Star Collector: Endless Days of the North Sea & Iceland

Surrounded by mountains and sparkling fjords, the waterside city of Bergen has a spectacular setting. There has been a settlement here since medieval times and the colourful waterfront buildings of the Hanseatic wharf, known as Bryggen, are testament to its fascinating history of trade. As Norway’s best known medieval settlement, the Bryggen is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Our comprehensive selection of excursions allows you to discover the many sides of Bergen, such as the fish market and narrow cobbled streets, as well as stunning views of the city from the summit of Mt Fløyen. Alternatively, those who have visited the city previously may like to experience one of the tours that travel further afield. Just 300 yards from the main piers, you will find the Fortress Museum (Fesningsmuseum), which has an interesting collection of objects related to World War II.

Colorful Bryggen, Bergen's Hanseatic quay and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is so delightful you may find it difficult to explore further. But do. Watch the Huldras (forest nymphs) dance at Kjosfossen Waterfall, wander the narrow smau between the old buildings climbing the hillside.

Founded by Dutch fishermen in the 17th century, Lerwick today is a busy town and administrative center. Handsome stone buildings—known as lodberries—line the harbor; they provided loading bays for goods, some of them illegal. The town's twisting flagstone lanes and harbor once heaved with activity, and Lerwick is still an active port today. This is also where most visitors to Shetland dock, spilling out of cruise ships, allowing passengers to walk around the town.

The Shetland Islands may only have one town, and it's small, but as you already know, good things come in small packages. There are seabird colonies and sea mammals galore, along with a windswept beauty that's refreshing in its simplicity. History buffs can investigate 400-year-old castles or Iron Age ruins. Or meet the tiny ponies that share the islands' name.

In bustling Kirkwall, the main town on Orkney, there's plenty to see in the narrow, winding streets extending from the harbor. The cathedral and some museums are highlights.

Everything about Orkney is olde, from the 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae (the "Scottish Pompeii") to the peat-distilled whisky at Highland Park to the UNESCO site of the Ring of Brodgar, dating back to 2700 B.C. Even the local brogue hints at times past, accented by the area's Viking legacy.

Discover the uninhabited Island of Skjoldungen, surrounded by a stunning fjord. Its stunning landscape brings together mountains, glacial valleys, rocky outcrops, tundra and willow forests, creating an unmissable show. In this pristine landscape is also quite common to see bearded seals, orcas and birds such as the common redpoll, the northern wheatear, or the common raven.

Located at the end of picturesque Lusterfjord with its emerald-green waters from melting glaciers, Skjolden is nestled between Norway's highest mountain range, Jotunheimen National Park and two glaciers. It is home to the wooden, 12th century Urnes Stave Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

See the aqua blue ice of the Jostedal Glacier cascading down the stunning Oldedalen Valley, as you navigate the spindly fjords of Norway. Feel your breath catching in your throat, as you sail into this world of wonder, and the dramatic fjord scenery and interlocking valleys inspire you. The village of Olden opens up some of Norway's most majestic natural wonders, from the glacier - which is mainland Europe's largest - to the sloshing waterfalls that run off it, and the bowing forests that sway all around it. A visit to picturesque Olden is all thrilling panoramas and hikes through wildflower sprinkled trails. The Briksdalsbreen arm of ice, reaches out from the main glacier, and sits around an hour's stroll from the village of Olden itself - regular busses can also take you there. Snaking through steep-sided valleys, you can enjoy a walk close to the foot of the ice, and feel the spray of the waterfalls that plummet nearby, as you breathe in some of the freshest air you’ve ever tasted. The crisp glacial meltwater is so clean and pure that it’s bottled up to be sold across Norway.

The pleasant small village of Olden is located at the inner end of the 66-mile long Nordfjord, the sixth longest fjord in Norway.   Long known for tourism and industry, it is now also famous for contemporary design.  With fewer than 500 inhabitants Olden is an ideal destination for people who enjoy spending time in the great outdoors, and is the gateway to Jostedal, the largest glacier on the European mainland. If you can, find a bottle of Olden Mineral Water, as close as you will get to a glacier on tap.

