The Moscow Chamber Music Academy is doing a three-week tour of Norway, performing at various churches around this beautiful country.

Under the baton of cellist Igor Bobowitsch, the  Academy will perform selected works by master composers such as Bach, Chopin, Haydn, Vivaldi and others. They will be performing just one session in each of the cities.

To enjoy summer chamber music in the intimate setting of one of Norway’s churches, check out the links below:

For all other classical concerts in Europe see Here.

© Norway Travel, 2012. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: chamber concert, chamber music orchestra, moscow chamber music orchestra, music for cello, norway classical music in Categories: News & Events

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A Winter Shot of Bergen Hanseatic Wharf

Bergen is a city best known for its Hanseatic heritage. The Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf is a UNESCO World Heritage site, dating back to the days when Bryggen was a major Hanseatic trading centre. The city of Bergen enjoys a beautiful location – surrounded by mountains and fjords and the waterfront Bergen Fish Market is also very popular with visitors.

We only have one night in Bergen at the end of our Hurtigruten Norwegian cruise, but we manage to see quite a lot of cultural and historical highlights of this city.  Just walking around the Vagen waterfront district we come face to face with many of the attractions that this historic city has to offer.

Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf

Bergen Fish Market at the waterfront is our first stop and this popular tourist attraction is hard to miss.  For seafood lovers, here is the opportunity to indulge in some of Norway’s famous seafood. This market is very popular with locals and tourists alike and it’s common for people to buy seafood and have it on the pier.

Walking along the northern quayside of Vagen harbour, we arrive at Bergen’s famous Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf. Bryggen’s famous wooden structures house many shops and offices, artist’s studios, craft workshops, and restaurants. As we check out the shops along this famous strip, it feels like we are doing some late night shopping, but it is only four in the afternoon.

Bergen Museums

The Bryggen Museum and Hanseatic Museum are along the wharf.  The Bryggen Museum houses extensive medieval finds from nearby excavations and from which we can learn about commerce, handicrafts and daily life in the Middle Ages. At the Hanseatic Museum, are exhibits that tell about the life of a 18th century Hansa merchant.  Bryggen wharf was where the Hansas (a German medieval guild of merchants) opened one of their four European offices in the 13th century. The Hansas dominated trade for the next 400 years, so there’s a lot to be learned about these powerful merchants.The Museum is in one of the the oldest and best preserved wooden buildings in Bergen.

Medieval Bergen

Bergen Harbourfront in Winter

Looking towards the far end of the quay we see Rosenkrantztårnet and Håkonshallen. Haakon’s Hall is the medieval ceremonial hall built by King Håkon Håkonsson for the coronation and wedding of his son in 1261. Bergen was then the political centre of Norway and the Hall was the largest and most imposing building of the royal residency in 13th century Bergen.  Rosenkrantztårnet was a fortified residence built in 1560. As it’s late we didn’t go close to the Bergenhus Festningcastle grounds (Bergenhus Castle) as they are not open.

Other Bergen Attractions

Beyond the castle and sitting on the waterfront is Norges Fiskerimuseum, the Norwegian Fishing Museum. Norway has a long fishing tradition and Norges Fiskerimuseum gives a comprehensive insight into the country’s fishing industry.

Other top sightseeing attractions in Bergen also include the Fløibanen Funicular, the Edvard Grieg Museum at Troldhaugen and Fantoft Stave Church.

Walking along Bergen’s historic harbourside, we got to see a lot during the little time that we have in Bergen.  It is a beautiful city and certainly worth coming back for a longer stay.

Bergen Hotels

Along the harbour-front there are many attractive hotels with views of Bergen’s beautiful harbour and easy access to Bergen’s main attractions. You can search and book Bergen hotels and read hotel reviews here.>

Map of Bergen:

© Norway Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: bergen, bergen attractions, bergen city, bergen fish market, bergen norway, bergen sightseeing, bryggen in Categories: Sightseeing

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Seven Sisters, Helgeland

Fifteen minutes after our ship departed from Sandnessjøen, we see the mountain range referred to as the “Seven Sisters”. In summer, the waterfalls in the Geirangerfjord are the most photographed as no less than seven waterfalls descend into the fjord. The falls are more visible in May-July during the major snow melting period and can be best observed by taking a boat trip to the Geirangerfjord, a world heritage site.

