Bessaker - soggy boots and ferry hoots...
- pangani9
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Day 49: Tuesday 16th June, 2026
Awoke to a dry but chilly day...anchor up, and off we went into the busy shipping channel of Grandevike...Past the Kjeungskaer Lighthouse, (I think I am developing a worrying love of lighthouses), which sits on a tiny skerry off Orlandet - where the waters can turn stormy, as the calm waters of Trondheimsfjord meet the more unpredictable waters of the Norwegian Sea. Built in 1880, the lighthouse was manned up until 1987 and now can be visited by eager tourists or rented for a skerry stay...
From Grandvike northward into Linesfjord - from open stretches of water with their associated sea swells and wind (which feel a bit alien these days), and speeding Naval ships...
...to narrow rocky passes, bridges and windfarms...
...until we reached the small coastal village of Bessekar...where the Captain took the sails down..and also spotted a golden eagle sitting on a marker post...
...and once in, we tied up to their small guest pontoon...
...and went ashore for a walk...up the Vettantrapa - the 951 wooden steps that took us to Vettan peak (funded by the philanthropic foundation of Hurtigruten - but more of that later) ...with initial views of Bessakersund and another naval vessel speeding by...
...and a sweet little lochan with its miniature houses...
...but as we reached the top, the rain began to fall and a thick mizzly mist came in... so down we looped, over rock and heathy ground...
...and soggily returned to the boat... Where, whilst we were preparing dinner, were surprised to hear loud blasts from a passing ferry and lively Norwegian music coming from the dock... and then a surreal and moving sight of the villagers waving Norwegian flags at the hundreds of fellow flag waving passengers on the deck of the Hurtigruten ferry that nosed slowly into the bay...
...Great cheers went up and lots of loud horn blasts, for the unscheduled stop (always up the to the Captain in charge) which connects this grateful coastal community with the ships they have welcomed for generations...
Unbeknown to us Bessaker became one of the three villages that are the official stops, where the ship docks for a few hours, on Hurtigruten's new "Open Village Experiences", which was launched in July of last year. This initiative serves to combat the 'overtourism' of many European countries and give travellers a 'different, slower more meaningful way to travel rooted in genuine connection' - a sustainable experience that supports local businesses and communities that taps into the real pride Norwegians have in their local areas and traditions, which lets the traveller see real places and real ways of life. The impromptu stop that we witnessed showed how much it meant to the community and to the people on board - a real feel good moment and a treat to behold!
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