Svolvaer, (Lofoten), Norway Port Stop

Our cruise ship has a 9 hour port stop in Svolvaer, (Lofoten), Norway. We are debating whether to do the ship's excursion ($225 per person) which is a full day tour to the fishing Village of Nusfjord & the Viking museum at Borg. Is this a worthwhile excursion or should we just hand out in the town? Are there alternative suggestions, but we are not interested in renting a car?

Our cruise ship has a 9 hour port stop in Svolvaer, (Lofoten), Norway. We are debating whether to do the ship's excursion ($225 per person) which is a full day tour to the fishing Village of Nusfjord & the Viking museum at Borg. Is this a worthwhile excursion or should we just hand out in the town? Are there alternative suggestions, but we are not interested in renting a car?

We did two different stops in the Lofoten Islands, including one day in Svolvaer. Lots of interesting options there. Below are a few more details and some of my visuals from our July 2010 visit there, plus lots more on the full live/blog connected below.

This 70-miles long island archipelago has natural surroundings regarded to be among the most stunning in Norway, with mountains, peaks, cliffs and white sandy beaches. The remote southern islands of Vaeroy and Rost are rated as world-class bird sanctuaries having nesting places for millions of seabirds along its cliffs. There are 35,000 people living on all of the islands and they are 886 miles northeast of Bergen. In November 2007, National Geographic Traveler rated the Lofoten Islands of northern Norway the third most appealing islands in the world. The Gulf Stream contributes to its seasonal fishing success. In Leknes, the sun (midnight sun) is above the horizon from May 26 to July 17 and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 to January 4.

Svolvær offers the atmosphere of a harbor, small town and art community simultaneously. The town has become something of an artists’ colony, attracted by its great “light”. It has picturesque cabins on stilts and weathered wooden racks with drying cod. Considered as the capital of the Lofoten Islands, it is on the south coast of Austvågøy, facing the open sea to the south with mountains immediately to the north. The most famous mountain, Svolværgeita, was first climbed in 1910 and has its goat-like horns. It is 1,867 feet high. The town population is 4,400. The rugged and bleak countryside around Svolvær has attracted both tourists and artists, one of whom is Karl Erik Harr, whose paintings feature scenes of the area. His most famous painting, "The Battle of Trollfjord" and can be seen in the County Hall. The towering island mountains of the Lofoten Wall stretch for more than a hundred miles along Norway's coast. Sheltered by the mountains to the north and west, the Svolvær area has less fog and experiences somewhat higher daytime temperatures in summer than the western part of Lofoten, but the same mountains also create more precipitation on rainy days. Its cod fishing season is between January and April. These age-old, sea-going traditions are preserved along with some of the fishing wharf buildings. Latitude: 68.2333°

TRADE-OFFS?: On our first day in the Lofotens, we had a car and could explore, including going south to the historic seaport and cod fishing center is Nusfjord, then farther south to the cute village at end called "A". I know you don't want to rent a car, but it's that personal choice . . . hang out in Svolvær . . . OR . . . see more of the dramatic mountains, water, landscapes, etc. Personally, getting a sampling for the variety and beauty there was very important to us. Below are only a very small sampling for what we saw. If you go to Nusfjord and the Viking museum, you will better be able to see what makes these islands so very special.

Reactions and added questions?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 108,191 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

This is a sampling of the boats in the harbor at Svolvaer.:

As we departed Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands on a perfect, sunny day, these are two of the green, tree-covered mountains rising up from the sea that we saw with the small out-islands in the foreground.:

An historic seaport and cod fishing center is Nusfjord a few miles east of the main south-bound road in the Lofoten Islands. It is one of Norway’s oldest and best preserved fishing villages (fiskevaer). Here is one of its buildings and its harbor. There is also a cod processing building with various visuals to see for that historic era. The old Fish Oil Mill is used for exhibiting items from the Fish Buying Station or fiskemottak. They show a film called “The people and the fish”. The mill was built around 1910. Here fish oil was produced from fish liver. The fish was retrieved from the Buying Station then, transported by rowboat to the mill. Cod liver oil was a very attractive export product, used in industrial production and for medicinal purpose. We also got some great pictures of its birds perched on a large rock, etc. You can see more details from this website:

http://www.nusfjord.no/EN/nusfjord/index_new_eng.html:

Here is an example of the soaring rocks/mountains and dramatic scenery in the Lofoten Islands when we did our DIY drive south and then back on the Lofoten Islands. Nice? This includes one of the curved beaches about a mile and a half east of Ramberg.:

Near the main E10 roadway in the southern part of the Lofoten Island is this historic Flakstad Kirke church that was built in 1780. It has a Russian design/look as certain of its materials were donated by those from that country.:

Thanks for your reply. Your photos are enough to make us want to spend a week in so. You advised:

We are on a 14 day Norwegian Fjord cruise and have stops in 9 ports. For example we have scheduled the Flam Railway in Flam, a bird safari in Honningsvag, Birksdale Glacier in Olden and a boat trip on the Lyserfjord in Stavanger. More precisely, do you think the Nusfjord and the Viking museum excursion will offer something totally different or unique?

Thanks

Thanks for your reply. Your photos are enough to make us want to spend a week in so. You advised:

"If you go to Nusfjord and the Viking museum, you will better be able to see what makes these islands so very special."

We are on a 14 day Norwegian Fjord cruise and have stops in 9 ports. For example we have scheduled the Flam Railway in Flam, a bird safari in Honningsvag, Birksdale Glacier in Olden and a boat trip on the Lyserfjord in Stavanger. More precisely, do you think the Nusfjord and the Viking museum excursion will offer something totally different or unique?

Thanks

Appreciate the kind comments on the Norway picture. The credit goes to nature and that beauty in Norway. I just took the pictures and shared.

Great to see that you have lots of great stops planned!! My comment on Nusfjord means that it will give you some unique background on the historic fishing industry there, how it operated, etc. It was interesting for me. Not sure how important it will be for you and others. That kind of "history" can be of value or not depending people's personal interests and style. The landscapes and "drama" between the water, shorelines, mountains, etc., is very special. Not many would find those sights to be just "average" and/or only so-so. That's one of the reasons why we loved the Lofotens so super much. Does this help clarify?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 108,463 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923