Stokmarknes, Norway: The Hurtigruten Museum

It's probably no surprise that our boat that toured the coast of Norway stopped at Stokmarknes. After all, Hurtigruten's (the ship company) is headquartered there. We didn't have much time for a top at the little town, but we could squeeze in a visit to a museum there - featuring Hurtigruten's boats. 

This facility, formally known as the Coastal Express Museum, is something like a trip back in time. The biggest attraction is MS Finnmarken, a Hurtigruten ship from 1956. It's contained in a glass house right along the waterfront, a nice building that opened in 2021. Visitors can check out the engine room, galley and staterooms among other stops. 

Also in the building is a boat from 1912. It's not the entire vessel, but it's enough for you to get a sense of what the ship was like back then.

Hurtigruten has been serving the Norwegian coast for more than a century. It's less of a lifeline for some small downs up the coast than it used to be, but it's still important in transporting goods. Getting the chance to walk the ships turned out to be more fun than I had thought it would be. We really didn't have time to see any of the town - it was a short stop on the Hurtigruten boat - but I think we hit the highlight. 

Maybe the best part of this museum is the outside design ... which can only be see from the water. So it's good to check that part out here.