Apart from the sheer beauty of the mountains and the waterfalls, the Seven Sisters tell a tale of trolls and how they were turned to stone.

As the Legend Goes..

The story starts with Vågekallen, who lived in Lofoten and who was spurned by women in the south.  One female by the name of  Lekamøya even called him  simpleton. One evening when Lekamøya had gone to Tjøtta to make unleavened bread, seven beautiful unmarried sisters escaped from their father, the King of Sulitjelma. When Vågekallen saw the seven sisters dancing naked in the fjord, the temptation proved too great for him. He mounted his horse and rode south in pursuit of the seven sisters.

From Tjøtta where she was baking, Lekamøya heard the huge commotion, dropped her rolling pin, peel and pastry board and rushed home to Leka. Hestmannen, who was woken by the noise, shot an arrow south. However, the King of Brønnøy Island (Skarvågsgubben) saw this and threw his hat up to intercept the arrow which landed in the sea.

At this point, all the individuals were turned into stone as they had forgotten the golden rule. According to Norwegian folk tales, trolls are turned to stone if they do not hide before the sun rises.

In Tjøtta today are three stone monuments which are said to represent the rolling pin, peel and pastry board, on Torget Island in Brønnøy municipality, the Torghatten mountain has a hole in the center where the arrow shot through and Lekamøya stands at Leka.

As with all legends, each version is embellished upon by storytellers, but in spite of the different versions, they nevertheless give a colourful folkloric background as to how this mountain range came about.

© Norway Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: about norway, fjord norway, geiranger, geiranger fjord, lofoten norway, norway holiday, norwegian mountains, seven sisters, the seven sisters, trolls in Categories: Sightseeing

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Bergen Flesland Airport

Bergen Flesland Airport has very good airport transportation options for arriving passengers to get to their end destinations.  Travellers at Bergen Flesland Airport can choose any of the following airport transfer options: airport express coaches, local buses, hotel buses, mini-bus services, taxis, rental cars as well as boats.

Airport Express Coach

Transfer from Bergen Flesland Airport to Bergen City Centre

The airport express coach into Bergen city centre is a regular airport service provided by Flybussen. The trip takes approximately 30 minutes. The Airport Express Coach stops just outside the arrival area.

Buses depart every 15 minutes between 06.00 a.m. and 21.00 p.m. on weekdays (Saturdays – every 20 minutes). The earliest departure is at 3:50 a.m. and the latest return follows the flights. For late night arrivals the bus will depart approximately 20 minutes after the plane has landed. All scheduled flights (not chartered flights late at night) are served by Airport Express Coach in Bergen.

The airport bus take two different routes to and from the city centre:

• Departures from the airport via Nesttun depart every half hour.
• Departures from the airport via Oasen/Fyllingsdalen leave at quarter past and quarter to the hour.

On Saturdays all buses go via Nesttun.

Transfer from Bergen City Centre to Bergen Flesland Airport

In Bergen city centre, you can pick up the Airport Express Coach from the following hotels:  Radisson Blu Royal Hotel at Bryggen (the airport bus stops next to the hotel) and the Olav Kyrres gate near near the Radisson Blu Hotel Norge.

Ticket prices

• Adult NOK 100 (one-way) or NOK 160 (return)
• Children NOK 50 (one-way) or NOK 80 (return)

1 adult can bring two children (0-16 years) free.

Service schedule and prices change over time so visit www.flybussen.no for the latest detailed information.

Scheduled Local Buses

• Bus 45 – Flesland airport – Loddefjord – Sotra/Askøy
• Bus 523 – Flesland airport – Bergen centre/Festplassen via Søreide.

For schedules, visit www.Tide.no

Bus schedule telephone for Hordaland: 177

Taxis

The airport taxi stand is just opposite the main entrance. The trip to the city centre takes approx 20 – 30 minutes and costs about NOK 250 – 350, depending on traffic. There are three taxi companies and as a customer, you can choose which company you wish to use.

