Norway’s Natural Wonders

Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city with a history dating back to Charlemagne. A major port, this vibrant city is home to art and culture, extensive shopping facilities, Baroque buildings and waterfront vistas. With its well-known fish market, art galleries and Museums together with several beautiful parks including a botanical garden, this is a city with something for everyone. British visitors who remember the Swinging Sixties may like to visit the streets around Grosse Freiheit, where an unknown pop group called The Beatles gave their first public performances in various local clubs before achieving worldwide fame.

Nestled between picturesque fjords and steep hillsides, Norway’s second largest city, Bergen, exudes the charm of a lively coastal city. The Hanseatic quarter of Bryggen, with its colourful wooden houses as a reminder of the city’s trading and seafaring history, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and gives Bergen its unique character. A walk along the harbour, where fishing boats moor up in the mornings, leads you to the busy fish market – a place full of aromas where fresh specialities are sold straight off the boats. The city brings visitors under its spell with its harmonious blend of history, liveliness and breathtaking natural scenery.

Surrounded by mountains and sparkling fjords, the waterside city of Bergen has a spectacular setting. There has been a settlement here since medieval times and the colourful waterfront buildings of the Hanseatic wharf, known as Bryggen, are testament to its fascinating history of trade. As Norway’s best known medieval settlement, the Bryggen is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Our comprehensive selection of excursions allows you to discover the many sides of Bergen, such as the fish market and narrow cobbled streets, as well as stunning views of the city from the summit of Mt Fløyen. Alternatively, those who have visited the city previously may like to experience one of the tours that travel further afield. Just 300 yards from the main piers, you will find the Fortress Museum (Fesningsmuseum), which has an interesting collection of objects related to World War II.

Molde, on Romdalsfjord, is also known as the “City of Roses” because of its many rose gardens. A walk through the old town will take you past colourful facades, the cathedral and to the Romsdal museum, which offers interesting insights into the history of the region. At the Varden viewpoint, visitors can enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of the 222 surrounding peaks, most of which are higher than 1,000 m (3,280 ft), making Molde a popular destination for hikers.

Molde, the 'Town of Roses', is a city and municipality in Romsdal in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord. The city is located on the northern shore of the Romsdalsfjord. The city of Molde is the administrative centre of Møre og Romsdal County, administrative center of the municipality of Molde, commercial hub of the Romsdal region and seat of the Diocese of Møre. Molde proper consists of a 6.2-mile (10-kilometre) long and 0.62-1.24 mile (1-2-kilometre) wide strip of urban land running east-west along the north shore of the Moldefjord, an arm of the Romsdalsfjord, on the Romsdal Peninsula. The city is sheltered by Bolsøya and the Molde Archipelago, a chain of low-lying islands and islets, to the south and the wood-clad hills of Moldemarka to the north. The city centre is located just west of the River Moldeelva, which runs into the city from the north, originating in the Lake Moldevatnet and running through the Valley Moldedalen.

Trondheim, with its idyllic location on a peninsula in the Trondheimfjord, combines over 1,000 years of history with modern urban life. In the centre of the city is the Torget market place, surrounded by historic streets and the Art Museum. A particularly impressive landmark of the city is Nidaros Cathedral, one of the largest Gothic buildings in Scandinavia and once the burial site of kings. North of the market place is the Stiftsgarden, a magnificent 18th century wooden palace, which is now used as a royal residence. A walk over the old town bridge, also known as the “Portal of Happiness” due to its decorative red portals, leads visitors into the Bakklandet district with its little cafes and colourful wooden houses.

One of Scandinavia's oldest cities, Trondheim was the first capital of Norway, from AD 997 to 1380. Founded in 997 by Viking king Olav Tryggvason, it was first named Nidaros (still the name of the cathedral), a composite word referring to the city's location at the mouth of the Nidelva River. Today, it's Central Norway's largest (and Norway's third largest) city, with a population of 150,000. The wide streets of the historic city center remain lined with brightly painted wood houses and striking warehouses. But it's no historic relic: it's also the home to NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) and is Norway's technological capital.

