17-day Norwegian fjords & landscapes

Your voyage begins in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Mention Holland and most people think of tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes. In reality, Amsterdam has been a vital European cultural center since the Middle Ages.The Dutch boast that God may have made the world, but they made the Netherlands. Dams, sea gates, and the 19-mile dyke walling out the Zuider Zee have allowed the Dutch to reclaim their low-lying country from the North Sea. The marsh that originally surrounded Amsterdam steadily disappeared beneath the expanding city. Vibrant, fascinating and always alive, Amsterdam is imbued with the quality the Dutch call "gezelligheid." Explore the city's 700-year-old streets and marvel at its stepped-gable houses. Cruise down its bustling canals and browse the colorful flower markets. Did we mention that you can shop for everything from cheese and chocolates to diamonds and Delftware?

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Zuiderdam's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Your ship calls at Kristiansund, Norway.

Your ship calls at Alesund, Norway.

By the mid-19th century, European travelers were cruising the waters of the Nordfjord and visiting the village of Olden. The Romantic Movement inspired this new taste for dramatic landscape - and Norway had plenty of dramatic landscape. Then as now, travelers were impressed, moved, and not frequently overwhelmed by the stark contrast between peaceful rural farmsteads and a towering wilderness of mountain peaks and glaciers.For many years Olden was home to American landscape artist William H. Singer (1868-1943). Scion of a Pittsburgh steel family, Singer provided Olden with a road and a regional hospital.

Your ship calls at Scenic Cruising Nordfjord.

Your ship calls at Odda, Norway.

Your ship calls at Scenic cruising Hardangerfjord.

Continue your voyage aboard Zuiderdam with a leisurely day at sea.

Your ship returns to Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

Your ship calls at Maloy, Norway.

Trondheim is the third largest - and second oldest - city in Norway. The town was originally called Kaupangen upon its founding in 997 A.D. by Viking king Olav Tryggvason. The city commands the trade routes linking Southern Norway with the fjord lands to the north. Trondheim quickly became a major commercial and cultural center - the city served as Norway's royal capital.Trondheim's old city features broad avenues and attractive 17th-century wood buildings - a legacy of the rebuilding that followed a disastrous fire that leveled the city in 1681.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Zuiderdam's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Your ship calls at Nordfjordeid, Norway.

Your ship returns to Scenic Cruising Nordfjord.

Your ship calls at Skjolden, Norway.

Your ship calls at Scenic cruising Sognefjord.

Your ship calls at Eidfjord, Norway.

Your ship returns to Scenic cruising Hardangerfjord.

Norway's fourth largest city, Stavanger lies at the mouth of the Gandsfjord. The old port, attests to the sea's enduring role in Norwegian history. Here, Vikings once sailed on voyages of conquest and exploration. In later centuries, the port served as a major hub for Norway's mercantile and fishing fleets. By the mid-20th century, however, Stavanger had fallen on hard times as the fishing grounds dwindled. In 1969, the discovery of North Sea oil opened a new chapter in Stavanger's history.At the "Sword in the Rock" Monument, three giant crossed Viking swords commemorate King Harald Fair Hair's unification of Norway in 872 following his victory at the Battle of Hafrsfjord.

Continue your voyage aboard Zuiderdam with a leisurely day at sea.

Your voyage concludes in Amsterdam, Netherlands.