15 of Lonely Planet’s ‘Top 17 Experiences in Norway’ can be enjoyed on a Hurtigruten voyage

Guests onboard a Hurtigruten ship have a head start on anyone trying to complete Lonely Planet’s recent list of the ‘Top 17 Experiences in Norway, as 15 of those 17 experiences as possible to enjoy with Hurtigruten. Most of the list can be completed while voyaging along the famous Norwegian Coastal Voyage route that Hurtigruten has been operating for nearly 120 years. This includes: the number one experience of Geirangerfjord, A UNESCO World Heritage Site; Number five - exploring the colorful historic buildings of Bergen’s Bryggen; and number 15 – Sami culture, the indigenous people of the far north of Europe. Other choices such as number seven – Svalbard can be experienced on Hurtigruten’s Spitsbergen Explorer sailings with MS Fram during the summer months, or visits to Oslo (number 17) by extending the stay as Oslo is a major gateway used by Hurtigruten guests.

How the list lines up with Hurtigruten’s offerings:
1. Geirangerfjord - top site on most Norway lists – visited on Coastal Voyage, from April to September;
2. Lofoten Islands – historic fishing region, stunning scenery – visited on Coastal Voyage, including Trollfjord experience, year round;
3. Hurtigruten Coastal – “…the iconic Hurtigruten coastal ferry takes you on one of the most spectacular coastal journeys anywhere on earth.” – Lonely Planet;
4. Northern Lights - Hurtigruten has a dedicated programme of Hunting the Light Voyages, Oct.-March;
5. Bryggen, Bergen – starts or ends Coastal Voyage – UNESCO World Heritage Site;
6. Hiking the Jotunheimen – an exception – not part of Hurtigruten options;
7. Svalbard – home to 1/6th of the world’s polar bears – offered by Hurtigruten Spitsbergen Explorer Voyages during the summer;
8. Kystriksveien (coastal route) –Hurtigruten’s excursion “The Atlantic Road” – winner of 2005 “Engineering Feat of the Century”;
9. Oslo-Bergen Railway – or “Norway in a Nutshell” is a great alternative to flying from Oslo to Bergen;
10. Pulpit Rock – only other exception – not part of Hurtigruten options;
11. Stave Churches – medieval wooden churches surviving only in Norway (except for one) - can be seen on excursion “The Atlantic Road” and during the visit of “Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum”;
12. Dog-sledding – available on Coastal Voyage as winter excursion in Tromsø, Kirkenes and Finnsnes;
13. Wildlife-watching – many possibilities aboard and on excursions – Bird Safari, Sea Eagle Safari, King Crab Fishing;
14. Ålesund – Port call on Coastal Voyage, excursions include Art Nouveau tour, and Aquarium and Mount Aksla;
15. Sami culture – “A Taste of Lapland” excursion takes guests to a Sámi camp and a visit with a local Sámi family;
16. Tromsø – Coastal Voyage port with four hours stop over; excursions include dog sledding, Polar History Walk, and huskies and pups at Wilderness Center;
17. Oslo – easy layover stop for Hurtigruten guests – one of Norway’s gems;         
Hurtigruten is a world leader in expedition cruising, sailing to the most remote of destinations – including Antarctica, Greenland and the Arctic’s Spitsbergen – as well as year round along Norway's coast and Europe in the spring. The company’s fleet of 13 intimate ships, which each carry 100 to 646 guests, allows travelers to enjoy unique destinations in a relaxed atmosphere.

For more information call Hurtigruten – 0844 448 7601 www.hurtigruten.co.uk

148 countries tune in to watch Hurtigruten.

Reports show that 148 countries around the world tuned in either via TV, the live stream on the internet or via embedded players to watch the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s (NRK) 134-hour non-stop live coverage of a voyage with Hurtigruten from Bergen to Kirkenes. Broadcast between 16 and 22 June, the show is also entering a claim to the Guinness World Record for the Longest Live TV Documentary. NRK is awaiting confirmation of whether it has achieved this or not.

The show, on national TV channel NRK2, brought a sense of euphoria to the country. In total, three million Norwegians watched the show, representing almost three quarters of the country’s population and produced record-breaking ratings for NRK2. In addition, 2.9 million watched the streamed voyage online, almost half of these from outside Norway. The UK was the fifth most popular country for online viewing figures.

Social media across the globe also joined the frenzy. During the TV show, Hurtigruten was the trending topic on Twitter, at one time with one tweet every six seconds. The show’s Facebook-site ‘Hurtigruten minute by minute’ received 65,000 ‘likes’ during the five and a half day voyage.

Kathryn Beadle, managing director at Hurtigruten comments “Nobody could have imagined just how popular this show proved to be. Along the coast, crowds turned up in every port to welcome the ship and boats joined in to escort her along the way. The impressive figures demonstrate clearly show the incredible interest there is in Hurtigruten’s voyages along the Norwegian coastline and the global fascination there is for NRK’s innovative concept – Slow-TV.”

Hurtigruten, established in 1893, has been en-route ever since and is an important part of the Norwegian infrastructure and one of Norway’s most known travel brands. The classic coastal route is known as the world’s most beautiful voyage and this was exactly what viewers from all over the world were able to see. All of Norway’s beauty was shown live on TV including Geirangerfjord and the western fjords of Norway, the crossing of the Arctic Circle, the Lofoten Islands, North Cape and the midnight sun. The broadcast resulted in all-time high visits on Hurtigruten’s websites around the world and all time high ratings for NRK2.

Coverage can still be enjoyed at www.nrk.no/hurtigruten/.

Visit www.hurtiogruten.co.uk to find out more about the company's crusies.