Coastal Ferry Day 3
Trondheim & Rørvik
On today’s stretch of sailing, you will be taking the longest journey from port to port. Beforehand, though, you have three hours to explore the incredible city of Trondheim. Trondheim is one of the most historic cities in Norway, and Nidaros Cathedral is not to be missed. It is a 9 hour journey to Rorvik after leaving Trondheim but not to worry – the journey is very scenic.
On this day of sailing...
2:45am - 3am
Kristiansund
7th port - 63 degrees north - population 22,000
About Kristiansund
Kristiansund receive a town charter and trading rights in 1742, making it one of the ‘newer’ towns along the Norwegian coast. The Danish-Norwegian King Christian VI was the one who gave the town rights; he also gave the town its name.
However, Kristiansund is a very old place. It is believed that Kristiansund is one of the earliest permanent settlements in Norway. The town was previously known as Fosna, and the Fosna culture goes back to approximately 8000BC.
Kristiansund was founded on clipfish (klippfisk, dried and salted cod). The process was introduced by a Dutchman in the 1690s, and during the 18th century the production of klippfisk became a major industry. Boats came in from the sea with salted fish that was washed before being salted once more and then hung to dry on rocks. The fish was then put into a press for two weeks to allow the salted water to drain. A lot of the klippfisk was exported to Spain.
At the end of April 1940, Kristiansund was subjected to almost four days of bombing from the Luftwaffe and the town lay almost in ruins. The reason for the bombing was that the Nazis believed the King and government were in town (they weren’t). Five people were killed and 800 buildings were destroyed.
You will be in Kristiansund for one hour, which gives enough time to explore.
9:45am - 12:45pm
Trondheim
8th port - 63.2 degrees north - population 210,000
About Trondheim
In the morning you arrive at Trondheim. There is enough time to walk to Nidaros Cathedral and back, but you need to have a moderate level of fitness as it’s approximately 2.5km one way. Alternatively, you can take part in one of the excursions there instead.
Excursions
Before and after docking in Trondheim: Munkholmen
Munkholmen is a small island just outside of Trondheim. The coastal ferry will do a point of interest talk about the island on the way into Trondheim, but you will also see it as you leave Trondheim.
Munkholmen has been a known place since the Old Norse Sagas. It was first mentioned in the 9th century as a court used by the settlement of Nidaros. Eventually it became a monastery and is considered Norway’s oldest known monastery. It was a Benedictine monastery until the Reformation.
In the 17th century the island was converted into a fortress and prison. The French writer Victor Hugo wrote the novel The Prison at Munkholmen based on the captivity of Peder Schumacher Griffenfeld. During World War II, the Nazis built anti-aircraft installations at the island.
There is so much to say about Munkholmen, and you can read our detailed historic overview below.
Trondheimsfjord
For the next couple of hours you’ll be sailing out of the Trondheimsfjord, the third-longest fjord in Norway.
+40 minutes after Trondheim: Hestkjær Lighthouse
On the port side you’ll be able to see Hestkjær Lighthouse. It was built in 1960 with concrete and has a range of 15 nautical miles. It was automated in 1986.
+1 hour 10 minutes after Trondheim: Fosen Shipyard
Fosen shipyard is a historic shipyard that is used for many ships in Norway, including Hurtigruten. The founder of the shipyard was Jens Peter Bye, who came from a poor background. At the age of 14, he went to sea as a galley boy and cook. He learned about trade and met many people in the shipping circles. He sailed as a crewmember and got his Masters Certificate at the age of 21, the same year he bought his first ship. He got more ships and sailed along Norway. In 1961, he got a loan to buy a small shipyard. His first delivery was a complete success and he got a lot of attention. The yard eventually expanded. The exclusive apartment/cruise ship “The World” was built at Fosen.
+2 hours 33 minutes after Trondheim: Kjeungskjæret Lighthouse.
This distinctive lighthouse will be a point of interest talk by the Expedition Team. The lighthouse was built in 1880 and was manned by keepers and their families until 1947. In 1987, the lighthouse became fully automated.
+4 hours after Trondheim: Stokksundet
Stokksundet is a famous passage on the sailing journey. The ship will travel through a narrow sound; at the narrowest point, it is 45m wide. Keep an eye out for the red Stokksund church on the starboard side; it is a distinctive church from 1825.
+6 hours 55 minutes after Trondheim: Villa Lighthouse
Villa Lighthouse is a unique stone lighthouse built in granite from 1838. It was the first lighthouse to be built north of Trondheim. It was probably the last ‘coal-flame’ lighthouse to built as after that oil-fired lights became more common. The lighthouse was built by 70 men who used more than 59,700 stone blocks.
9:40pm - 10pm
Rørvik
9th port - 64.8 degrees north - population 3,226
About Rørvik
Rørvik grew thanks to the increase in steamships going up and down the Norwegian coast. When permanent routes were established along the Norwegian coast, Rørvik was centrally located in active fishing grounds.
Rørvik has an interesting history, which you can read about on our separate travel guide page.
What You See From the Ship
From the ship, you’ll see the coastal museum, Norveg. The museum building is beautiful; it’s designed to look like a sailing ship. You’ll also see the newly constructed Rørvik church.