Norway Cruise Astronomy Expedition

Continuing north you head for the medieval city of Trondheim, whose colourful history is reflected in its handsome civic architecture. Trondheim holds a special place in Norwegian history. It was the first capital of Norway, and is still the city where new kings receive their ceremonial blessing. Situated by the Trondheim fjord, it is surrounded by lovely forested hills, with the Nidelva River winding through the town. It has been and still is a popular pilgrimage site, an ecclesiastical centre, a regional capital and a centre for commerce and administration. Today Trondheim is a modern city, a centre of knowledge with a highly respected university, many popular colleges and a research community ranking among the best in Europe. You will find a wide variety of cultural and recreational activities in Trondheim. Excursions include the medieval Nidaros Cathedral or a walking tour of Trondheim. (BD)

A relaxing morning on board precedes your arrival in Tromsø, the Capital of Arctic Norway. Here a special visit to the Northern Lights Planetarium is included especially for this tour. Tromsø is a port town which was the starting point for many of the pioneering Arctic expeditions such as the famous explorer Roald Amundsen who sourced both crew and supplies here. (BD)

The scenery and sea life become more dramatic as you approach Kirkenes, just a few kilometres from the Russian border.  Kirkenes lies in the municipality of Sør-Varanger with people speaking Norwegian, Sami, Finnish and Russian. The small mining town has approximately 3,300 inhabitants.  With a longitude of 30 east, you are further east than Istanbul and St. Petersburg. The well-policed Russian border and the Kola Peninsula are both close by so it is common place to see signs printed in both Norwegian and Russian. It is in Kirkenes that you have the opportunity to take part a variety of Arctic excursions such as snowmobiling, dog sledging, aurora viewing or even a king crab safari.  Please note due to timings there will only be enough time to undertake one main excursion to suit your preferences.  The beautiful snow-laden environment gives you the feeling of remoteness and sets the scene for a true Arctic expedition.  You depart in the afternoon and make your way sailing towards the easternmost port of Vardø before cruising along the Varanger peninsula to Båtsfjord, reaching Berlevåg in the evening. (BD)

Passing once again the beautiful Lofoten Islands the ship navigates an itricately formed and narrow  network of inlets and isles. This is one of the most stunning stretches of Norwegian coast which people from all over the world travel to enjoy.  It has been said that this is the most naturally beautiful and idyllic places visited on your entire expedition through Norway. This remarkable day ends with an evening return to, and a farewell to, the islands at Stamsund which is a small village with approximately 1400 inhabitants, and is an important fishing area with some of the larger fishing companies. Stamsund has a rich cultural life with two free theatre groups, Nordland puppet theatre, and many artists and a popular tourist destination. (BD)