This entry is part [part not set] of 8 in the series All Norway from North to South

We are taking a cruise in northern Norway. It will take us along the whole shoreline that lays in the Arctic circle. The trip will go through the beautiful mountain passage called Raftsundet and will make it close to famous Trollfjord.

And here is a small tip straight away. If you take a Hurtigruten cruise in Norway for less than 24 hours ride – it is not necessary to take a cabin. Staying in small coastal towns is cheaper. I will make overnight stops in a couple of such coastal towns: Harstad and Stokmarknes.

Trip from Tromsø to Harstad

When I left Tromsø, the whole city was covered with the fog, I even had to use the navigator to find the huge cruise ship.

At some point of the way, the fog started to disappear, slowly opening up the snowy tops of the fjords. The amazing thing is – all of this has the enormous proportions, houses and trees look so tiny next to nature.

Harstad and Trondenes

I left the cruise ship in the coastal city of Harstad. It is a relatively young city, founded in 1904. But just a few kilometers away from it, there is the municipality of Trondenes, which played an important historical role in the development of the region. Let’s see what’s around and the main sights.

Harstad

A small city, very close to nature, and doesn’t seem to have more things to do then nature. It is ideal for short hikes, it takes about 20-30 minutes to walk to get to the tacks from the city center. Also, in the same area, there is a sky-jumping tower, from there you can see the whole land around the city.

Trondenes

The region worth visiting if you are interested in history. There is the oldest Christian church in Northern Norway and the Trondenes historical museum. They show the role of the region in the Viking ages, including trade with Sami and religion spread. It also tells about the dramatic events happening during the World WarII.

Monument to the Soviet soldiers, that died when were captive by Nazi Germany.

If you happen to be in this ( Trondenes museum and church) area, go a little bit to the north along the lake. We found a nice picnic spot there.

Stokmarknes and Melbu

My next stop is in the port of Stokmarknes, I spend a night in the neighboring village – Melbu.

Along the way, mountains get even higher

Everyone is next to the board with their cameras

Melbu – rural Norway

Melbu, a small village, located on the same island as Stokmarknes. it was a great opportunity for me to capture, what rural Norway is like. The place is surrounded by a magnificent scenery.

Stokmarknes museum

Yes! That is the reason, why I made a stop in Stokmarknes. Since I am traveling along the Norwegian coastline, I wanted to know more about the development of the route.

Now, there are cruise ships, making a stop every day in most of the coastal cities in Northern Norway. But back in 19^th century, making the regular transportation service was a very challenging task. Because of the navigation difficulties during the polar nights, many skeptics thought it was not possible. Those, who want to make it work, had to struggle hard to get investors.

When established, the regular ship service played a huge role in the development of the regions. Later on, the cruise along the Norwegian coastline became one of the main tourist attractions.

The museum ticket includes the entrance to Finnmarken. This is an old ship produced in 1956.

Interesting thing is, that it is not redone into a museum, instead, it is just left “as is”. Being there is like having a walk into the past. You can explore all the cabins of first and second class, places of the crew and common areas.

Tip: Hurtigruten cruise has an agreement with the museum, so you can visit it for free. But, it stops only for one hour.

Trollfjord and Raftsundet passage

Here I got to one of the most interesting parts of the journey!

After leaving Stokmarknes port, the ship gets into a thin and very beautiful passage between the mountains. At the end of the passage, the ship makes a turn to get to the Trollfjord.

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Raftsundet passage

It was hard to find a place next to the board for taking a photo, all people were on the open deck, looking onto fjords, small houses and boats passing by.

Trollfjord

This sidearm is even thinner than the passage, and the huge cruise ship goes very close to the mountains, the distance is about 10-20 meters. The size is enormous.

Svolvær

Next, we made a short, 2 hours stop in Svolvær. In the past it was an important fishing village, now in addition to that, is a hub for tourists.

In the city, there is an ice sculpture museum. Usually, the ice sculptures are not designed to be permanent, but they are in this museum. Some took a week to make. And once in a few months, they are renovated and even more details are added.