Hurtigruten

Norwegians are proud of many things in their land, including their coastal ferry system, Hurtigruten, pronounced hur-tee-root-a.  “Hurtigruten” means “the fast route” because when it started in 1893, it was.  It still is a lifeline for many isolated coastal cities, connecting them to goods, mail, and people.  It didn’t take long before “tourists” were added to that list, as it is rightly advertised as “The World’s Most Beautiful Voyage.” 

Each evening, one of the twelve Hurtigruten ships leaves Bergen, heading north to Kirkenes, the last stop on the line, right next to Russia.  The journey takes nearly six days. Many passengers stow their car below, then take it off in Kirkenes, 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and drive back down through Norway, for a more thorough experience of the landscape and people.  Others opt to stay onboard another six days for the return voyage south.

Many Norwegians can only dream of taking such a trip because it’s rather expensive, so a few years ago, NRK2, a Norwegian television station, did a live broadcast from one of the Hurtigruten boats – 24 hours a day - port to port to port.  All Norwegians got to virtually experience this epic journey, through their television screen.  Lucky me, my husband insisted we experience this journey first hand for our twentieth wedding anniversary, even though the first time I went on a cruise, I jumped ship on day two because it just wasn’t my thing.  Truly, he loves me.

Because tourists are such a large part of their customer base, Hurtigruten tries to cater a little to them, but they make sure everyone understands they are, thankfully, not a cruise ship.  When the ferry docks in some of the larger cities, the layovers allow time for short excursions like sightseeing, Artic fishing, eating in a Viking longhouse, dog sledding, bird watching or visiting the North Cape, the farthest point north on the continent.  

By staying on board for the return voyage, everyone is assured of seeing each and every port along the entire coastline, because Hurtigruten stops in the night on the way south, where they stopped during the day, on the way north.  So unless there is rain or low clouds, it’s possible to not miss a thing, especially in the summer when the sun never sets.

Cruise ships have to travel further off the coastline, but Hurtigruten takes the inside passage so it’s always sandwiched between the mainland and the outer islands.  It’s smooth sailing and breathtaking vistas the entire trip.  The food is five star and the cabins quite comfortable.  It’s a wonderful experience for those, like my husband, who love to do nothing more than sit with a cup of coffee and watch the world pass by.  I’m not that type, however, but I wasn’t too disappointed.  It may be called “The fast route” but for my idea of a good time, it wasn’t fast enough.