NORWay

Whether from a whale-watching or scenic point of view, Norway is hard to beat. No matter the Season.

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whales: Norway

Lofoten and Vesterålen, in the far north of Norway, are a perfect place for whale watching all year round: while sperm whales can be observed very reliably in summer, the fish-rich fjords are full of orcas and humpback whales in winter.

Whale watching takes place primarily in the north of Norway: the Lofoten and Vesterålen archipelagos merge and offer breathtaking scenery 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. In summer there is constant light here while in winter the northern lights illuminate the sky - both fantastic conditions for a whale-watching trip.

In summer, the most important place is the village of Andenes, a small harbour town in the very north of Vesterålen. Only around 3,000 people live here, but over 15,000 tourists visit the place every year to see the sperm whales, which live in the waters of Andøya all year round and can therefore be observed with great reliability.

A good 50 per cent of all Norwegian whale tours depart from Andenes and the small neighbouring town of Stø in the summer. There is also a very good and informative whale centre with life-sized models in Andenes. Sperm whales are best seen between June and August, and occasionally also pilot whales, minke whales and various dolphins.

A sperm whale dives in the most beautiful arctic light off the coast of Andenes. Sperm whales can be seen here all year round. Photo: Oliver Dirr / Whaletrips

The other half of Norwegian whale tours take place during winter in the many fjords of Lofoten and Vesterålen. Many orcas and humpback whales can be seen here with great reliability, occasionally also fin whales. They all follow the herring, millions of which can be found in these fjords in winter.

In recent years, the herring seem to be moving further northwards from year to year – and with them the whales. While a few years ago, the Tysfjord near Narvik was the main destination for winter whale watchers, it was then mainly the fjords of Senja and Tromsø a little further north – and from winter 2017 / 2018, the whales travelled even further north, up to Skjervøy.

Photo: Oliver Dirr / Whaletrips

TO DO: NORWay

With their dramatic cliffs and Caribbean beaches, the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands in the north of Norway are among the most spectacular in the world. During summer you can watch puffins, in winter the northern lights dance across the sky.

Lofoten & Vesterålen are world-famous for their steep cliffs, deep fjords, Caribbean-style beaches and picturesque fishing villages. The further south you travel, the more dramatic the mountains get (and the more challenging the hiking trails). Due to the Gulf Stream, the climate is temperate despite the high latitudes; in summer it can easily reach 20°C while in winter it is rarely colder than -15°C.

In summer, the islands are one of the most spectacular hiking areas in the world, in winter you can go dog sledding or snow shoeing here. The most beautiful places are Hamnøy, Reine, Nusfjord, Svolvaer and Henningsvaer in the south and Andenes and Bleik in the far north. The most spectacular view is from Reinebringen, the signature mountain of the Lofoten Islands.

The archipelago lies above the Arctic Circle, so the sun never sets in summer and never rises in winter. Between mid-May and mid-July there is 24 hours of light in the Tromsø area, from the end of November to mid-January it only dawns between 10 am and 3 pm. The further north you go, the stronger and longer the midnight sun and polar night.

In winter, you have a very good chance of seeing the northern lights in the entire region – all you need are clear nights and sufficient sun activity. There is an aurora centre in Svolvaer where you can stay for several days to learn all about the aurora borealis.

“Norway is the land of moose. The shy giants are best observed at dawn or dusk – they can only be seen on the mainland and, with a bit of luck, on the Vesterålen Islands, but not on the Lofoten Islands.”

The Hurtigruten, the old mail boat line, has been connecting the south of Norway with the still somewhat remote north for over a hundred years. The twelve-day journey along the spectacular Norwegian coast is considered one of the most beautiful sea journeys in the world. The ships travel to the North Cape and back, stopping in all the major harbours en route (e.g. Ålesund, Trondheim, Tromsø) and heading deep into the Geiranger and Trollfjord.

Numerous excursions are offered along the way. It is also possible to book only individual sections, for shorter routes even without a cabin. The oldest and most nostalgic ship is MS Lofoten, launched in Oslo in 1964. The starting point is Bergen, perhaps the most beautiful city in Norway with its many colourful wooden houses and winding alleyways, the old Bryggen trading centre and the hiking areas in the surrounding mountains.

Norway is above all the land of moose and reindeer. The shy moose are best seen at dawn or dusk and can only be found on the mainland, including on the Vesterålen Islands, but not on the Lofoten Islands. Reindeer are mainly found in the tundra-like areas of the far north and on Svalbard.

Dovrefjell National Park is also one of the few places in the world where you can observe the seemingly primeval musk oxen (best on guided hikes between June and September). From the tip of Vesterålen, Bleik and Andenes, you can observe puffins, also known as the clowns of the seas due to their constant fussiness and clumsiness.

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Further south, the Geirangerfjord, Preikestolen and Kjeragbolten are the three most famous Norwegian landmarks: Geiranger is a fjord surrounded by gigantic rock faces around 200 kilometres north-east of Bergen, which extends a good 15 kilometres inland. Passengers on the Hurtigruten often disembark here and travel overland to the next harbour to enjoy the fantastic view over the fjord from the top.

The Preikestolen is a gigantic rock platform near Stavanger, which drops a good 600 metres steeply downhill and from which you have a magnificent view over the Lysefjord. Almost opposite is the Kjeragbolten, an egg-shaped monolith that is wedged between two rock faces 1,000 metres above Lysefjord. Another great idea: the journey on the Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen is considered one of the most beautiful scenic railway journeys in the world.

Just under a thousand kilometres north of the Norwegian mainland lies the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen (Norwegian: Svalbard, cold coast), from here it is only 500 miles to the North Pole. The island is home to around 2,500 people and 3,500 polar bears, and everything here is about polar bears – Svalbard is one of the best places in the world to see polar bears (and walruses). In addition to Longyearbyen, the largest settlement, there are two Russian settlements, Barentsburg and Pyramiden, both completely out of time.

Further north lies Ny-Ålesund, a station with a handful of researchers from all over the world. Otherwise, Spitsbergen is all mountains, glaciers, fjords and ice. In the interior of the island, people travel by snowmobile, tourists usually circumnavigate the island by ship as there are no roads outside Longyearbyen. In the north of the island you can cross the 80th parallel if the ice conditions are good, which is not possible in many places in the world.