Where Hanseatic ships once exchanged stockfish for flour and textiles, your expedition will begin on the HANSEATIC nature: in Bergen, old merchant houses recall the historical significance of the port city. Follow in the footsteps of the merchants and visit the popular fish market. During a hike on Floeyen*, you will see how the city and harbour nestle into the idyllic landscape. Discover religious and cultural heritage with the Fantoft Stave Church and composer Edvard Grieg*, whose Victorian-style house has been converted into a museum.

The “gateway to the fjords” lives up to its name: the landscape becomes ever more spectacular, reaching its first highlight in the Geirangerfjord, one of the world’s most famous fjords. Marvel at the snow-covered peaks and the high rock faces as you stand on the deck. What stories could the thundering waterfalls tell, with names like “Seven Sisters” and “The Suitor”? On the excursion to Dalsnibba and “Eagle’s Bend”*, you can look forward to a sensationally clear view at more than 1,400 m (4,593 ft). Experience the expanse, calm and fresh air from a different perspective on a kayak tour on the Geirangerfjord* as a striking cosmos of steep, rugged walls and narrow shores open up before you like a natural canvas. After a last look at one of the plunging waterfalls, the HANSEATIC nature will set a course for the Arctic Circle.

In the Lofotens, from Svolvaer you will reach the fishing village of Henningsvaer*, where little red houses will colour your many impressions. Be transported back 1,000 years at the Viking museum in Borg* with its historic long house. An evening stroll through the streets of Svolvaer will show you what modern life is like in the island group. The next morning you will cruise the narrow Trollfjord, its mouth only 100 m (328 ft) wide. Tranoey is another stunning part of the Lofotens: the small village’s lighthouse provides a fantastic view of the Vestfjord and its spectacular mountain surroundings.

The maritime centre of the North Cape region, Honningsvag offers a picturesque contrast between colourful houses and rugged landscape that you will explore up-close on a cruise to North Cape*. With a little luck and if the weather is good, you will experience the unique ambiance of the midsummer night when the low sun bathes the plateau in romantic light. As you cruise off North Cape, you can savour the moment that you reached the most northerly point on the European mainland.

On Spitsbergen, unspoilt nature will provide an extraordinary adventure in which the captain and crew set a course for new discoveries every day depending on the weather and ice conditions. The Zodiacs work tirelessly to take you to the heart of the experience. Look closely: there will be plenty of opportunities to see seals, whales, reindeer, walruses and even polar bears in their natural habitat. In isolated Spitsbergen, the HANSEATIC nature has no fixed schedule, and will follow only the call of the wild and your insatiable expeditionary spirit. Like the great pioneers, you will forge your way to the north and embark on a true search for fjords: Recherchefjord owes its name to explorers on board La Recherche (the search), who recorded the inlet in detailed drawings. Remote Ny-Alesund, an international centre for Arctic research, deserves to be immortalised in art. Explorer Roald Amundsen once set out for the North Pole here. Stunning Moellerhafen, where in 1926 sailors from Norddeutscher Lloyd set up emergency accommodation with the charming name of “Lloyd’s Hotel”, also offers plenty of adventure. Once the Magdalenefjord and Liefdefjord have drawn you under their spell with imposing icy panoramas and a view of the majestic Monaco Glacier, you might be lucky enough to spot some walruses – for example, off the small and strictly protected island of Moffen; these great moments will be your next highlight, for example on the Isfjord in sprawling fjord landscapes. You will never forget the breathtaking spectacle of one of Spitsbergen’s most beautiful fjords: Hornsund. Here nature allows you to look back on a moving expedition of almost unparalleled diversity and stunning beauty.