way to get to know northern Norway.
The Arctic landscape changes as you
travel further north into the Arctic Circle
– beryl-blue glacial fjords become inky
black; emerald green hills emerge as
towering snow-capped granite peaks;
colourful fishing villages make way for
sombre harbour towns.
No matter where your Hurtigruten
voyage takes you on this intricate
coastline, the people of Norway are as
salt-of-the-earth as their beloved Arctic
cod, which remain a proud reminder
of Norway’s seafaring heritage and are
consumed in a myriad of ways – tørrfisk
biltong or ice cream, anyone?
“
IT’S UNLIKELY HE
EVER IMAGINED THAT
THE HURTIGRUTEN SERVICE
WOULD ONE DAY EARN THE
TITLE ‘THE WORLD’S MOST
BEAUTIFUL SEA VOYAGE’
AND EVOLVE INTO A ROUTE
KNOWN AS ‘THE COASTAL
EXPRESS’ AMONGST SAVVY
TRAVELLERS
“
This is true from Hammerfest, the most
northern town in the world, to nearby
Hamnnes, where the locals come out in
their … well, there are only 20 of them,
to welcome the ship with international
flags and even fireworks as it sails into
Lyngen Fjord.
But back to our epic voyage … It’s
almost midnight, but the daylight is going
nowhere, and we take up our Norwegian
flags and wave enthusiastically back at our
new Hamnnes friends, with the Polarys
giving everyone a quick toot-toot for
good measure.
As the heavy clouds meet the
surrounding mountains, still covered in
snow despite it being spring, we continue
to the capital of the north, Tromsø, where
the exquisite acoustics within the Arctic
Cathedral immerse us in the sounds of
alluring Norwegian folksongs and hymns.
32 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
Tromsø, Norway’s charming capital of the north and port of call for the MS Polarys.
WHERE NATURE REMAINS THE
STAR OF THE SHOW
When Captain Richard With set off to
prove that it was possible to operate
an express boat service connecting the
isolated Norwegian north with the rest
of the world in the late 19th century, it’s
unlikely he ever imagined that today the
Hurtigruten service would have earned
the title of “The world’s most beautiful
sea voyage” and evolved into a route
known as “The Coastal Express” amongst
savvy travellers.
It’s a beauty you never tire of or take
for granted. On sunny days, the smooth
waters of the fjords sparkle as the ship
slices quietly through their calm waters.
The snow on the surrounding peaks seems
to have settled into their crevices like icing
sugar on a cake, and the only sound you’ll
hear is the gentle rumble of the ship as it
comes back to life to continue its journey.
But it is the dramatic backdrop of
low-slung clouds over towering mountains
flanking Norway’s fjords and a billowing
wind that will remain forever imprinted on
my memory.