Cruise through the Norwegian fjords

Fjord cruise

Make a Norwegian fjord cruise It is a magnificent alternative if you want to enjoy wonderful landscapes of glaciers, snowy mountains and impossible waterfalls. But also if you want to experience the vision of Aurora borealis or of midnight Sun.

Few trips are as impressive as sailing through the silent fjords in the middle of an impressive nature. In fact, it is one of the favorites for cruise passengers, who either have already done it or have it planned. To encourage you to experience a cruise through the Norwegian fjords, we are going to show you everything you need to know about this type of trip.

How long is a cruise of this class?

Cruise in Bergen

A cruise ship in Bergen, called the gateway to the Norwegian fjords

Normally the trip lasts between seven and eight days. It is the minimum time to get to know these wonders of nature well. However, there are cruises five days. And, conversely, there is the possibility of chain two itineraries uniting fourteen days of travel.

Also, there are cruises that include other nordic ports, in addition to the Norwegians. For example, Copenhagen o Stockholm. These will allow you to know other beautiful capitals. But our advice is that at least one sixty percent scales are in Norwegian ports.

We also recommend that they include Oslo, the capital of the country. Almost all of these cruises do it, but you better make sure. It is a beautiful city that, as we will see, offers you a lot to visit.

What are the best dates for a Norwegian fjord cruise?

Naeroyfjord

View of the fjord from Naeroyfjord

The perfect time for you to take one of these cruises is the one that goes from May to September. The high season is made up of the months of June, July and August, when the temperatures are warmer and the days are longer. That's when you can enjoy the most impressive Norwegian nature. In addition, the midnight sun is appreciated in its splendor the June 21.

Also the months of may and september These are good dates for your cruise through the Norwegian fjords. The temperatures are equally pleasant, although you should not trust yourself. The weather in those areas is also unstable, so it can cool down in a matter of minutes. In addition, in these months the low season takes place, so prices are cheaper. However, don't expect big deals. A cruise through the Norwegian fjords is expensive.

Once we have explained to you when to take a cruise of this type and how long it should last, the time has come to focus on what this wonderful experience offers you. Namely, which fjords and stopovers cannot be missing on your cruise.

Essential fjords on your cruise

Sognefjord

Sognefjord, called the king of the fjords

The marvelous natural accident of the fjord is nothing more than a coastal valley carved out by a glacier into which the sea has entered creating a kind of lake. The result is, precisely, a kind of lagoon surrounded by spectacular cliffs. Some of them reach great depth, which allows the navigation of cruise ships.

There are over a thousand fjords off the southwest coast of Norway, on the shores of the North Sea. Specifically, they are divided into four areas. The first of these is Rogaland and includes the call Pulpit Rock or Preikestolen, considered one of the most spectacular viewpoints in the world. The second is that of Hordalandwhere is the city of Bergensurrounded by calls seven mountains, which we will talk about later. For its part, the third area is Sogn og Fjordane and the fourth that of Møre and Romsdal, with impressive mountains and waterfalls.

But more important is that we talk to you about the main fjords that you have to see. Their king is sognefjord, which is in the third zone of those mentioned. And we give it this title because it is the largest in Norway and the second in the world after that of Scoresby in Greenland. It extends no less than 204 kilometers into the interior of the Scandinavian peninsula, towards the city of The shield, already in the Jotunheimen National Park. This impressive fjord has cliffs that are over a thousand meters high and its arm of the sea has an average width of almost five kilometres. As for the depth of the waters, it reaches 1308 meters in the innermost part.

No less impressive is the fjord of Naeroyfjord, which is located to one side of the previous one. But it is much smaller than this, measuring about seventeen kilometers in length. However, it also offers you wonderful landscapes. Along with this, it has been declared Heritage the fjord of Geiranger, which is famous for its waterfalls. Between these, those of the seven sisters, located opposite each other on each side of the fjord, and the one of the Veil, impressive when illuminated by the sun.

Finally, it is essential that your cruise through the Norwegian fjords includes storfjord, which is located in the region of sunmore. With its one hundred and ten kilometers in length, it is the fifth in Norway and is characterized by its islands and its sloping shores.

