7 reasons to cruise through Norway’s fjords

The dramatic steep-sided cliffs, rocky bays and cool waters of coastal Norway have always been best seen from the water. Whales blow and eagles soar as your boat follows the paths carved by glaciers: this is the Norway you’ve been waiting for. Cruise beside fjords, archipelagos and fishing villages on Havila Coastal Voyages’ modern all-electric fleet and discover a new side to slow travel, one that revels in the slow unfolding of an enthralling landscape. Access to these voyages is through expert UK tour operator Discover the World, the leading expert in voyages to Northern Europe’s wildest reaches. From Norway’s culture-rich second city, Bergen, to the furthest reaches of Arctic Norway, Kirkenes, this is the journey of a lifetime.

Explore the fjords and coastal landscapes of Norway the way they should be explored: quietly with regard to nature in Havila’s modern coastal cruise ships. Designed to offer energy efficient cruising, they are charged using clean hydropower in dock, and able to cruise for four hours with zero emissions, switching to LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) when they need it. It’s not just about how the ship moves, it’s how this form of cruising moves you: there’s no rush as you take in the fjords, appreciating the scenery and the sense of calm as you relax in your cabin with views for days.

Covering 2500 nautical miles from Bergen to Kirkenes, the coastal express was Norway’s first route to connect the country’s coastal communities back in 1893, linking mail, passengers and goods along its rocky, rugged shoreline. Today’s route takes in the same route across 34 ports in a 13-night round trip (including one night in Bergen at the start and the end) as it cruises north from the UNESCO-listed Hanseatic waterfront in mountain-ringed Bergen past the dramatic Geirangerfjord, the mountainous islands of the Lofoten archipelago, the historic city of Trondheim and the aurora-watching hub of Tromsø as it follows a route to mainland Europe’s most northerly point, North Cape, and Kirkenes beyond.

You won’t go hungry: with three onboard dining options, a café, restaurant and fine dining restaurant, Havila’s ships have an eye on sustainable dining. Chefs take inspiration from the coastal towns they pass, sourcing ingredients that reflect your journey. Expect apples and cherries in farmland areas, Lofoten cod, cod roe and tart cloudberries in the polar area, long-legged king crab, reindeer and seaweed in the arctic area, and the iconic flavours of klippfish, herring and halibut in the archipelago region. While on land, there’s a chance to taste Norway’s delicious cakes at local cafés, and to discover its award-winning cheeses.

Just pick your favourite season. Spring sees verdant growth along the fjords, where apple and pear trees are frothy with bright white blossom. Summer, particularly mid-May to the end of July, sees the arrival of the midnight sun in the Arctic regions, where the sun dips into the sea and out again, giving fantastic coastal views all day and all night. The mountains turn rust-coloured in autumn and a cooler air welcomes in the darker nights. From mid-August until mid-April, it’s possible to see the northern lights dancing across the sky. Winter welcomes skies lit by the moon and the stars, snow-dusted peaks and an unrivalled sense of adventure as well as the time of year for Kaamos, also known as the Polar Night, which brings spectacular blue and red hues to the skies.

The north of Norway is home to the Sámi people, the Arctic region’s Indigenous people, also living across northern Sweden, Finland and Russia. After decades of struggle, as the Sámi parliament continues to develop, their culture is being given more prominence than ever before. While more popularly known as nomadic reindeer herders, Norway’s coastal regions are also home to the Sea Sámi, a more settled population who live off the sea and the land. Sámi cultural experiences in the region include storytelling in a lavvu (Sámi tent), reindeer experiences, art exhibitions and music shows, often featuring the traditional joik vocal tradition.

Take binoculars and look out for elk, deer and elusive wolves in the Norwegian forests along the sharp-edged fjords; spy the round black backs of orca chasing balls of herring in northern Norway, primarily between October and January, and look out in the sky at all times of year for the wide wings of white tailed sea eagles, anywhere north of Bodø. Puffins, razorbills and gannets feature in the summer months too. Relaxing in the deck-top jacuzzi while spotting the misty blow of a whale is a moment you’ll never forget: sperm whales can be spotted year-round near Vesterålen (just north of the Lofoten) and you can also see humpbacks, minke whales, pilot whales and dolphins along the rocky shorelines all year long.

Do Norway your way. With decades of first hand knowledge, Discover The World’s Norway experts help you create the Norway trip of your dreams. Start in Oslo with a city break before taking the train to Bergen; add a fjord cruise before the coastal route, or add guided extras as you wish. Havila Voyages also offers a Northern Lights Promise during their 12-day Round Voyage (Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen) between October 1 and March 31, meaning that if you don’t see the Northern Lights during your voyage, they will provide a complimentary 6-7 day trip so you get a second chance to see them.