• Bergen Taxi, phone no. 07000
• NorgesTaxi, phone no. 08000
• Taxi1, phone no. 555 000 37

NorgesTaxi Bergen AS has a fixed price between the centre of Bergen and Flesland Airport. The price is NOK 330 during daytime, NOK 345 during the evening/night and NOK 395 on public holidays (one way).
This applies to up to four passengers.

Taxi1’s cabs always have two child’s seat in their cars and always start at NOK 0. You’re allowed to pick a Taxi1 cab, no matter where it is in the line!

Bergen Mini-bus Service

If you’re travelling in a group, you may wish to consider a Bergen Mini-bus service. In addition to being the regular fast boat bus for HSD – See Boat from Flesland – the company also carries out other transport assignments.

Visit Bergen Mini-bus Service at www.bergen-minibuss.no or call +47 55 99 86

Car

If driving, follow trunk road 580/ E39 towards Flesland from Bergen centre. The trip usually takes approximately 30 minutes. Remember to allow extra time during rush hour.

Boat

At the Flesland quay there are fast boats to Austevoll and Sunnhordaland and to Stord – Haugesund and Stavanger.

Bergen Hotels

Bergen has a good range of hotels in the main square and along the harbour front.  You can search and book your Bergen Hotels and read hotel reviews here.

© Norway Travel, 2010. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: bergen airport, bergen airport transfer service, bergen flesland airport, bergen norway in Categories: Getting around

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Petter Dass Statue, Sandnessjøen

In Sandnessjøen town centre is the portly statue of Petter Dass, a poet and a priest who played a key role in Norway’s cultural history. Petter Dass lived and worked in the borough of  Alstahaug for 18 years and is one of the prominent figures who brought fame to the region.

Considered one of the most important poets of his time, Petter Dass’ famous works include the “Trumpet of the North” and the hymn “Mighty God to Thy Dear Name be Given Highest Praise”.

Petter Dass Museum

The Petter Dass Museum was established in 1966 and consists of several buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. In addition, a new state-of-the-art section was opened in October 2007. The exhibitions in the museum give an insight into the poet-priest Petter Dass who lived and worked in Alstahaug from 1689 until his death in 1707. The museum also captures his many contributions to Norway’s cultural history through his distinctive writing which reflects North Norway’s natural and human environment.

The Petter Dass Museum grounds consist of a main building, a storehouse, a cookhouse/scullery, a well house and a chapel.  Down by the sea is a quayside warehouse where boats and tackle help illustrate elements of coastal culture.

Alstahaug Church was Petter Dass’ main church and place of work. The oldest part of this Roman style medieval church was built around 1200 AD.

On Hurtigruten cruises that stop at Sandnessjøen, you have the opportunity to join an excursion to the Petter Dass Museum and be taken on a guided tour. Alstahaug is about 20 km south of Sandnessjøen, just off Route RV17, the Coastal Highway (Kystriksveien).

© Norway Travel, 2009. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: alstahaug, alstahaug komune, helgeland, lofoten, norway travel, petter dass, petter dass museum, poet, sandnessjøen, trumpet of the north in Categories: Sightseeing

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Kicksledding in Kirkenes, Norway..

Sometimes it can be nice to be taken for a ride, especially when it’s your cruise director taking you on a ride on a kicksled.

On the way to the Kirkenes Snow Hotel, we saw a few locals kicksledding their way on the road. It seems like a very nice way to travel, and burn calories at the same time.

I’ve never been on one of these sleds before and when Eskild suggested that I take a seat while he pushes me, I had visions of myself propelling forward and landing flat on my face. But with a little assurance from him, I sit tight and we take off.

Sledding is common in Scandinavia

Kicksleds are commonly used in Scandinavian countries like Finland, Norway and Sweden and can serve as a substitute for bicycles in winter. Kicksled racing is a major championship event in Scandinavian countries.

The traditional sled consists of a chair mounted on a pair of flexible metal runners and looks like a chair on a pair of skis, however these days there are more sophisticated versions that are used in racing.

The kicksled is driven forward by the driver standing on one runner and kicking backwards on the ground with the other foot, hence the name kicksled. The flexibility of the runners allows the driver to steer the sled by twisting the handlebars. A kicksled performs best on hard, slippery surfaces like ice or hard packed snow.