The coastal town of Ålesund is the commercial capital of the Møre og Romsdal district. But more important, it is noted for its characteristic Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) buildings, which some claim make Ålesund one of the most beautiful towns in Norway. This Art Nouveau style emerged when the town was completely rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1904 destroyed nearly 800 buildings and left 10,000 residents homeless. It is said that the fire started by a tipped oil lamp. Rebuilding was carried out with the help of many young, foreign architects who added their own flourishes to the architectural blend of German Jugendstil and Viking roots. Today, narrow streets are crammed with buildings topped with turrets, spires and gables that bear decorations of dragonheads and curlicues. As one of the few remaining Art Nouveau towns in the world, in 1998 Ålesund was awarded the coveted Houens National Memorial Prize for the preservation of its unique architecture.

At the entrance to spectacular Geirangerfjord, Alesund has been voted the most beautiful town in Norway, and not only because of its location. The town burned to the ground in 1904 and was rebuilt in Art Nouveau style, with a few added elements from Nordic mythology - a longboat here, an image of Thor there.

Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.Reykjavík's name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there's no smoke around. You may notice, however, that the hot water brings a slight sulfur smell to the bathroom.Prices are easily on a par with other major European cities. A practical option is to purchase a Reykjavík City Card at the Tourist Information Center or at the Reykjavík Youth Hostel. This card permits unlimited bus usage and admission to any of the city's seven pools, the Family Park and Zoo, and city museums. The cards are valid for one (ISK 3,300), two (ISK 4,400), or three days (ISK 4,900), and they pay for themselves after three or four uses a day. Even lacking the City Card, paying admission (ISK 500, or ISK 250 for seniors and people with disabilities) to one of the city art museums (Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, or Ásmundarsafn) gets you free same-day admission to the other two.

The world's most northerly capital enjoys almost 24-hour sunlight in summer, all the better to show off the city's eclectic architecture and dazzling natural wonders. Soak in the milky Blue Lagoon, visit Guilfoss Waterfall, find Pingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site , or explore the surprisingly vibrant local museum and art scene.

Two colossal terraces of sheer rock stand either side of this extraordinarily located town - which rides a jutting spit onto an immensity of black fjord water. Surprisingly, considering the remoteness of its location and its compact size, Isafjordur is a modern and lively place to visit, offering a great choice of cafes and delicious restaurants – which are well stocked to impress visitors. The town is a perfectly located base for adventures amongst Iceland's fantastic wilderness - with skiing, hiking and water-sports popular pursuits among visitors.

Small and easily walkable Isafjordur has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland. But the sever decline of the fishing industry has caused Isafjordur to look elsewhere for work. Despite its small size, this town has a school of music and has become a center for alternative music and they host a yearly festival that provides a platform for local musicians, band from around Iceland and the world to perform.

Akureyri, called the Capital of the North is the second largest urban area in Iceland, and a lively one at that. Hemmed by the 60-km (37-mile) long Eyjafjörður, Akureyri is sheltered from the ocean winds and embraced by mountains on three sides. Late 19th-century wooden houses impart a sense of history, and the twin spires of a modern Lutheran church rising on a green hill near the waterfront, provide a focal point. To the south of Akureyri is the pyramid-shape rhyolite mountain Súlur. Beyond it is Kerling, the highest peak in Eyjafjörður District.

Akureyri is an important port and fisheries center especially because of its ice-free harbor so close to the Arctic Circle.  It lies at the end of Iceland's longest fjord, which is 37 miles long, at sits at the base of snowcapped peaks that offer some of Iceland's best skiing during the winter.  Must-sees in Akureyri include the Listagil (art canyon) which is home to many arts and crafts galleries and shops, the beautiful church in the center of town, the botanical garden, and Hafnarstraeti, the main shopping street.This is also the perfect place to ride an Icelandic horse or soak in the sky-blue Myvatn Nature Baths.

Seyðisfjörður, a beautiful 19th-century Norwegian village on the east coast of Iceland, is regarded by many as one of Iceland's most picturesque towns, not only due to its impressive environment, but also because nowhere in Iceland has a community of old wooden buildings been preserved so well as here. Poet Matthías Johannessen called Seyðisfjörður a 'pearl enclosed in a shell'. The community owes its origins to foreign merchants, mainly Danes, who started trading in the fjord in the mid-19th century. But the crucial factor in the evolution of the village was the establishment of the Icelandic herring fishery by Norwegians in 1870-1900. The Norwegians built up a number of herring-fishing facilities, and in a matter of years the little community grew into a boom town. Today, about 800 people live in Seyðisfjörður. The local economy has long been based on the fisheries, while light industry also flourishes. Tourism is playing a growing role, as the picturesque town in its spectacular surroundings attracts more and more visitors. The car/passenger ferry Norrøna, which plies between continental Europe and Iceland every summer, docks at Seyðisfjörður every Thursday. Seyðisfjörður has been a cosmopolitan community from its foundation, and the ferry service has contributed to ensuring that it remains so.

