Viking Cruises

We bring to life the geography, resources and discoveries related to this northern ocean I f you pulled Norway's crinkled coastline out into a straight line, it would circle the planet two and a half times. From north to south, the country measures less than 1,100 miles, but its coastline is a huge 63,000 miles of ords, bays and island shores. is glorious natural wonder was shaped during the last Ice Age when glaciers several miles high pushed into the land, resulting in dramatic soaring peaks, like those seen on the Lofoten Islands. A RICH SOURCE OF FOOD Stretching out into the Norwegian Sea, the remote Lofoten archipelago shows off the sculpting power of nature. e islands are home to the world's greatest cod harvest. Each winter, the icy Arctic Ocean meets the Gulf Stream, attracting Arctic cod from the Barents Sea. ese relatively warm waters are why the sea here remains ice-free all year. Tørrfisk or stockfish is dried and salted fish (usually cod), made in Norway for centuries. Traditionally dried outdoors by the wind and sun as a way to preserve nutrients, row upon row of fish hang on wooden racks along the shores of Lofoten, as it has done for 500 years. ese waters are also rich in herring, and the abundance of fish in turn attracts an abundance of other animals. Minke, humpback, sei and orca come to feed, while the cries of puffin, kittiwake, gannets, gulls and guillemot pierce the sky. Until the 20th century, the coast was sparsely populated, although the coastal Sámi, who first colonised the land, have been living here for up to 4,000 years. BEYOND THE HORIZON From the deck of a ship, you sense a timelessness about the land, which is both wild and resilient. You can understand the pull of the sea that Norwegian explorers like Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen felt. For many years, the Norwegian Sea was thought to be the edge of the known world. To sail across the sea was an act of daring. It was also a great achievement of navigation. By the eighth century, the only European seafarers to dare sail far enough to lose sight of land were the Vikings. Waiting for favourable winds, and armed with plenty of provisions (like stockfish) they ventured in all directions, to create new settlements and forge new trading routes. ey navigated by the position of the stars, and the sun. West, towards the sunset, meant they were headed for England; east (towards the sunrise) meant home to Norway. Symbolic of the Viking age, the Viking longships were sophisticated beyond their time, recognised, respected and imitated the world The NORWEGIAN SEA Opposite: Traditional homes perch on wooden stilts in the Lofoten Islands viking.com 17

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