Main cities on a cruise through the Norwegian fjords

Cruise in Oslo

A cruise ship in Oslo, in front of Akershus Castle

But a cruise through the Norwegian fjords not only allows you to enjoy wonderful and unique landscapes. It also gives you the opportunity to meet beautiful cities and towns, many typical of the country's coast. We are going to show you some of those that cannot be missing on your trip. Among them is Oslo, where many of these cruises depart from, but also Bergen o Alesund.

Oslo, departure point for cruises

Storting Palace

Storting building in Oslo

The beautiful capital of Norway was founded in the XNUMXth century by King Harold Hardrade, although it was not capital until the XIV. For centuries it was called Christiania and its great symbol is the Akershus Fortress Castle. Built some seven hundred years ago, it was renovated in the XNUMXth century following Renaissance canons. Currently, it functions as a mausoleum for the kings of Norway and also houses two museums: that of the Resistance and that of the Armed Forces.

No less beautiful is the Royal Palace, built in the XNUMXth century with classic lines. Inside, the Bird Room stands out, so called because it has paintings of birds on its walls. To the same period belongs the Storting building, which houses the Norwegian parliament and has a large semicircle at the front.

Regarding the religious heritage, it is worth highlighting the Cathedrals of the Savior and Saint Olaf, the first baroque and the second neo-Gothic. For her part, the Romanesque church of Gamle Aker It is the oldest building in the city, as it was built in the XNUMXth century, and that of the trinity, equally neo-Gothic from the XNUMXth century, is the largest in Oslo.

As for museums, it stands out that of the Norwegian people, with one hundred and fifty traditional houses and the goal stave church, which dates back to the year 1200. But perhaps the Viking Ship Museum y the Kon-Tiki, which houses the famous adventurer's raft Thor Heyerdahl. However, two art galleries are more valuable: the Munch Museum and National Gallery.

Bergen, gateway to the Norwegian fjords

Bergenhus fortress

the bergenhus fortress

Capital of the province of Hordaland, is a mandatory stop on any cruise through the Norwegian fjords. In it you have to visit the Bryggen or the old town, with its typical XNUMXth century wooden houses that imitate the medieval ones destroyed by fire. However, the oldest building in the town is the Romanesque church of Santa Maria, which dates from the XII.

It is also medieval Saint Olaf's cathedral, although it was extensively reformed in the XNUMXth century. But another of the symbols of the city is the imposing bergenhus fortress, some of whose buildings date back to the XNUMXth century. On the other hand, in neighborhoods like nygardshoyden you can see neoclassical houses of the XIX and others of style art decó.

However, the most picturesque thing about Bergen is its open-air market, which is held in the port. And also the funicular that goes up Mount Floyen, at the time one of the famous seven mountains that surround the city. At its top there is a viewpoint that offers you wonderful views of the Norwegian coast.

Alesund, jewel of the art nouveau

Alesund

View of the port of Alesund

This town is also considered an access point to the fjord of Geiranger. We could define it as the city of art nouveau. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, it suffered a devastating fire that left it in ruins. When rebuilding it, that architectural style was followed in most of its buildings. Therefore, Alesund is a monument as a whole.

However, the town also has wooden houses that were saved from the fire. However, its great symbol is the viewpoint of mount alaska, which you can climb through more than four hundred steps, but also by car. The views of the city, sitting on seven islands, are spectacular.

Geiranger

Geiranger

Geiranger with its impressive natural environment

Continuing towards the fjord of Geiranger you will find the town of the same name, listed as Heritage. Also, she was considered best tourist destination in scandinavia by the prestigious guide Lonely Planet. It is a traditional Norwegian village with its wooden houses and its small church. However, its surroundings are wonderful, with places like the mount dalsnibba. It is no coincidence that it has five hotels or that, every year, it receives more than one hundred and fifty cruise ships.

In conclusion, we have shown you everything you need to know to make a Norwegian fjord cruise. We just want to remind you that you also have impressive natural wonders of this type in other countries such as Iceland, Scotland and even New Zealand y Canada. Dare to know these unique places.


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