Eskild pushes the sled and then hops on the runners and begins to ride us around the Snow Hotel. I’m relaxed sitting in the chair, but I’m sure his heart must have been pumping as he kicks the sled along.

The kicksled can be used for dog sledding as well and on the Huritigruten Norwegian cruises you can go on dog sledding excursions.

© Norway Travel, 2009. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: dog sledding, kick bikes, kick scooters, kicksled, kickspark, potkulkelkka, runner sleds, sledding, sleds, winter sleds, wooden sleds in Categories: Sightseeing

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Bergen Fish Market..

This place is a seafood lover’s delight and when the market is in full operation there is an abundance of market stalls selling all kinds of seafood that Norway is famous for.

The Bergen Fish Market is a popular place for visitors and locals to buy snacks to have on the harbour front and whether you’re after oysters, lobsters, crabs, prawns or the many varieties of smoked and preserved seafood, they’re all available here. Apart from seafood, there are stalls selling fruit, vegetables, handicraft and souvenirs as well.

We arrive at the fish market late on a Saturday afternoon and most of the stalls have shut. In the peak summer months of June, July and August, the Bergen Fish Market is open from 07:00 to 19:00 whereas for the rest of the year it opens from 07:00 to 16:00.

We are lucky that fish stalls are still operating this late in the afternoon and there are plenty of smoked fish, jars of all kinds of pickled seafood and packets of frozen seafood as well. Even with only a small portion of the fish market open, you can see that seafood is plentiful here and the produce is really fresh.

I admire the delicious-looking smoked fish steaks and the stall holder hands me some to try. They are delicious and not expensive at all.  If we could take food home, I’d certainly be buying supplies from here.

Situated in the very heart of Bergen, the Bergen Fish Market is definitively worth a visit.

© Norway Travel, 2009. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: bergen, bergen center, bergen fish market, bergen map, bergen travel, city bergen, fresh seafood, i bergen, sightseeing attractions, torget i bergen in Categories: Sightseeing

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The King Crab Hunter, Norway..

However, due to the small number of passengers on our Christmas cruise, this excursion was not offered – we didn’t go hunting for king crabs, but instead the king crabs were brought to us.

Late one evening (after Honningsvåg) we were invited to come out to the side of the ship to watch crabs being caught on one of the small islands where there’s a colony of giant crabs.

King Crab Fishing

The ship’s search light shone on the island, but we were a little too far away to see anything.

We saw the “crab hunter” came back to the ship in a motorized rubber dinghy to deliver the freshly caught crabs to the ship. In the darkness it was hard to see him deliver the catch but the guy did make it to the ship with his cargo.

These incredible crustaceans can span up to two metres and weigh up to 15 kilos. We had king crabs for dinner the next evening and the two following evenings as there were plenty to go around.  The crabs were boiled, nicely cut up and the shells smashed so you don’t have to do too much work on them.  So, not having a king crab  adventure worked out well for us.

© Norway Travel, 2009. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: boil king crab, cook king crab, crab cakes, crab fishing, cruise food, hurtigruten, king crab fishing, king crab legs, king crabs, norway food, norwegian cruise, travel norway, visit norway in Categories: Sightseeing

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Day 13: Ålesund – Torvik – Måloy – Florø – Bergen.The final day on board. Past Ålesund , Torvik, Måloy and Florø the ship patiently weaves its way through the skerries of the West Coast and by lunch, glides towards Bergen, the city of Medieval Hanseatic merchants and Edvard Grieg. Please check-out before 10.00 a.m. Your NORWEGIAN COASTAL VOYAGE ends on arrival at the Hurtigruten terminal in Bergen at 2.30 p.m. (B, L)

