Narvik - Bergen

Founded in 1903, Narvik is a relatively new city but still offers a fascinating history. Located north of the Arctic Circle, the city's harbour is surprisingly ice-free, however, there are still a number of stunning Arctic sights to see, including the Narvikfjellet Mountain. Although over 400km north of the Arctic Circle, Narvik’s harbour is ice-free and in use all year as a port for iron ore exports. Although inhabited since prehistoric times, the town was not established until 1903 when the Ofoten Railway wascompleted. The line is a tourist attraction in itself, running 42km through magnificent scenery to the Swedish border. A cable car ride from the centre of town to the viewpoint on the Narvikfjellet Mountain gives fabulous views over the Ofotfjord and surrounding area. Close to the town centre is the Ofoten Museum, with displays of local history including 5,000-year-old rock carvings. The Nordland Red Cross War Memorial Museum commemorates the occupation of Narvik in the Second World War. Narvik Church is a fine example of Scandinavian architecture, with a painted altar piece by Eilif Pettersen, while the northernmost animal park, Polar Park, is worth a look.

Founded in 1903, Narvik is a relatively new city but still offers a fascinating history. Located north of the Arctic Circle, the city's harbour is surprisingly ice-free, however, there are still a number of stunning Arctic sights to see, including the Narvikfjellet Mountain. Although over 400km north of the Arctic Circle, Narvik’s harbour is ice-free and in use all year as a port for iron ore exports. Although inhabited since prehistoric times, the town was not established until 1903 when the Ofoten Railway wascompleted. The line is a tourist attraction in itself, running 42km through magnificent scenery to the Swedish border. A cable car ride from the centre of town to the viewpoint on the Narvikfjellet Mountain gives fabulous views over the Ofotfjord and surrounding area. Close to the town centre is the Ofoten Museum, with displays of local history including 5,000-year-old rock carvings. The Nordland Red Cross War Memorial Museum commemorates the occupation of Narvik in the Second World War. Narvik Church is a fine example of Scandinavian architecture, with a painted altar piece by Eilif Pettersen, while the northernmost animal park, Polar Park, is worth a look.

Svolvaer is located in Lofoten on the south coast of Austvagoy, facing the open sea to the south, and with mountains immediately to the north. The most famous mountain, Svolværgeita, was first climbed in 1910. Svolvaer is partly located on smaller islands, such as Svinøya, connected to the main island by way of the Svinoy Bridge. Sheltered by the mountains to the north and west, the Svolvær area has less fog and experiences somewhat higher daytime temperatures in summer than the western part of Lofoten, but the same mountains also create more orographic precipitation on rainy days. Svolvær offers the atmosphere of a harbour, a small town and art simultaneously. This is a bustling trading and communications centre with ferry, sea and air connections.

The fishing life used to be harsh and brutal on Norway’s wind-whipped Lofoten archipelago. Boats would head out from the town of Leknes in search of cod and risk never returning, but today visitors follow a well-paved road that skirts small farms below craggy, snowcapped peaks and twists around bogs and lakes and over precipitous bridges that link one rocky islet after another. In summer, fish hang on wooden drying racks at every turn. With its airport and cruise terminal, Leknes, on Vestvågøya in the middle of the archipelago, is the gateway to a series of sheltered fishing hamlets with traditional houses perched on the rocky seafront. Just minutes down the road at the tip of the island, Skottinden is a 671-meter-high (2,200-foot) sort of mini-Matterhorn—an iconic landmark that sets the tone for countless peaks to come. With their art galleries and cafés, Henningsvær and larger Svolvær are two destinations from which Zodiacs launch to get visitors closer to orcas and sea eagles. Surprisingly for such a rugged realm, even beachcombers will find places to enjoy here: The coastal temperatures are remarkably mild despite the location north of the Arctic Circle.

A coastal city, Brønnøysund’s origin dates back to its 13th century Viking heritage. In the intervening centuries, it has been settled by immigrants from southern Norway and Sweden, and its local Swedish-like dialect still carries echoes of this past. Brønnøysund sits on a narrow peninsula from the mainland, is surrounded by waterways dotted with a maze of small scenic islands. In this fairytale setting, picturesque, colorful houses are set amidst thick lush greenery, turquoise blue water and shallow bays. Towering above the town like a giant troll’s hat is the massive granitic monolith of Torghatten Mountain. Here can be found one of the great natural curiosities of the area, a 520’ (160 m) hole piercing completely through the center of the mountain. The Viking sagas surmised that it was the impact of a warrior horseman’s arrow that created the wound. However, it was actually formed during the last Ice Age by erosion from ice and water.

