Hjørundfjord

At 35 kilometres in length, the Hjørundfjord is one of the longest fjords in Norway cutting deep into the lush alpine Sunnmøre Alps. Even though the highly popular and visited mountains are a national treasure, the fjord is somewhat a secret left out of all other tourist routes.

This means you can travel past steep rock walls, green meadows, isolated mountain farms offering a window to the past and small rural communities that over and over have fought themselves back from avalanches and landslides – all without the extensive traffic from other cruise lines.

The only thing queuing up are the things to experience.

Wild valleys

And when you reach the inner parts of the fjord you are closing in on the tracks of European royals. A short bus trip from Urke in the Norangsdalen, one of the wildest and narrowest valleys of the country, is the town of Øye and the charming Hotel Union Øye. This historic residence of the Belle Époque hosted Europe’s finest since its construction in 1891. Notable guests have included Queen Wilhelmina of Holland, King Oscar II of Sweden and the German Emperor Wilhelm II.

Join the excursion

Today Hotel Union Øye is part of “De Historiske”, historic hotels & restaurants - a unique membership organization containing many of Norway’s most charming hotels and restaurants, with the relating of history forming the setting for the guests’ own overnight stay and gastronomic experience. Union Hotel is one of the stops on Hurtigruten's "A Taste of Norway" excursion.