Fjords & Mountains of Norway

Facilities in Liverpool are constantly being improved to make boarding, stopping off or leaving your cruise ship easy, enjoyable and stress-free.

Ålesund is Norway’s popular, art-nouveau epic of towers and turrets, ornaments and balconies, steeples and spires. The city’s delightful pedestrianised streets, offer a diverse mix of art galleries, shops and lively cafés, and lead to the 418 steps that climb Mount Aksla. The Fjellstua restaurant and café at the summit is the perfect place to sit and soak up panoramic views of this attractive city, the archipelago, and the Sunnmore Alps. Virtually destroyed by fire in 1904, Ålesund was rebuilt within three years and is regarded widely as one of Europe’s true visual experiences. The port is home to the Jugendstilsenteret – The National Art Nouveau Centre –, which has a well-preserved art nouveau interior and regularly features exhibitions and displays. GATEWAY TO THE FJORDS OF NORTHERN NORWAY Ålesund is the gateway to the iconic northwestern fjords and this seaport is the home base for Norway’s largest cod-fishing fleet, which, unsurprisingly, provides the city’s visitors with some superb seafood to try.

Spreading out across flat, lush-green landscapes and creeping up the side of forested hills, the town of Nordfjordeid presents a postcard-perfect view at the very end of Eidsfjorden, an arm of the magnificent Nordfjord.

Small, but steeped in history and local, time-honoured traditions and cultures, Nordfjordeid is as appealing and memorable to explore as it is to see from the decks of your smaller-sized ship, with its delightful old town, pretty parks and gorgeous coastline. The main attraction is Norway’s largest known Viking ship, Myklebustskipet, which is believed to date back to the 800s.

And, thanks to its location in the heart of the fjordland, Nordfjordeid makes for the perfect starting point for discovering some of the region’s greatest, and most famous, natural wonders and attractions; the spectacular Briksdal and Kjenndal glaciers, incredible Loen Skylift and Hornindal Lake are just some of the highlights within reach on excursions and adventure tours.

The sixth longest Norwegian fjord, and one of the most picturesque, beautiful Nordfjord stretches from mainland Norway’s western-most point – overlooking Stadhavet, Sunnmørsalpene and Ålfotbreen – to the magnificent Jostedalsbreen, Europe’s largest inland glacier. A journey along this spectacular waterway aboard one of Fred. Olsen’s smaller-sized cruise ships brings ever-changing, breathtaking scenes into your viewfinder. The ocean entrance to the fjord is relatively flat, with low-lying lands and smooth beaches. As you venture deeper, the landscapes become taller and untamed, where isolated villages appear amongst a panorama of lush valleys, mighty cliffs and soaring alpine mountains.

Sitting at the end of the world’s longest fjord, Skjolden is considered one of the world’s most breath-taking destinations, overlooked by soaring mountains and dramatic cliffs. Beautiful Skjolden is perfectly placed as a gateway to the Jotunheimen Mountains and Jostedalsbreen, mainland Europe’s largest glacier. Skjolden offers a slice of genuine Norwegian hospitality and nature beyond imagination; it is also home of Urnes Stave Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Feigum Waterfalls – the most spectacular in Norway, are equally unmissable. Ludwig Wittgenstein lived and worked in Skjolden in the early 20th century. Considered by some to be the greatest philosopher of his era, Wittgenstein continues to influence western thinking in logic and language, ethics and religion, and he wrote many of his most influential works when he stayed here.

The magnificent Sognefjord is one of the world’s longest fjords and the largest in Norway. Truly one of the world’s most stunning natural wonders, a scenic cruise along this spectacular waterway will showcase the best that mother nature has to offer including incredible scenery, snow-capped mountains and glistening waterfalls.

Bergen was one of the great Hanseatic ports, and this maritime heritage is recalled by the 900-year-old Bryggen Wharf, with its splendid museum. The Bryggen is a delight to explore: its narrow streets climb away from the waterfront, lined by interesting shops, colourful half-timbered houses and cobbled stairways, with alleyways and tiny open spaces that beg to be explored. In summer months every spare corner seems to be filled with pots and containers overflowing with colourful flowers that fill the air with perfume. Bergen is framed by seven magnificent hills, the highest of which can be reached by a funicular railway. From the top there are spectacular views down to the harbourside, where cafés, bars and restaurants welcome visitors from around the world. Bergen was the home of Norway’s most famous composer, Edvard Grieg, and the Troldhaugen is a museum devoted to his life and work, including an exhibition centre, shop and café.

Facilities in Liverpool are constantly being improved to make boarding, stopping off or leaving your cruise ship easy, enjoyable and stress-free.