Geiranger-Hellesylt Ferry

After walking around the Geiranger we continue the trip on the ferry which will take us to Hellesylt. This is not a transport line, but a tourist one, so navigation only lasts from April 1 to October 31 and fares are significantly higher than on regular ferry crossings. The length of the route is about 20 kilometers, the travel time is 50 minutes.

The Bolsøy ferry from Hellesilt has just docked. There are a lot of passengers, although it is the second half of August and the peak tourist season has already passed.

Geiranger, located at the very end of the most picturesque Geirangerfjord, was left astern. Visiting this cozy corner left one of the most vivid memories of my entire trip to Norway.

During the year, the Geirangerfjord is visited by hundreds of cruise ships, except vessels of regular lines, Hurtigruten, that come here daily. Today at the anchorage could be seen Costa Luminosa liner.

The entire route runs along steep mountain slopes or sheer cliffs 600-800 meters high.

The highlight of the boat trips on the Geirangerfjord is its waterfalls, called "the Seven sisters".

The best place to contemplate natural beauty is at the stern of the ship.

However, today the conditions for contemplation are not very comfortable, as soon as we left Geiranger, it began to rain. How many times a day the weather here changes from torrential rain to cloudless sky, it is impossible to calculate.

A strong wind has added to the rain, but you can hide from it behind the superstructure and even warm yourself at the engine room fans.

On the opposite course, we diverge from the ship Hordnorge of Hurtigruten (Norwegian for "fast route"). This passenger line was founded in 1893 to connect the Northern and southern parts of the country and was subsidized by the state as social transport. Fast boats run daily from Bergen to Kirkenes and back. With the development of the road network moving overland has become much cheaper and faster and now Hurtigruten carries mainly tourists.

If you do not want to get wet on the deck - you can watch the beauty of the fjord from the salon.

There is a cafe on the ferry, you can have a snack or drink coffee, by the way, the prices are not higher than onshore. However, as in all of Norway, everything here is much more expensive than in Central Europe.

There is a door from the cabin to the forward deck, but when I got out there, I immediately wanted to go back - there was a strong wind blowing.

The Geyranger-Hellesylt line is served by three ferry Tustna, Veøy and Bolsøy. In spring and autumn, 3-4 voyages per day are performed. From 20 may to 10 September, ferries depart from Geiranger and Hellesylt every hour and a half, the first cruise at 8:00, the last at 18:30. The ticket price for an adult passenger 280NOK (roundtrip 385NOK), car up to 6 meters in length with a driver 570NOK. (Full timetable and prices).

Ahead of us, we can see the Hellesilt pier, where we will continue our journey through Western Norway.