14-NT North Cape & Norwegian Fjords

Explore regal pomp and ceremony, Norwegian style. The wooden "Stiftsgarden" is the city's official royal residence and under Nidaros Cathedral's gleaming spire, monarchs are still crowned to this day. You can also ride the quaint sightseeing streetcar and or make interesting visits to open-air folk museums, a working ski jump and the Lokken Copper Mines.

A vibrant and pretty little town of 5,000 located on a narrow peninsula surrounded by islands and sea. You are now at the halfway mark along Norway’s long coastline. Brønnøysund is near the famous mountain with a hole in the middle - Torghatten. Brønnøysund is also the gateway to Vega Island – a UNESCO World Heritage site, which was granted UNESCO status because of how the community demonstrates its centuries-old sustainable way of life. Remarkably, the islanders have thrived by practicing the now unique tradition of eider farming and duck down processing.

Svolvær is the largest town in Lofoten with about 4,800 residents, many of whom work as fishermen. There are shops and art galleries to browse along the seafront promenade and rows of rorbuer to admire. You might spot wooden racks called hjell dotted around the shores of the town too. Locally caught cod is dried on these racks and later turned into tørrfisk, or stockfish in English, and prized as a local delicacy. Fishing is clearly an important way of life in Lofoten and the lectures for the day may focus on how cod effectively helped to build Norway into a country.

At Tromso, you’re nearly 250 miles inside the Arctic Circle and one of the best places to see the Northern Lights. Clues to your location are everywhere; the bars are fully stocked with Arctic Beer and the Arctic Cathedral resembles a geometric glacier. Home to over 100 nationalities, the city offers a wealth of eateries serving the best native cuisine in the Arctic. Tromso features the Polaria Arctic Centre, where the exhibits recreate a polar bear den and an Arctic snowstorm. You might experience them for real from the cable cars that climb Mount Storsteinen.

Spend the morning today sailing through Arctic Norway. You’ll notice how the landscape and scenery is different from Bergen and the Helgeland Coast. The climate is usually a bit cooler too. Arriving in the small town of Honningsvåg in the late afternoon, you’ll visit one of the northernmost points in Europe as part of an included excursion. The scenic bus ride from Honningsvåg passes small bays and tiny villages, then crosses a mountain plateau before arriving at spectacular North Cape. At 71°10’21´N, it is just 2,100 kilometres away from the Geographic North Pole.

Today we visit one of the northernmost points in Europe, North Cape and is as far north as we go on this winter expedition cruise. Start the day by taking a scenic bus ride from the town of Honningsvåg. At 71°10’21´N, North Cape is just 2,100 km away from the Geographic North Pole. Stand at the edge of the cliff and gaze out on the sea. Only the Svalbard Archipelago separates you from the North Pole. North Cape feels like the end of the world. It’s also a great place to take stunning photos and there will be enough time to visit the North Cape Hall´s cinema, showing a short film about the North Cape Plateau, and there are several exhibits open to visitors. Back in Honningsvåg, you can opt to stroll about, past charming houses, shops and a church that was the only structure left standing at the end of World War II. This is the ship’s turning point and from here we start our return trip southward. Keep looking skyward!

When you leave this peaceful village on the picturesque Nordfjord, you'll do so with any number of breathtaking visions etched into your memory. The tranquil emerald waters and beautiful quiet valley plays host to giant waterfalls, the milky turquoise sheen of the mineral-rich Lake Lovatn and the green-tinged glow of the Kjenndalen Glacier.

Experience the grandeur of this memorable Norwegian highlight when sailing the world-renowned network of spectacular fjords, which have been created slowly but surely by nature over millions of years. As well as witnessing the striking and varied scenery as you approach port, there are many more ways to enjoy Nordfjord. Perhaps by biking, hiking or skiing, or even by cable car at over 1,000 metres.

Unlock this fascinating "Gateway to the Fjords", Norway's second-largest city, Bergen is home to over 200,000 people. Maritime trade and oil industry are still vital to the city's economy. Visit medieval wooden houses on the waterfront and peek inside the workshops of local painters, weavers and craftsmen where works of art - some better than others - await discovery.

Rotterdam does innovation and imagination like nowhere else. The Nazi bombardment gutted most, but not all, of the old city. As a result, modern glass skyscrapers stand next to 19th and 18th century buildings. So many modern masterpieces demand your camera's attention, none more so than the extraordinary tilted Cube Houses. They are simply inspired!

Dover is a coastal town in England’s southeastern county of Kent. Situated on the English Channel at the mouth of a valley in the chalk uplands that form the famous white cliffs, Dover is the closest English port to the European mainland. No trip here is complete without walking alongside or atop the iconic white cliffs that have become a symbol for England. Built to repel invasions from across the English Channel, medieval Dover Castle overlooks the town and houses the extensive Secret Wartime Tunnels, and is tipped to be the largest castle in England. There is a rare Roman lighthouse here, one of only three in the world and reputedly the UK’s oldest building.