Hurtigruten celebrates in style

The 120th anniversary of the founding of Norway’s Hurtigruten this summer brings a rare opportunity to travel off the beaten track. The coastal express, which provides a scheduled service to ports between Bergen and Kirkenes, is to make 11 visits to Lyngenfjord (above).
On-board concerts and menus inspired by the 1890s when pioneering seaman Richard With founded the service will feature on voyages between June 21 and July 2.
Hurtigruten has never before sailed into the fjord on its regular itineraries, but during this 11-day period a ship will stop there while travelling south between Skjervoy and Tromsø.
The 50-mile-long fjord is 190 miles inside the Arctic Circle and is hemmed in by the 3,250-ft peaks of the Lyngen Alps which rise straight from the sea.
Visitors will see glaciers, cascading rivers and deep ravines, and will be given the opportunity to meet a local prawn trawler and its fishermen who will come on board with their freshly-caught produce.
Norwegian culture in a variety of forms will be integral to the anniversary voyages. An award-winning 19-year-old fiddler will perform on the ships in Geirangerfjord, and visits to Tromsø will be marked by performances from two students inspired by the town’s Grammy-nominated Röyksopp. The Berlevag men’s choir is lined up for midnight concerts on the quayside.
Chefs have created menus echoing the food provided in 1893 on board With’s first ship, the DS Vesterålen.
The anniversary sailings begin with MS Midnatsol departing from Bergen on June 21, followed by the complete fleet up to MS Lofoten on July 1. A summer bonus – once north of the Arctic Circle, the ships will be in the land of the midnight sun, and passengers won’t see darkness for days.
Fares for the classic round-trip voyage departing June 21, 27 and 29 start at £2,137 pp, and include 11 nights half-board on the ship, all the celebrations. Flights and transfers from £450pp. Details at www.hurtigruten.co.uk or call 0844 448 7601