About the Event
To Norway for fairy-tale nature, delicious fish and mysterious legends!
On August 5–19, 2017, we’ll set off to visit the Vikings and trolls along endless fjords. We’ll breathe the cleanest air, snack on freshly caught halibut, climb high cliffs and take in the unique beauty with wide-open eyes. Seasoned sailors consider their track record incomplete without sailing in Norway. It’s “another reality” and a very special feeling, and we’re going after it together with you! We’ll sail along long, long fjords of otherworldly beauty and enjoy easy sailing routes through skerries, lagoons and bays, past picturesque villages and towns that will delight you with their architecture, museums, parks, markets and authentic little restaurants.
Get ready for long hikes and climbs of several hours up the famous Norwegian cliffs.
You’ll also appreciate meals made from halibut or cod you caught yourself, plus mushrooms, berries and sorrel gathered during our stops.
Welcome to Norway, a cozy, well-organized country rich in nature and legends!
Summer weather in Norway is damp and northern, so bring windbreakers and warm sweaters! We’ve chosen the best time for the trip.
Program
Day 1: Bergen – Kolbeinshavn
We start in the largest city in Western Norway, on the North Sea coast. Almost all sailing routes start here.
Bergen is Norway’s “second capital,” a colorful town with good infrastructure. It’s home to the famous fish market and the coziest coffee shops. Like toys, the locals’ houses huddle along the shore, radiating comfort and well-being.
We get to know the crews, go for a walk, taste whale or lobster, have coffee at a café and set off! In high spirits, we sail to Kolbeinshavn.
Day 2: Kolbeinshavn – Leirvik
Leirvik is a small but very lively town with its own museums, historic buildings and a delicious restaurant.
For those who’d like a walk in nature, there’s a 2 km hiking trail through the beautiful Hystadmarkjo area.
Day 3: Leirvik – Feøy – Skudeneshavn
We arrive at a tiny island of 50 residents who will happily teach you to fish in the North Sea. There’s a chance to catch a huge fish and brag to your friends!
During a walk and lunch at the restaurant, you might just meet every resident on the island!
Another 18 miles and we’re in Skudeneshavn. The first thing we see is snow-white houses with terracotta roofs right by the water. Very beautiful! The town is popular with sailors and has plenty to see and explore: parks, little streets and shops are at your service.
In the evening, lights come on in the windows of the white houses and shimmer on the water: a magical sight! If we’re lucky, we’ll catch one of the festivals held here quite often, and then there’ll be even more lights!
Day 4: Skudeneshavn – Jørpeland/Tau
Ready to stretch your legs? We take a bus to the trailhead and hike uphill for an hour and a half to the top of the cliff called Preikestolen, the Pulpit Rock.
Indeed, from such a convenient, high platform you feel like addressing the world. But the words catch in your throat, because the views from the cliff are breathtaking: a vast, majestic fjord stretching endlessly, picturesque cliffs and birds flying at the same height as you. And somewhere far below, a tiny dot: our yacht, which will take us on a journey through the fjord.
Day 5: Tau – Feøy, Karmøy
We sail through one of Norway’s main fjords, the Lysefjord. It is 400 million years old and was formed by a tectonic fault.
The Lysefjord is 42 km long, with depths ranging from 13 to 422 meters. Our brave skippers will take the boats under the spray of the huge 400-meter Hengjanefossen waterfall and set course for Kjerag, another of the fjord’s landmarks, which we’ll definitely climb after a rest and a night’s sleep.
Day 6: Feøy, Karmøy – Feøy, Karmøy
We dedicate the day to climbing Kjerag, one of the Lysefjord’s main attractions.
People climb to the summit at 1,084 meters above sea level not only to enjoy the views but also for the thrill of approaching the famous five-meter boulder Kjeragbolten, wedged between the rocks above a kilometer-deep drop.
Day 7: Feøy, Karmøy – Stavanger
Rest, walks, preparation for the second part of the journey and crew change.
The regatta is designed for two weeks, but some participants can join us on day 8. The best way to make new friends in Norway is at the local restaurants found in every town. So that’s what we’ll do.
Day 8: Stavanger – Kvitsøy (Ydstebøhavn)
We approach a picturesque group of islands. The archipelago of Kvitsøy municipality is called the “white islands” because the quartz in the rocks glints in the light.
The area is mentioned in ancient sagas, and the municipality’s settlements lie in green valleys near the coast. This is the halfway point of our journey: participants who joined for just one week leave our company with tears in their eyes.
Day 9: Kvitsøy – Bukkøya – Haugesund
The town of Haugesund was built by Vikings, and today we’re paying them a visit at a fully reconstructed Viking village and farm from the 9th–11th centuries on the island of Bukkøya.
We’ll see with our own eyes how these legendary ancient Northerners lived and prepared for great battles. In town, we’ll visit a museum of Norwegian history to get to know the country better.
Day 10: Haugesund – Mosterhamn
A stop by a picturesque lagoon in a small, typically Norwegian town with capricious weather, balanced by superb scenery and a true taste of seaside village life. Small wooden piers, fishing boats and blue water against the rocks: the perfect combination for meditation and a reset.
Day 11: Mosterhamn – Rosendal (barony manor, park)
We go ashore in one of Norway’s most beautiful farm villages. Rosendal, buried in greenery, is rich in detail, and fans of art photography will find plenty of material here.
Neat little houses, carved fences, benches surrounded by potted flowers and lush greenery climbing the walls: this place was made to be admired. Here “hides” the smallest castle in the country, a manor museum telling the story of the union between Norway and Denmark. It’s an important historic site, and we’ll definitely visit it!
Day 12: Trolltunga (the Troll’s Tongue)
After relaxing, walks and meditation, the most exciting and challenging hike awaits: we’re going to Trolltunga, the Troll’s Tongue.
It’s a narrow rock ledge with no railings, hanging 700 meters above Lake Ringedalsvatnet. A winding 12 km mountain trail leads to it, so the way there alone will take us about five hours! The hardest part is along the rusty cables of the old funicular, which stopped running in 2010, so now every hiker has to reach the top on foot.
Be sure to bring trekking shoes: ordinary sneakers will fall apart on a climb like this! At the end, we’ll see otherworldly beauty!
Day 13: Rosendal – Hjellestad
We arrive at a large, spacious marina, moor up, check in, “ground ourselves” and rest. It rains in Hjellestad 350 days a year, and remarkably, this only makes the place more beautiful. The grass and stones glisten, the sun peeks out from behind the clouds now and then, painting the surroundings in unusual colors, and the town has authentic Norwegian houses decorated with traditional wreaths and potted plants, alongside some high-tech homes.
With rubber boots and a waterproof jacket, a walk here is a real pleasure. And sleeping in your cabin to the steady patter of raindrops is a special treat! We need a good night’s sleep: tomorrow we return to Bergen!
Day 14: Hjellestad – Bergen
The final 20 miles from south to north, and our route comes full circle.
Back in Bergen, civilization, the big city: we slowly return to our usual rhythm of life, take in all our impressions, go for walks and have a farewell feast.
What’s Included
What’s Not Included
