See the Natural Wonders of Norway's Coast
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Author: Aramco ExPats
Released 12 February 2008
Ålesund Harbor
The natural wonders of Norway’s 12,000 mile coastline provide breathtaking views for all visitors to “The Land of the Midnight Sun.” Voyagers on the Aramco ExPat Travel Club’s Norwegian Splendor Tour will enjoy this scenery as we spend five days aboard a first-class passenger vessel during our journey from the lovely Bergen to the Arctic Circle at the top of the world.
Norway is best known for its unique, physical topography created by prehistoric glaciers. The glaciers cut into the land to make long, narrow valleys with steep sides. The valleys were that were flooded at the end of the Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, making hundreds of fjords along the coast. The result is provides a spectacular backdrop to our Coastal Voyage.
On our journey along the western coast, we’ll make stops at various ports that will help us get a sense of Norway’s rich history and diverse culture. One of our first stops in will be in Ålesund, which boasts one of the largest and most modern fishing harbors in the world. The town might look a little different than some of our other stops in Norway; in 1904, a fire destroyed the majority of their wooden buildings so the town was rebuilt with stone, brick and mortar, reflecting the popular Art Nouveau style in Europe at the time.
Photograph of Nidaros Cathedral in 1857.
We’ll also make a stop at the third-largest city of Norway, Trondheim. It’s also the home to the Nidaros Cathedral, which was established as the Norwegian archdiocese in 1152. The cathedral was said to be built over the burial site of King Olav Haraldsson, who was declared a saint in 1031, making Nidaros Cathedral a popular pilgrimage site in Northern Europe. Following the Protestant Reformation, Nidaros Cathedral became the seat for Lutheran bishops. Enthusiasts of religious lore, Romanesque and gothic architecture, and organ and choral music might enjoy making a pilgrimage of their own to this historic site.
As we continue our journey north, we will enter "The Land of the Midnight Sun" in the Arctic Circle, so-called because the sun never sets below the horizon in this part of the world during the summer months. The views outside our cabins are sure to be awe-inspiring as we explore the Lofoten Islands. This archipelago has the unique status as the “one of the world’s largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.” Its unusually mild winters are a result of the effects of the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Drift.
Reindeer are an important part of Sami culture.
We’ll spend an afternoon in Tromso, the largest city in North Norway. You might be surprised to find all the accoutrements of a bustling metropolis (museums, nightclubs, theatres and more) in this region surrounded by Arctic waters and frozen mountains, but they don’t call Tromso the “Paris of the North” for nothing.
As our coastal tour nears its end, we’ll visit the North Cape before disembarking our vessel to learn more about the indigenous inhabitants of Northern Europe, the Sami people, and a family will host us for dinner on their reindeer farm. Raising and herding reindeer has been an important part of Sami culture for many years. Today, it is an occupation exclusive to the Sami people in Norway.
If you’re interested in joining us on this exciting voyage, click here to find out more about the Aramco ExPats Travel Club Norwegian Splendor Tour.