Springtime Norwegian Fjords

The home of the Three Graces, the Beatles and countless art galleries and museums to rival London, the northern maritime city is a cultural and historic destination. Once one of the world’s greatest trading hubs, Liverpool is today one of the most visited cities in the United Kingdom due to its wealth of attractions.

Arrival time: Early AM; Departure time: Late Night

Olden is increasingly becoming a customary stop on a Norwegian fjords cruise. Often referred to as the gateway to Norway’s glaciers, Olden – located at the mouth of the Oldeelva river on the southern end of the 106km Nordfjorden – boasts its own spectacular surrounding landscape, dotted with valleys, waterfalls and mountains.

Arrival time: Late AM; Departure time: Early PM

People have been trekking through Hellesylt since the end of the last ice age, but tourists began staying overnight only in 1875, when the village's first hotel was built. Hellesylt was the inspiration for Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's long play in verse, Brand (1865). Despite more than 200,000 tourists and 100 cruise ships visiting annually, there's not much to see here besides the waterfall in the village center, oddly wedged between two bridges. A handful of tourists visit for the mountain walks, climbing, boating, and fishing in the region. But by far, most cruise-ship passengers use Hellesylt as the point of embarkation for a highway journey to Geiranger (while others remain onboard the ship to cruise into the fjord).

The coastal town of Ålesund is the commercial capital of the Møre og Romsdal district. But more important, it is noted for its characteristic Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) buildings, which some claim make Ålesund one of the most beautiful towns in Norway. This Art Nouveau style emerged when the town was completely rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1904 destroyed nearly 800 buildings and left 10,000 residents homeless. It is said that the fire started by a tipped oil lamp. Rebuilding was carried out with the help of many young, foreign architects who added their own flourishes to the architectural blend of German Jugendstil and Viking roots. Today, narrow streets are crammed with buildings topped with turrets, spires and gables that bear decorations of dragonheads and curlicues. As one of the few remaining Art Nouveau towns in the world, in 1998 Ålesund was awarded the coveted Houens National Memorial Prize for the preservation of its unique architecture.

Th alpine town turned cruise port is nestled where the Romsdal Alps meet the northern end of the Unesco-listed Romsdalfjord. Situated at the mouth of the river Rauma, which flows through the Romsdalen valley, Åndalsnes is famed for its spectacular scenery, with its forest walks and hilly terrain making it a magnet for hikers. Often referred to as the mountaineering capital of Norway, Åndalsnes is nearby to Trollveggen (the Troll Wall), the tallest vertical rock face in Europe.

Arrival time: Late PM; Departure time: Late PM

The home of the Three Graces, the Beatles and countless art galleries and museums to rival London, the northern maritime city is a cultural and historic destination. Once one of the world’s greatest trading hubs, Liverpool is today one of the most visited cities in the United Kingdom due to its wealth of attractions.