BERGEN, NORWAY

Our tour will show us how the way people live in this part of Norway has changed dramatically during the last century. We will see this change vividly evident throughout the beautiful outskirts of Bergen in the fjord, lake and coastal districts.

Our tour will show us how the way people live in this part of Norway has changed dramatically during the last century. We will see this change vividly evident throughout the beautiful outskirts of Bergen in the fjord, lake and coastal districts. A century ago most of the population of Bergen survived on fishing and small farms. Today the oil and natural gas industries dominate. We will drive by the small fishing village of Aagotnes, which has developed into a community that survives by providing services and material to oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. We will also see fish farming – not only farmed salmon, but also cod. We pass small fishing villages on our way to Oygarden where we will visit the Coastal Museum and learn about the local life from the 19th century to the present day. We will enjoy a film about everyday life on the coast in the old days and an exhibition showing the time span from the old coastal fish culture up until the oil and gas exploration of today. After a local treat – coffee with lappes (pancakes with strawberry jam and sour cream) – we will see another film. This is about the construction of the impressive Troll platform – the world’s biggest offshore gas platform. We will see the amazing engineering skills of the Norwegian contractors. On the way back to Bergen we have a short stop at the gas terminal at Kollsnes, where natural gas is pumped from beneath the ocean at the Troll field outside Bergen and then distributed to Europe. We will then continue with a scenic coach tour of this charming area before returning to our ship.

This tour requires little walking – we will be at the Museum approximately two hours. The exhibit is located on the second floor of the museum (approximately 20 steps); there is a small lift connecting the two floors, which we can not guarantee will be in use.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2008 NORWAY CRUISES