Svartisen, the second biggest glacier in Norway, covers a surface area of around 370 km² (143 square miles) in the north-west of the country. The area is a real paradise for nature-lovers and adventure seekers, who come to see the remote icy landscapes of the Arctic in all their glory. The glacier is composed of two parts, the Ostisen and the Vestisen, which are separated by a valley and offer a stunning scene of steep mountain peaks and deep-blue ice fields. A visit to Svartisen is a journey into the silent and sublime beauty of a world of ice.

Majestic mountains, deep-blue fjords, green valleys and idyllic beaches – the Lofoten Islands are a unique scenic location in the north of Norway. The 80 or so islands north of the Arctic Circle stretch for over a hundred miles along the west coast and are a paradise for adventure seekers and hikers. Leknes lies in the heart of the archipelago. Here you can enjoy the view and some regional specialities in the cosy cafes and restaurants or look for hand-made souvenirs in the little shops.

Blessed with some of the most spectacular scenery in Norway (and goodness only know that this is land blessed with rolling hills, soaring peaks, valleys, tranquil fjords and white sandy beaches, so the competition is high!), Leknes is what Norway is meant to be. Pretty red houses lay dotted on the green covered hills, and the midnight sun is rises above the horizon from 26th May to 17th July, (while in winter the sun does not rise from 9th December to 4th January). Part of the stunning Lofoten islands, this pretty port offers much in the way of recreation, although understandably most of this is outdoor based. Take a boat ride around the archipelago, try your hand at some deep sea fishing, or simply stroll thought the city centre, perhaps rent a bicycle and discover the hinterland at your own pace. Bikes can be easily rented and note that hybrid and electric bikes are a great option for those who might be a bit out of practice with their pedal power. Gastronomes with a sweet tooth will be rewarded with one simple pleasure: a fresh-from-the-oven skillingsbolle – or big, fluffy cinnamon rolls, fit for indulging in if all the fresh air has made you hungry! Look out for the quirky coffee shops, settle down for some Norwegian kos, say takk for maten and enjoy!

In the north of Norway on the island of Mageroya lies Honningsvag, the ideal gateway to the legendary North Cape. With a population of around 2,300, Honningsvag is the administrative centre of the Nordkapp municipality and is known for its fishing industry and tourism. The town was rebuilt after the Second World War and is now a mix of tradition and modernity. Around 30 km (19 miles) away, the globe monument at the North Cape is the symbol of the northernmost point of the European continent. Impressive slate cliffs reach far out into the Arctic Ocean, forming a spectacular backdrop especially in late summer, when the sun stays over the horizon for two and a half months. Honningsvag is a meeting point between the raw Nordic climate and the forces of nature.

Searching in 1553 for a northeast passage to India, British navigator Richard Chancellor came upon a crag 307 yards above the Barents Sea. He named the jut of rock North Cape, or Nordkapp. Today Europe's northernmost point is a rite-of-passage journey for nearly all Scandinavians and many others. Most cruise passengers visit Nordkapp from Honningsvåg, a fishing village on Magerøya Island. The journey from Honningsvåg to Nordkapp covers about 35 km (22 miles) across a landscape characterized by rocky tundra and grazing reindeer, which are rounded up each spring by Sami herdsmen in boats. The herdsmen herd the reindeer across a mile-wide channel from their winter home on the mainland. Honningvåg's northerly location makes for long, dark winter nights and perpetually sun-filled summer days. The village serves as the gateway to Arctic exploration and the beautiful Nordkapp Plateau, a destination that calls to all visitors of this region. Most of those who journey to Nordkapp (North Cape), the northernmost tip of Europe, are in it for a taste of this unique, otherworldly, rugged yet delicate landscape. You'll see an incredible treeless tundra, with crumbling mountains and sparse dwarf plants. The subarctic environment is very vulnerable, so don't disturb the plants. Walk only on marked trails and don't remove stones, leave car marks, or make campfires. Because the roads are closed in winter, the only access is from the tiny fishing village of Skarsvåg via Sno-Cat, a thump-and-bump ride that's as unforgettable as the desolate view.

