Norwegian Fjords

The city center is a charming mix of old city walls and a large modern shopping centre. With multiple restaurants, museums, cinemas and theatres there is plenty to be explored. Time spent at embarkation and disembarkation ports may be limited which may restrict availability of shore excursions.

Surrounded by steep hills with spectacular falls, Skjolden is located at the head of the longest navigable fjord in the world – Sognefjord. As well as being situated in a breathtaking location, the town itself is host to a number of activities and attractions. Once home to the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), he wrote some of his most important works here.

The peaceful village of Olden has the perfect Fjordland cruise setting - nestling at the southern end of one branch of the beautiful Nordfjord and at the entrance to the gorgeous Oldedalen Valley. A lake in the valley has been turned a rich, deep green by the river pouring down the mountains from the vast, million-years-old Briksdal Glacier. Giant waterfalls also cascade down making the views even more spectacular as you travel through the valley to the foot of the glacier - one of the offshoots of the vast Jostedal Glacier now designated as a national park. Other tours head overland to the inner Nordfjord area with its wind-blown rocks, towering mountains and verdant valleys. Also in the area are folk and glacier museums, a skiing centre on the glacier plateau and northern Europe's deepest lake - Hornindalsvatnet.

The Norwegian cruise port Eidfjord is just a small sleepy village but it stands on the edge of huge scale attractions including the largest high mountain plateau (Hardangervidda) and Norway's largest national park. Eidfjord stands on the banks of the fjord, from which it takes its name, and has attractions of its own including a 14th century church and the largest collection of ancient graves in western Norway at its Viking Burial Place.

Understand that Zeebrugge literally means Bruges-on-Sea and you immediately appreciate why this ferry port is also Belgium's major cruise port. A medieval jewel on the North Sea, the charming city of Bruges is just 10 miles away. Sometimes called the Venice of the North because of the picturesque criss-crossing canals on which you can enjoy fascinating and romantic boat rides, Bruges actually has a character all its own. Although it has all the facilities of a modern city - smart shops, restaurants, bars and hotels - these are all found behind the centuries-old facades and weathered gables of the historic buildings at the city's heart. Bruges is rightly famous for its exquisite lacework, tasty chocolate and huge range of local beers while, from Zeebrugge, you can also visit another historic city, Ghent, the capital Brussels, and historic battlefield sites such as Waterloo and Ypres.

The city center is a charming mix of old city walls and a large modern shopping centre. With multiple restaurants, museums, cinemas and theatres there is plenty to be explored. Time spent at embarkation and disembarkation ports may be limited which may restrict availability of shore excursions.