DESTINATIONS NORWAY | CRUISE
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Find peace and quiet on a Norwegian route that recalls the country’s seafaring heritage, writes Lina Molloholli
p
icture the Norwegian coast of the late 1800s, peppered with remote fishing villages reliant on the ocean yet isolated by it, since travel between north
and south was long and arduous. That changed in 1893, when a new steamship began offering a speedy connection between these small coastal communities, carrying cargo, people and post. Named ‘hurtig ruten’ – meaning ‘the fast route’ – it gave rise to the cruise line we know today. Within a few years, the company was venturing as far as the remote island of Spitsbergen – and more than a century and a quarter later, The Svalbard Line has been relaunched as a flagship route of Hurtigruten’s new Signature collection. Our fam trip group of 11 agents and trade partners were among the first to get a glimpse of the premium voyages on refurbished ship Trollfjord, to see what clients can expect from this revamped route.
FRESH THINKING The Signature voyages spend more time in each port of call and offer a Coastal Experience Team to provide in-depth guiding and destination insights. As we dock in Harstad, a town on Hinnøya – the largest island outside the Svalbard archipelago – the team’s morning lecture sets the scene for the day’s exploring. It also offers up a new Norwegian phrase, which soon becomes my mantra for the trip: ‘frisk som en fisk’ or ‘fresh as a fish’.
We head north of Harstad’s centre to Trondenes Church, a whitewashed medieval chapel with a colourful Catholic altar inside; its simple exterior belies the fact that this is Europe’s northernmost medieval stone church. At the Trondenes Historical Centre, we hear the region’s Viking, medieval and Second World War stories. But it is the neighbouring Trondenes Middelaldergård that really brings its medieval history to life. This living museum is a faithful recreation of a 13th-century farm, complete with a cast of medieval characters including Frøydis, a female servant who hands us fresh leaves to feed the goats. “Feeding animals and growing plants is my full-time job,”
says farmer’s wife Jorunn, as she weaves together thin strands of jute, once used to make rope and other natural materials for the community’s seafarers. “What else would I want in life?” The question plays on my mind long after we set sail from Harstad along this rugged coastline.
TREADING AND TASTING Venturing south of the Arctic Circle, we reach Brønnøysund, where the Signature excursion options range from sightseeing tours to active pursuits such as dog-sledding, kayaking and fishing. We opt for a guided hike around Torghatten, a granite dome with a hole through its centre that is said to have been created by a troll’s arrow in an ill-fated quest for romance – one of many tales of ²
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PICTURE: Hurtigruten/Stian Klo
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