Visiting Ålesund on an MSC cruise of Northern Europe means plunging into a fairytale atmosphere. After a devastating fire, the town was rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century in art Amazing venue on the sea nouveau style. The streets of Ålesund are filled with turrets, spires and splendid decorations that make it truly unique; if you enjoy this style, you should visit the Jugendstilsenteret, the National Art Nouveau Centre. You can admire the centre of Ålesund from above by climbimg up the 418 steps that lead you to the panoramic heights of Mount Aksla with a view of the islands that surround the town and of the Sunnmøre Alps. In alternative you can reach the Sukkertoppen, the “sugar peak”, by taking a walk that starts from Hessa, just above the port where your MSC cruise ship is anchored. To get a closer look at the traditional architecture you should instead go the island of Godøy, where you can visit Alnes, a picturesque fisherman’s village built very close to the beach where you find local crafts and food sold in the courtyards. Book an excursion to the characteristic lighthouse from where you have a wonderful view of the ocean. You cannot claim to have visited Norway on an MSC cruise if you haven’t visited a fjord, so don’t miss an excursion to Geirangerfjord. Dropping from the tall mountains that surround it are wonderful waterfalls like the Brudesløret (the Bride’s Veil) and the De syv søstrene (Seven Sisters) or the Storseterfossen, behind which you can take a walk. And if you like more challenging paths you could climb up the Ørnevegen (the Eagle’s Path), twisting up from sea level to 620 metres above in just 11 hairpin bends!

Nestled peacefully at the end of one of Norway’s most beautiful waterways, Nordfjordeid is a picturesque, hidden gem. Wander the old centre of town to find white-painted buildings brimming with cafés, restaurants, bakeries and shops, or discover unique architecture at the modern opera house or the 19th century Eid Church – home to spectacular carvings and intricate paintings. At the Sagastad Viking heritage centre you can interact with fascinating exhibits and step aboard the Myklebust, an authentic 100-foot-long replica ship based on the remains of one of the largest Viking ships ever unearthed. Visiting in the summer? Why not relax in the lush Saga Park which has its own beach by the fjord? Despite Nordfjordeid’s sleepy charm, this small village is big on adventure. Connect with the marine environment on a kayaking tour, go fishing for huge monkfish, wolf fish and mackerel, or ride a Fjord horse – one of the world’s oldest pure breeds. The surrounding emerald hillsides transform into towering mountains, and hikes in the immediate area reveal spellbinding views. Who knows, if you head up here you might even encounter the mythical Huldra – a seductive, sometimes dangerous forest creature who takes the form of a beautiful woman with a cow’s tail. If she doesn’t appear to mesmerise you, the spectacular vistas certainly will.

To reach Flåm, your MSC cruise ship will navigate into the Sognefjord, the longest of the hundreds of Norwegian fjords. Extending over 204 kilometres and 1,308 metres deep, it is a record breaking fjord in which your ship will head southward, to reach the southern end of the Aurlandsfjord. At this point of your MSC cruise of Northern Europe you will see Flåm, amidst mountains of dense forest reaching up to the sky. In this challenging and remote setting you can see how even a modern means of locomotion like the train can blend in with Norway's pectacular natural landscape. Take a train ride from Flåm to Kjosfossen: 20 incredible kilometres inside the green coaches up to the station of Myrdal on the Bergen railway line. The landscapes you will admire are truly unique and will make your journey unforgettable. Nature is revealed in its most beautiful and wild landscape, with rock shaped by rivers that form gorges and rifts and waterfalls that plunge down dizzy heights, and, here and there, mountain farms, perched like mountain climbers, where cattle are raised and excellentcheese is produced. And to think that the current to power the train is actually a gift of nature. It is the imposing Kjosfossen waterfalls, that plunge vertically down almost as if to show off to the tourist’s camera, that move the turbines that produce the electric energy for the railway line. Don’t miss the excursion in rubber dinghies or kayaks in the waters surrounding the small port. You will have the opportunity to see the variety of animals and plants that inhabit these shores. Visit the protected areas of the Aurlandfjord and the Nærøyfjord to admire the majestic beauty produced by the activity of the ice and the sea on this land, from a privileged point of view.

Bergen’s maritime tradition is age old and your MSC Cruise of Northern Europe will lay anchor in a setting which exudes history. An excursion on land will give you the opportunity to visit the Hanseatic quarter, where you find the oldest buildings in Bergen, built along the Bryggen docks, one of the most active and lively parts of town. Included by UNESCO amongst the world heritage sites, this quarter has preserved the old buildings of the port, and is, with its narrow alleys and dark, open galleries, one of the best preserved Medieval boroughs of the country. A vacation in Norway with an MSC cruise will give you the opportunity to explore this fascinating land. A visit to the Hanseatic Museum and the Schøtstuene, the merchant navy league assembly will help you get to better know this intriguing town. Håkon Hall in the royal palace built by King Håkon Håkonsson in the mid-14th century and the adjacent Rosenkrantz tower (1270) reflect to this day the power of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages. All this can be admired also from above with a ride on the Fløibanen funicular, that takes you up to the peaks of Mount Fløyen, from which it is worth walking down on foot: after crossing landscapes of rare beauty you will find yourself in the lively bustle of the fish market. You can take a walk amidst the wooden homes built on the side of the hill and along the long smau, the narrow passages typical of Bergen. Take time to visit the original wooden church of Fantoft, built in 1150 but transferred here only in 1882. Along the shores of Lake Lille Lungegårdsvann you find many art galleries and a museum with a collection of paintings by Edward Munch. In Troldhaugen instead, there is the museum-home of the most famous Norwegian composer, Edvard Grieg, who worked and lived here in a small cottage on Lake Nordås.