Norway-North Cape September 1-17, 2025 September 13

Today we say farewell to Honningsvåg and continue our journey to Alta. Here we will spend the next two nights. An incredibly beautiful ride along the coast, past fjords, over plateaus.

The fjell or the fjell is a treeless highland above the tree line in Scandinavia. In Norwegian, 'Fjell' simply means 'mountain' or 'mountains', including peaks and glaciers. In German, however, only the wide high plains are referred to as fjell.

On the fjell, you can find the vegetation of the alpine tundra: berry bushes, dwarf shrubs, cotton grass, reindeer lichens, and mosses. A fjell hike conveys a sense of peace and vastness, but can become monotonous over time ('impressive emptiness').

Fjell or Fjäll? Fjell is Norwegian, and fjäll is Swedish. Other variants include fjeld (Danish), fjall (Faroe Islands).

What is a Vidda?

The Vidda is a plateau in Norway. 'Vidda' means 'expanse' in Norwegian. The most famous is the Hardangervidda.

What is a fjord?

A fjord is a narrow, long arm of the sea that extends deep into the mainland at a steep coast. The Sognefjord is simultaneously the largest and the deepest in Norway (204 km long and up to 1300 m deep). The second largest, the Hardangerfjord, is 179 km long. Branches of the main fjords often have their own names, e.g., the romantic Naerøyfjord (arm of Sognfjord), the Sørfjord (arm of Hardangerfjord), or the very touristic Geirangerfjord (branch of Storfjord).

The fjord region refers to southwest Norway, although spectacular fjords can be found all over Norway (e.g., Trollfjord in the Lofoten Islands). The fjord region or fjord land is divided from south to north by 5 main fjords:

• Boknafjord near Stavanger with the side arm Lysefjord (famous viewpoint: Prekestolen)
• Hardangerfjord near Bergen
• Sognefjord with the side arms Naerøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord
• Nordfjord on the west side of the Jostedalsbreen glacier
• Storfjord with the side arm Geirangerfjord.           
• Tonight we will also observe faint northern lights.