Let’s start this post clarifying the different spellings. As you can probably guess, “fjord” is the Norwegian spelling and “fiord” is the English spelling, so I will standardise with the Norwegian spelling (although in earlier blogs I was probably not particularly discerning!?)

The next thing I want to cover is the difference between a fiord and a sound. So, both fiords and sounds are valleys which have been flooded by water. However, fiords are formed when a glacial valley is filled with water, whereas a sound occurs when a river valley has been flooded.

I want to bring this up because in 2023 I did a small ship expedition to the NZ Fiordland, which is full of waterways which are named sounds. Totally confusing!

Back to Norway.

On our trip we are taking a voyage of the Havila ship, Polaris, travelling from Bergen to Kirkenes. There are 900 fiords along this coast! And I’m not totally sure how many we will be visiting, although I can say with absolute certainty that it won’t be anywhere near 900!

Below is the route which the ship takes…

I have chosen a handful of the main fjords we will be visiting to write about. We will be voyaging into or through many others, but I’ll save those for the photo stories after I’m back.

Geirangerfjord

In between the ports of Alesund and Molde, there is a possibility that we might visit Geirangerfjord, which would be a detour into the major fjord system of Storfjord. During winter, the ship will not enter the fiord. However, there is a separate excursion available, which we will consider, since the Geiranger landscape is on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

Geirangfjord is best known as the inspiration for the movie “Frozen”. It is 15 kms long with the village of Geiranger at the end. All the towns and villages along the fjord, including Geiranger, are under threat of flooding due to a crack in the Aknesfjallet mountain. Eventually, there will be a land fall resulting in massive waves. Nobody knows when this will happen, but the crack is growing by about 3 inches each year. And this is a phenomenon which has happened before in other fjord systems when farms were evacuated. You can read more about this threat, and how changing climate is destabilizing the area, in the National Geographic article here.

Alternatively, there has been a disaster movie made about it called “The Wave”. Should I watch it before I go?!?!?!

Another fjord in the Storfjord system is Hjorundfjord. We will not be visiting there, as it is dangerous because avalanches are common during the winter. We would be passing the entrance to the fjord, however, on the way to Geirangerfjord.

Trondheimsfjord

Trondheimsfjord is the third longest fjord in Norway, and, as the name hints, we will be travelling along it to get to the port of Trondheim. Trondheim is known for its deep Viking history.

While it was Olav Tryggvason who officially founded Trondheim in 997 CE, it is believed that Harald Fairhair was earlier proclaimed King of Norway here, when the area was named Oretinget.

Later, Olav Haraldsson, a descendent of Harald Fairhair, became king of Trondheim. (See further mention of this in my Viking history timeline here. ) Haraldsson was committed to converting Norwegians to Christianity, and it was probably this which contributed mostly to his being made a saint after his death. There are stories, however, of other events, such as the discovery that, when his body was exhumed,  his hair, beard and nails had continued to grow after his death. (See some other events here. )

Vestfjorden

Vestfjord is one of those types of fjords which, rather than extending inland, is fairly open to the sea. It lies between the Lofoten archipelago and mainland Norway. The area is known for its cod fishery, which was exploited as far back as medieval times. The Lofoten Wall is a geological formation of peaks formed millions of years ago when the earth’s crust curled up.

In recent winters the fjord has seen an invasion of orcas. And there can be strong winds and heavy seas in the winter. (I have my sea sickness tablets just in case!)

So, that’s it on fjords.

Just enough to make me excited about this wonderful part of the trip, voyaging amidst nature’s astounding scenery.

Having my breath taken away by it all (including the cold!?).

With the possibility of catching a glimpse of the northern lights as the backdrop!

Sources:

• National Geographic website
• thehiddennorth.com. The History of Trondheim.