Seydisfjord is 11 miles of long, narrow, beautiful waterway surrounded by high mountains that ends at the town of Seydisfjordur, known for its old multi-colored wooden buildings and cascading waterfalls even in the town.  This is home of the Skalanes Nature Reserve with its wide variety of wildlife including more than 45 bird species.  The first high-voltage electricity in Iceland was opened here in 1913 and is still in operation today. A popular hiking path starts at the town center, following the east bank of the Fjardara River that flows through the center of town.

Seyðisfjörður, a beautiful 19th-century Norwegian village on the east coast of Iceland, is regarded by many as one of Iceland's most picturesque towns, not only due to its impressive environment, but also because nowhere in Iceland has a community of old wooden buildings been preserved so well as here. Poet Matthías Johannessen called Seyðisfjörður a 'pearl enclosed in a shell'. The community owes its origins to foreign merchants, mainly Danes, who started trading in the fjord in the mid-19th century. But the crucial factor in the evolution of the village was the establishment of the Icelandic herring fishery by Norwegians in 1870-1900. The Norwegians built up a number of herring-fishing facilities, and in a matter of years the little community grew into a boom town. Today, about 800 people live in Seyðisfjörður. The local economy has long been based on the fisheries, while light industry also flourishes. Tourism is playing a growing role, as the picturesque town in its spectacular surroundings attracts more and more visitors. The car/passenger ferry Norrøna, which plies between continental Europe and Iceland every summer, docks at Seyðisfjörður every Thursday. Seyðisfjörður has been a cosmopolitan community from its foundation, and the ferry service has contributed to ensuring that it remains so.

Seydisfjord is 11 miles of long, narrow, beautiful waterway surrounded by high mountains that ends at the town of Seydisfjordur, known for its old multi-colored wooden buildings and cascading waterfalls even in the town.  This is home of the Skalanes Nature Reserve with its wide variety of wildlife including more than 45 bird species.  The first high-voltage electricity in Iceland was opened here in 1913 and is still in operation today. A popular hiking path starts at the town center, following the east bank of the Fjardara River that flows through the center of town.

It’s hard to imagine, as you stroll Heimaey’s idyllic streets of white wooden houses, that this island was literally torn apart by a spectacular volcanic eruption, just over 40 years ago. The fact that you can visit incredible Heimaey at all is something of a miracle – because the oozing lava of the Eldfell volcano threatened to seal the harbour off completely. Fortunately, its advance was halted by gallons of seawater, pumped onto it by the plucky islanders, who saved their fishing industry in the process. Iceland's famous for its scenery, and the huge castles of volcanic rock that rise out of the sea's waves here are some of the country's most dramatic.

Witness a world still in transition. Circle Surtsey Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which rose from the sea in the 1960s. Next up, Heimaey, where a volcanic eruption created a modern-day Pompeii in 1973.

Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.Reykjavík's name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there's no smoke around. You may notice, however, that the hot water brings a slight sulfur smell to the bathroom.Prices are easily on a par with other major European cities. A practical option is to purchase a Reykjavík City Card at the Tourist Information Center or at the Reykjavík Youth Hostel. This card permits unlimited bus usage and admission to any of the city's seven pools, the Family Park and Zoo, and city museums. The cards are valid for one (ISK 3,300), two (ISK 4,400), or three days (ISK 4,900), and they pay for themselves after three or four uses a day. Even lacking the City Card, paying admission (ISK 500, or ISK 250 for seniors and people with disabilities) to one of the city art museums (Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, or Ásmundarsafn) gets you free same-day admission to the other two.

The world's most northerly capital enjoys almost 24-hour sunlight in summer, all the better to show off the city's eclectic architecture and dazzling natural wonders. Soak in the milky Blue Lagoon, visit Guilfoss Waterfall, find Pingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site , or explore the surprisingly vibrant local museum and art scene.