Taste of Vesteralen

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Just north of the Lofoten Islands and the Arctic Circle, the archipelago of Vesterålen reaches out westwards from mainland Norway and into the Atlantic Ocean. Since our ship was Hurtigruten MS Vesteralen, we had to sign up for this optional excursion.

Harstad - Trondenes Chruch 

Our tour started with a short sightseeing jaunt through the streets of Harstad before traveling by bus to the Trondenes peninsula. The first stop was at Trondenes Church, a white medieval church, one of North Norway's premier cultural heritage sites from the late Middle Ages.


Trondenes Historical Center


Set in historical surroundings on the Trondenes peninsula, just outside Harstad center, is the Trondenes Historical Center.

After visiting the interior of the Trondenes Church we walked along the pathway to the center building. The sun glistened on the water and snow making for some great photo opportunities.

Once inside the building, we visited an exciting exhibition complete with sounds, smells, and original objects from the region throughout history from the Viking and Middle Ages through today.

Hinnøya Island & Crossing Gullesfjord by Ferry

Our bus tour continued across Hinnøya Island, where we viewed beautiful fjords, steep mountains, and large fertile agricultural fields. We continued through the winding roads until coming to the ferry boarding location.

Our bus pulled onto the ferry, we unloaded, and went upstairs to a cafe where we enjoyed a hot drink and some freshly baked cakest.  It took about 30 minutes to cross the Gullesfjord by ferry, and then we drove off to continue our tour.

Sigerfjord to Sortland 

The tour then continued along the Sigerfjord to Sortland. We stopped at a scenic overlook and then proceeded through the region, where we rejoined the ship. This was a very enjoyable excursion.

For those that opt to stay onboard the ship instead of touring, the island groups of Lofoten and Vesterålen offer some of the most stunning scenery you see during the entire coastal cruise. The Lofoten region is renowned for its natural beauty with steep mountains, wild nature, and small, picturesque fishing villages. The daylight sailing route through the Lofoten Islands is a highlight for many of Hurtigruten's guests.

Additional photos can be found on our Norway Shutterfly page

Harstad
Trondenes Church
Trondenes Historical Center
Hinnøya Island
Gullesfjord by Ferry
Sigerfjord to Sortland





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Near Russia Food Experience

Day 7 - Kirkines

The border area of Eastern Finnmark has, with the exception of the Cold War (1945-1989) been a place where Norwegians, Russians, and the indigenous Sami population have traded and interacted. In Day 7's menu, Coastal Kitchen featured the Russian influences with ingredients that are common to both countries.

Reindeer Meat - Finnmark

Reindeer know no borders and traditionally both reindeer and indigenous Sami have crossed the borders between what is today known as Russia, Norway,  and Finland.  The reindeer meat served on the menu was from the traditional Sami territories in Finnmark.  It was complemented with Borscht, pelemini (a form of Russian filled pasta), and celery puree.  Dessert was Pavlova with berries.

Breakfast & Lunch

For some passengers, Kirkines was the conclusion of their voyage.  There was time for everyone to enjoy the usual breakfast buffet prior to arrival.   Directly upon arrival there were buses at the dock for those passengers heading to the airport or city center.   Tour buses were also there for passengers, like us, that were booked on organized excursions.

We spent the morning at the Russian Border and returned to the ship just in time for lunch.  As usual there were several cold and hot choices on the buffet.  After enjoying a cup of soup and a sandwich there was time to relax in the panorama lounge while enjoying the scenery.

Additional photos can be found on our Norway Shutterfly page

Norway's Coastal Kitchen



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Stopping in Vardo

Vardø 

Vardø is the oldest town in northern Norway and the easternmost in the country. 

The Vardø Lighthouse, built in 1896, is erected on the island's peak. The island is now uninhabited and in the steep mountainsides around 40,000 pairs of birds have their nesting place. Hornøya is, because of this, a preserved wildlife reserve. When you turn south, you will see the southern side of the Varanger Fjord behind the Globus-II radar.

In Vardø you can enjoy wind from all directions, waves splashing, snow in large amounts and - in clear weather - truly fantastic northern lights. We stopped here for about an hour before dinner.   It was just enough time to visit the nearby fortress.

Vardøhus Fortress

Vardøhus fortress was built in 1734–38 by 40 soldiers from Bergen. The star-shaped fort was built in eighteenth-century fortification style, with low embankments designed to withstand cannon fire. Inside the fortress installation, there is a collection of historical wooden buildings from the 1700s and early 1800s.

 The fortress was built to guard the border with Russia, although it is not known whether Russian forces ever attacked the installation. However, the fortress guns did open fire on English troops during the mainland blockade in 1808 and targeted German aircraft in June 1940.

Additional photos can be found on our Norway Shutterfly page

Vardo



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Visit Where Norway Meets Russia

Kirkines Norway

The vistas became more dramatic as we approached Kirkenes, the end of the northbound cruise. We arrived early in nearby Vadsø and just after breakfast, we arrived in Kirkenes. At 30° East, Kirkenes is further east than St. Petersburg and Istanbul.

The only town in Norway where East meets West, Kirkenes was the turning point of our Hurtigruten voyage. You can see the Russian influence characterized by street signs in both languages, and you can often hear Russian being spoken.

Andersgrotta 

Our first stop was Andersgrotta, the town’s bomb shelter during World War II. Here, we were shown a film about town's civilians and their experiences during the war and walked through the shelter.

Russian Border

From here, we drove to the Norwegian-Russian border at Storskog. Crossing the Pasvik River, we saw the Russian settlement of Boris Gleb. The vegetation here is characterized by the
Siberian taiga. We passed through the Pasvikdalen Valley, which is known to have Norway’s largest population of brown bears.

The border crossing at Storskog defines the limits of the Schengen area and  is one of the most guarded borders in Europe. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to cross the border, but were allowed to take photos. Back in Kirkenes we made a stop at the Prestfjellet Mountain, which overlooks both the town and our waiting Hurtigruten ship.

Additional photos can be found on our Norway Shutterfly page

Kirkines - Andersgrotta
Russian Border




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