Hurtigruten (or Hurtigruta) is a Norwegian coastal transport service which is over a hundred years old. Hurtigruten or Coastal Express was established in 1893 by the North Norwegian steamship company Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskap as a weekly sailing route between Trondheim and Kirkenes in Norway. Aided by government subsidies, Hurtigruten expanded its route to the current 11-day round trip between Bergen and Kirkenes, which includes 32 other ports. Hurtigruten has played an important role providing the long Norwegian coast with reliable transport services for goods and people. It still plays an important role even though other types of transport (on roads and in air) are taking over. Today Hurtigruten is recognised as one of Europe's biggest attractions and is internationally acknowledged as the "world's most beautiful sea voyage". It was operated by OVDS and TFDS up to 2005. The two companies merged in December 2005 and called themselves the Hurtigruten Group.

Fleet

• MS Midnatsol
• MS Trollfjord
• MS Finnmarken
• MS Nordnorge
• MS Polarlys
• MS Nordkapp
• MS Nordlys
• MS Richard With
• MS Kong Harald
• MS Vesterålen
• MS Narvik
• MS Lofoten
• MS Nordstjernen
• MS Lyngen

The classical coastal steamer vessel Finnmarken (previous to the current vessel by the same name) built in 1956, is now a public museum for tourists on land used to show how the hurtigruten have been used over the years. A new Finnmarken has been issued since and added to the fleet above.

Sailing list

In the sequence of the northerly passage.

Bergen Florø Måløy Torvik Ålesund (Geiranger)- (only summer) Molde Kristiansund Trondheim Rørvik Brønnøysund Sandnessjøen

Nesna Ørnes Bodø Stamsund Svolvær Stokmarknes Sortland Risøyhamn Harstad Finnsnes Tromsø Skjervøy

Øksfjord Hammerfest Havøysund Honningsvåg Kjøllefjord Mehamn Berlevåg Båtsfjord Vardø Vadsø Kirkenes

External links

• Hurtigruten

Companies of Norway | Transport in Norway

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