Hurtigruten Terminal in Bergen.. 00:45 – The ship leaves Ålesund and up till 08:15 it has made very brief stops at Torvik, Måloy and Florø. I think we’ve made up all the lost time in Trondheim as we will be arriving in Bergen at 14:30 as scheduled.10:45  – The ship sails through the narrow and beautiful strait of Steinsundet. 11:00 – Guests are asked to vacate their cabins at this time so that the cleaners can prepare the ship for the next journey.  Bags are left outside the cabins for the porters to take away. From now till arrival at Bergen, we spend time in the viewing deck which is quite full of people. 14:30 – We arrive in Bergen and make our way to the Hurtigruten terminal and wait for our bags to arrive.  Time to say goodbye to fellow passengers and to thank Eskild our Cruise Director who is there to the last moment making sure that everyone is on their right coach.  The blue Turistbuss Bergen coaches take passengers to the airport or to your hotel in the city. Passengers who are going into the Bergen city centre are dropped off at the Radisson SAS Hotel right in the town square.  This is where the coach picks you up as well if you’ve bought transfers to the airport for the next day.  Had we known this, we would have booked our night in Bergen at this hotel.  Instead, we are at the Thon Hotel Bergen, which is diametrically opposite from the Radisson and on the higher slope of the large square.  Getting three suitcases and Barbara up there required a bit of effort. Conclusion Hurtigruten's Richard With.. So is this the “World’s Most Beautiful Voyage”?  Not having been on many similar coastal voyages, we can’t really say if it is the World’s Most Beautiful, but it certainly is Very Beautiful.Considering that we are not the ‘cruising-type’ and we generally don’t like the cold weather, this winter Norwegian coastal voyage has made a huge impression on us that we would consider going on another trip like this. Even the disappointment of not seeing a spectacular Northern Lights show didn’t spoil our enjoyment of the trip. Norway’s coastal scenery is stunning, the fjords and the intricate fjord routes are amazing and the Hurtigruten crew worked very hard to make the voyage enjoyable for passengers.  Special thanks to Eskild our cruise director.

Previous Day: Day 12

Norwegian Coastal Voyage: Itinerary

© Norway Travel, 2009. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: airport transfer, alesund, bergen, bergen flesland airport, cruises, fjords norway, florø, hurtigruten, hurtigruten terminal, måloy, northern lights norway, Norway, norway map, norwegian cruises, nostebryggen quay, radisson sas bergen, thon hotel bergen, torvik, travel norway, trondheim norway, turistbuss bergen in Categories: Destinations

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Dinner on a Hurtigruten Cruise..

On our winter Hurtigruten Norwegian cruise, there were only about 45 passengers doing the whole round trip journey from Bergen to Kirkenes and back. Along the way a few passengers joined, but generally there’s plenty of room to spread out and mealtimes were very casual.  This is not the case during the peak season where there may be several meal sittings and you have to make a table reservation for the voyage on embarkation.

Each cruise may have slightly different practice in regard to meal times and this also depends on the season. For us, the normal meal times are:

Breakfast from 07:00 – 10:00
Lunch from 13:00 – 14:30
Dinner from 19:00

There’s plenty of food on our Hurtigruten Norwegian cruise and regardless of the low season and small number of passengers, they put on a great spread every day.

Norwegian food is served on our Hurtigruten cruise which is good for us as there is plenty of seafood. Meat eaters needn’t worry as there’s plenty of meats as well.

Breakfast is buffet style with a selection of cold meats, cheese, eggs, bacon as well as porridge, cereals, nuts, fruit and freshly baked bread. The yoghurt drink is very nice and I find myself having this and a small bowl of porridge just to pace myself.

Meat Platter - Hurtigruten Cruise..

Lunch is a buffet with a selection of marinated herring dishes, smoked fish, poached salmon, cold meats and salads. If you like gravlax or cured tuna, you’ll be spoilt by the quantities served here. There are always some hot dishes which change from day to day, as well as desserts and fruit.

Dinner is a three course set meal, where the main course is either meat or fish, generally served with potatoes and vegetables. Occasionally, dinner is a buffet as well.

Alcohol is very expensive in Norway and on the cruise they offer a drinks package. As the cruises operate in Norwegian territorial waters, the prices on board are the same as on land.  Very noticeable is the absence of alcohol at the dinner tables.

You can also buy a water package which gives you any amount of fizzy water which they make on board.

© Norway Travel, 2009. Written by Helen Page

Post tags: breakfast food, cruise foods, food cuisine, food in norway, hurtigruten, meals food, norway food, norway travel, norwegian cruises, norwegian food, typical food in Categories: Food

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