway’s largest Gothic religious ing the Hurtigruten voyage sets off through the edifice. In the neighbouring Archbishop’s Palace Hjeltefjord, from where the Vikings once sailed to the Norwegian Crown Jewels are on display. The the Shetland Islands and beyond. warehouses built on wooden stilts are as attrac- tive as the Rococo style Stiftsgården, the largest DAY 2 Ålesund and Geirangerfjord/Hjørundf- wooden building in Norway and residence of the jord Royal Family when visiting Trondheim. We then Ports visited today: Florø, Måløy, Torvik, Ålesund set course for the northwest, past the beautiful and Molde Kjeungskjær lighthouse and the thousands of little Your ship navigates past skerries and islands islands and picturesque rocky outcrops. further north to Ålesund. Explore the inspiring architecture in the Apotekergata and Kongens- DAY 4 Arctic Circle and Lofoten Islands gate pedestrian areas, perfect examples of the Ports visited today: Brønnøysund, art nouveau style. And don’t miss out on the view Sandnessjøen, Nesna, Ørnes, Bodø, from Mt Aksla - there are 418 steps to the top. In Stamsund and Svolvær the summer months your Hurtigruten ship sails In the morning we cross the Arctic Circle (66°33’ into the spectacular Geirangerfjord - acclaimed N) between Nesna and Ørnes, marked by a globe by National Geographic and placed on UNESCO’s on a small islet. Passengers sailing in Arctic waters list of World Heritage Sites. En route we pass for the first time are given an Arctic Circle baptism. sheer, 800m high cliffs and impressive waterfalls. When the “Lofoten Wall” appears on the horizon, a In autumn your ship sails into the Hjørundfjord, mountain range of up to 1,000m high, the Lande- situated amidst the majestic Sunnmøre Alps. Its gode, Helligvær and Vestfjord are behind you. Cod seclusion and unspoiled natural landscape, are is caught from January to April and in keeping with what gives this fjord its special character; far from tradition, is dried in the cool sea air and exported the tourist bustle, taking guests past steep rock as stockfish. In the evening we reach Svolvær, 4 5 the main settlement on the Lofoten Islands. The DAY 6 Honningsvåg and the North Cape charms of Lofoten are revealed in the small, pictur- Ports visited today: Øksfjord, Hammerfest, esque fishing villages with their bohemian atmos- Havøysund, Honningsvåg, Kjøllefjord, Mehamn phere. Tucked in between majestic granite cliffs and Berlevåg and white sandy beaches, Lofoten is an experience Following the scenic sailing through Magerøysund that is out of the ordinary. Stroll between stockfish after an early stop in Hammerfest, you arrive in racks and “rorbuer”, the traditional fishermen’s Honningsvåg. This is the gateway Firmanek - Guest image © Tomas houses. to the wonders of the spectacular North Cape, rising from the ocean at 71º 10’ 21” north, putting DAY 5 Tromsø, gateway to the Arctic you a mere 2000 kilometres from the Geographi- Ports visited today: Stokmarknes, Sortland, Risøy- cal North Pole. Standing atop the 307m North havn, Harstad, Finnsnes, Tromsø and Skjervøy Cape plateau gives you a sublime feeling of being During the night the ship navigates the narrow at the end of the world. The area is also known for Raftsund strait. After a stop in Harstad, situated its birdlife, and Gjesværs-tappan, a bird sanctu- on the largest island of Norway, Hinnøya, we ary with up to 250,000 seabirds, including some continue via Finnsnes to Tromsø for a longer stay. high Arctic species that can only be observed Many epic Arctic expeditions used Tromsø as here on the Norwegian mainland. Travelling in the their starting point and the famous explorer Roald heartland of the indigenous Sami people we pass Amundsen sourced both crew and supplies here. their ancient sacrificial site, the rock formation With the presence of the Norwegian Polar Insti- Finnkjerka, as we approach Kjøllefjord. SOUTHBOUND VOYAGE ITINERARY position as Norway’s polar capital of the time. Pre- tute, the city has cemented its position as the polar paring hunting expeditions to Svalbard archipelago capital of Norway. “Ishavskatedralen”, The Arctic DAY 7 Kirkenes, the turning point DAY 7 Kirkenes, the voyage south begins in the high Arctic was an important undertaking. Cathedral, is the most famous landmark with its Ports visited today: Båtsfjord, Vardø, Ports visited today: Kirkenes, Vardø, progressive design and extraordinary stained glass Vadsø and Kirkenes Båtsfjord and Berlevåg In Hammerfest the Meridian Column, erected in window. The northernmost university and the large When you arrive in Kirkenes, at longitude 30º east, From 1 October 1908 the previous 1854, commemorates the first precise measure- number of visitors have created a vibrant cultural you are actually further east than Istanbul and St. Hurtigruten line was extended from Vadsø to ment of the globe, an achievement so important scene; numerous restaurants and cafes are always Petersburg. The Russian border and the Kola Pen- Kirkenes. Around 1900 Kirkenes was just a small that it has become a UNESCO World Heritage teeming with life. insula are close by and you may find it intriguing settlement with a church. For the 3500 inhabit- Site. that the road signs are written in both Norwegian ants the main industries are fishing and service. and Russian. It is here that Hurtigruten ships turn More recently, jobs have been made available at As part of spring programme, the Hurtigruten south again. Spending time in Kirkenes gives you the recommissioned iron ore mine. As you turn ships on the southbound voyage will explore the an opportunity to take part in some of the adven- south the northbound ports previously visited Lyngenfjord between Skjervøy and Tromsø.The turous activities offered in this Arctic environment. by night are now visited by day. In the afternoon beautiful Lyngenfjord, located east of the Lyngen the ship docks in Vardø, Norway’s easternmost Alps where nature is sure to take centre stage: the port. We continue along the Varanger peninsula to impressive highlights include sweeping views of Båtsfjord before reaching Berlevåg in the evening. the “Kvænangtindan” mountain range, the passage through the narrow Maursund and Rotsund, and DAY 8 Hammerfest and Tromsø the panoramic view of the Lyngen Alps – on a clear Ports visited today: Mehamn, Kjøllefjord, day even the glaciers high up in Lyngen Alps can Honningsvåg, Havøysund, Hammerfest, Øksfjord, be seen. © Joachim Probst - Guest image Probst © Joachim Skjervøy and Tromsø Having breakfast at the North Cape, as part of In Tromsø around midnight you may be able to the early morning optional excursion, is one of the enjoy a very special musical experience; the Arctic highlights of the day (summer excursion).