Mystical mountain and something fishy in Brønnøysund
Cruise lines were yesterday introduced to Brønnøysund in Norway, visiting the Norwegian Aquaculture Centre at Toft followed by a hiking tour of Mountain Torghatten, during a familiarisation trip coordinated by Cruise Norway.
Brønnøysund, situated in the southernmost part of Northern Norway, appears mainly on winter itineraries, the Gulf Stream bringing mild to moderate temperatures.
A new medical facility opened last year in the region, which includes air medical services.
Tracing a new path
Sherpas are working on installing a new stone paved track up to the 255mtr-high Mountain Torghatten on Torget island, around 15km from Brønnøysund. Piereced by a 160 mtr-long, 35-mtr high and 15-20 mtr-wide tunnel formed during the Scandinavian Ice Age, it is the destination’s key attraction for cruise passengers, according to Trine Saltermark, cruise coordinator, Visit Helgeland,
One pathway leading up to the mountain has already been renewed, bringing passengers along a comfortable hiking path for the the 30-minute journey it takes to get to the hole.
The second path is set to open by summer 2024, with almost a full month of rain in July 2022 causing damage to the preexisting paths, according to Sølvi Kristoffersen, port director, Port of Brønnøysund.
Further developments underway at the site include new roads leading to the base of the mountain and WC. There is discussion locally about lighting up the hole for darker days.
Cruise passengers may climb to the mountain top for panoramic views, after an easy walk along a beach scattered with rocks from the rise of the Caledonian Mountain Chain. An ‘Extreme Torghatten’ tour brings passengers through the hole and to the peak, which can be combined with a bike tour to or from the harbour or a rib boat tour.
For persons with reduced mobility, a comfortable path affords views of the mountain.
On descent, passengers may be met with refreshments, such as tea/coffee and lefse – a traditional Norwegian bread – with a recipe distributed for the latter. The nearby Strand restaurant, one of two located within walking distance of the foot of the mountain, serves up its own homegrown produce.
Tours to the mountain are suitable in winter, with the exception of entering the hole due to risk of falling rock and ice.
The number of guides varies between 20-25 depending on the time of year; they speak a combination of English, German and French, with French-speaking guides making up the fewest number at around two.
The mountain attracts 100,000 visitors every year.
Norwegian Aquaculture Centre at Toft
Depending on the weather, the Norwegian Aquaculture Centre at Toft conducts tours year-round to a maximum of 40 passengers at one time, comprising two groups of 20 passengers. 400 is the highest number of passengers it has catered to in a single day, arriving on 10 buses.
Here, passengers can learn about the biology and lifecycle of salmon, its challenges, and how the salmon farming industry has changed over the last half a century, as well as discovering the importance of salmon farming to the Norwegian economy (70% of all Atlantic salmon on our planet comes from Norway.)
Arnfinn Torgnes, the company’s CEO who has been in the salmon farming industry for mor than 40 years, explains that there are 892 fish on the site. Passengers can fillet and grill thee fish at the facility in a tour lasting 1.5 hours, which includes browsing the centre’s salmon farming museum, aquarium, watching a 10-minute film sharing the story of salmon farming inside a small cinema, and time at the gift shop and restaurant. The tour can be combined with a city sighting trip, lasting 2.5 hours.
‘Only 5% percent of what we eat on Earth is seafood – we need to produce much more seafood, in a sustainable way,’ says Torgnes. ‘Aquaculture will be the new oil for Norway [the country’s biggest export] and we have a responsibility to that, so it’s a good thing to visit us.’
New tours
Numerous Viking artefacts have been discovered at Brønnøysund. Over the next two years, this will be developed as an attraction, with Saltermark stating, ‘We don’t want to copy anyone else we want to be authentic,’ indicating the Viking-related museums and attractions found elsewhere in Norway.
A horseback riding tour is new for 2023, as well as a bike tour, with some tours being reinstated after they were stopped during Covid.
The destination is working on more winter products, says Mia Bjørgen, tourism coordinator, Visit Helgeland.
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