Often called the “Gateway to the Arctic”, Tromso is the largest city in northern Norway. Nestled between fjords and mountains, it is a perfect place to see the Northern Lights, as well as enjoy polar nights and the midnight sun. Tromso’s charming old town is on the island of Tromsoya, which is connected to the mainland by the impressive Tromsobrua bridge. A cable car provides an easy way up the Storsteinen, the local mountain, and from here you can enjoy breathtaking views of the impressive Arctic Cathedral featuring one of Europe’s largest stained glass windows and the surrounding Arctic landscapes.

With its centre located on the island of Tromsø, the municipality of Tromsø is more than five times the size of Norway’s capital, Oslo, and is the world’s northernmost university city. Lying 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle, it is known as the 'Gateway to the Arctic' because it was used as a starting point for hunters looking for Arctic foxes, polar bears and seals. In the 19th century it was a base for explorers on Arctic expeditions – a history that is remembered in the city’s Polar Museum, which you can visit on an excursion. Also commemorated in the area is the history of Norway’s indigenous people, the Sami. Visitors can learn about the traditions, heritage and modern preservation of the Sami culture at the Tromsø Museum. Nowadays, Tromsø is a charming mix of old and new, with wooden buildings sitting alongside contemporary architecture such as the impressive glacier-like Arctic Cathedral, which features one of the largest stained glass windows in Europe. Looking down on the city is Mount Storsteinen, and a cable car runs to the top, giving wonderful views over the surrounding countryside of forested peaks and reindeer pastures.

Kristiansand lies on the estuary of the River Otra in the Skagerrak strait. A particularly charming aspect of the capital of the Norwegian Sorlandet region is the harbour promenade, where cafes and restaurants are the ideal place to enjoy the maritime atmosphere. The sandy headland on which the city was founded in 1641 by King Christian IV, is a great place for an extended stroll, while the nearby city beach and traditional wooden houses in the old town offer relaxation and variety. A walk around the boutiques in the historic city centre will round off your stay in Kristiansand perfectly.

Nicknamed "Sommerbyen" ("Summer City"), Norway's fifth-largest city has 78,000 inhabitants. Norwegians come here for its sun-soaked beaches and beautiful harbor. Kristiansand has also become known internationally for the outdoor Quart Festival, which hosts local and international rock bands every July. According to legend, in 1641 King Christian IV marked the four corners of Kristiansand with his walking stick, and within that framework the grid of wide streets was laid down. The center of town, called the Kvadraturen, still retains the grid, even after numerous fires. In the northeast corner is Posebyen, one of northern Europe's largest collections of low, connected wooden house settlements, and there's a market here every Saturday in summer. Kristiansand's Fisketorvet (fish market) is near the south corner of the town's grid, right on the sea.

Between imposing mountain ranges and deep fjords, Stranda is an enchanting destination in the west of Norway. In winter, the snow-covered mountains attract skiers to their well-groomed pistes, while in summer, hiking paths offer wonderful views over the water as far as the world-famous Geirangerfjord. The fjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a genuine wonder of nature, which fascinates visitors thanks to its steep rocky cliffs and crystal-clear water. In the charming village of Stranda with its traditional wooden facades, cosy cafes are a wonderful place to take a break and enjoy the breathtaking scenery.

Oslo lies between thick forests and the deep-blue Oslofjord – a city that combines innovative architecture, first-class museums and encounters with nature. The fast-growing capital city of Norway is impressive with its modern districts and interesting sights, such as the Barcode Buildings, the opera house, the Astrup Fearnley Museum, the new Munch Museum and the National Museum. Iconic historical sights can be seen at the Akershus Fortress on the Oslofjord. Another highlight of the city is the Holmenkollen, a 371 m (1,218 ft) hill featuring the world-famous ski jump – a mecca for winter sports and a famous Oslo landmark that’s popular with visitors.

Oslo is the capital of Norway and is also its largest city, situated at the head of Oslo Fjord and surrounded by hills and forests. Home to some 50 museums and full of galleries, cafés, a sculpture park and the Royal Palace, this vibrant city with its handsome 19th-century buildings and wide streets has much to offer. Its history dates back 1,000 years, and includes a rich seafaring heritage that ranges from the Viking era to Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon Tiki expedition. Discover more about this exciting city on our varied selection of excursions.

Known for the Kiel Canal and Kiel Week, the city boasts an important maritime history. Kiel is also a great place to sight-see, do some shopping and take part in one of the many festivals taking place there.