Viking Cruises

Call us on 138 747 (AU), 0800 447 913 (NZ), contact your local Viking travel agent or visit viking.com | 17 STAVANGER; BERGEN WATERFRONT away and below, still at its mooring was the shining white elegance of the Viking Sky. It is a particularly wonderful way to see this corner of the world; only once weaving through the fjords and innumerable islands of Norway can one properly appreciate how remote certain parts are or how much water, and the sea, are so entwined into Norwegian identity, whether culturally or historically. I had joined the ship at Bergen, a lovely town with an old-time feel and charm, with its centuries-old and colourful wooden buildings, picturesque harbour and winding streets. A former capital of Norway in the 13th century it then became a major base of the Hanseatic League, who dominated seaborne trade in the Baltic and North Seas from the 14th century. A Viking journey not only allows guests to glide the seas in extreme comfort and luxury but also offers travellers plenty of time for exploration. A funicular railway in Bergen led us up to Mount Fløyen and to yet another stunning viewpoint: there was the historic city spread before us, nestling at the foot of hills and mountains, the ever-present sea snaking its way between islands and glinting leave the ship and walk a couple of miles along the Eio River, a stretch of water thundering loudly as it hurried between the mountains and out to the fjord. This had once been one of the finest salmon rivers in Norway and the remains of earlier traps still jutted from the river bank. Where the river meets the small mountain lake of the Eidfjordvatnet, I climbed up a track, doubling back on myself but heading up to a mountain plateau of pastures, occasional farmhouses and a birch wood filled with some of the earliest known Viking burial mounds anywhere in Norway. Hæried, as it is known, is also the largest known collection. Nestling between the trees are an incredible number, each one a pile of moss-covered stones, stacked into long, curving mounds. It was wonderfully still as I wandered between them, a faint breeze wafting through the branches above me, and silent too except for occasional birdsong. There are more than 350 graves here, all dating from around 500-1000 CE. It speaks of a major earlier settlement, deep into the Hardangerfjord, and was a vivid reminder of the vast richness of Norway's history. Having explored this strange but beautiful area, I ambled back past small cottages with thatched roofs of grass and on to a viewpoint that looked back down the fjord. For most tourists, driving to this remote corner of the country is challenging, but a ship can navigate these waters with ease and there, "Only once weaving through the ords and innumerable islands of Norway can one properly appreciate how remote certain parts are."

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