From Scotland to Spitsbergen

Explore Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, set in the Clyde Valley. Navigate the city’s grid-style streets with ease as you pass historic buildings and modern art spaces. Walk along busy pedestrian areas lined with Victorian landmarks and lively shops. Step inside the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to view diverse collections, from fine art to natural history. Visit other museums and galleries across the city to better understand Glasgow’s rich cultural background and industrial roots.

Visit Iona, one of the Inner Hebrides’ most historic and peaceful islands. Known as the place where St. Columba arrived from Ireland in 563 to spread Christianity across Scotland, Iona holds deep spiritual significance. Explore the abbey that now stands on the site of his original monastery. Nearby, walk through the cemetery where several Scottish kings, including Macbeth, are laid to rest. When the sun is out, the island's calm scenery and coastal views create a striking and memorable setting.

In Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, on the legendary Isle of Lewis, Callanish dazzles and surprises, fascinates and questions. On the eastern coast of the island, where land and sea rub shoulders and clash in the tumult of wild nature, discover the Callanish Stones megalithic site. No fewer than 51 stones stand in the middle of the peat fields. Deliberately arranged about 5,000 years ago, they are a mysterious testimony to the Stone Age. There are many theories as to the purpose of these stones — a place of worship, a lunar calendar, an astronomic observatory or a healing center — but they remain an enigma. The singular atmosphere of this site lends itself to all sorts of interpretations, to all sorts of dreams and musings.

A conical dry stone tower dating back to the end of the Iron Age, the Broch of Mousa is one of the many buildings constructed in the Highlands and in the Hebrides, Orkney , and Shetland archipelagos to fend off invaders. Constructed circa 100 BC, it is the tallest broch still standing, at 13 meters (almost 43 feet), and the best-preserved in Europe. Its excellent state of preservation can be explained, among other factors, by its isolated location and its massive construction: it has a single entrance passage and thick walls, with a diameter that is smaller than that of other brochs. The building was used over the centuries and is mentioned in the Norse sagas, Egil's Saga and the Orkneyinga Saga.

During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique, or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest, and entertainment.

Way beyond the Arctic Circle, the Lofoten Islands are truly considered to be in “another world”. A jewel of nature in its most pristine state, this archipelago with its jagged coastline offers you majestic settings of high alpine summits, sandy beaches, green prairies, and fjords of a deep blue, where countless bird colonies make their nests. Whether you visit Å or Nusjford, listed by UNESCO, enjoy authentic and memorable moments.

According to legend, trolls were the guardians of this 2-km-long fjord accessible via the Raftsund Strait, between the Vesteralen Archipelago and the Lofoten Islands. Dominated on both sides by vertical rock faces that stand up to 1,000 meters high in parts, Trollfjorden welcomes you in a magical atmosphere , which its narrowness helps to create. During this unforgettable journey, you will indeed have the impression that you’re grazing the surrounding mountains and that you’ll never see the end of this marine cul-de-sac. After a delicate U-turn, your ship will finally head back in the opposite direction: this will perhaps be the opportunity to observe, for want of trolls, seals, and eagles, which are often present in this site, unique on earth.

Located on the island of Austvagoy, in the county of Nordland, Svolvær will be your ideal entry point for discovering the Lofoten islands. An important stopover to the north of Norway, fishing is one of the town’s main features. And its speciality is? Cod. A picturesque white Lutherian church rests atop a hillside ridge, overlooking the town's multi-colored houses. Still higher, the “The Solvær Goat” mountain looks over the town from its rocky heights. Topped with two peaks like the horns of an animal, it is one of the region’s must-see natural attractions.

Located on the island of Austvagoy, in the county of Nordland, Svolvær will be your ideal entry point for discovering the Lofoten islands. An important stopover to the north of Norway, fishing is one of the town’s main features. And its specialty is? Cod. A picturesque white Lutheran church rests atop a hillside ridge, overlooking the town's multi-colored houses. Still higher, the “The Solvær Goat” mountain looks over the town from its rocky heights. Topped with two peaks like the horns of an animal, it is one of the region’s must-see natural attractions.

In the north of the Arctic Circle, you’ll discover Tromso, a secluded town located in the county of Troms. Norwegians call it the “Paris of the north”. You’ll soon see why when you discover its extensive neoclassical architectural heritage. A stunning example is the Arctic Cathedral, a major monument whose stylistic purity echoes the outline of the mountains surrounding the town.

Halfway between Norway and Spitsbergen, you will sail not far from the coastlines of Bjornoya, the southernmost island of Svalbard. From your ship, observe this isolated piece of land discovered in 1596 by the Dutch navigator Willem Barents, then looking for the Northwest Passage. Following a tough fight between a polar bear and the members of the expedition, he dubbed the place Bear Island. Regularly covered by a thick layer of fog, Bjornoya shelters a meteorological station built in 1923, which is still in operation. Declared a nature reserve in 2002, the island is above all home to an enormous colony of sea birds: skuas, guillemots, puffins, Tridactyl gulls, petrels, gulls, and little auks all coexist here.

Set sail for southwest Spitsbergen, immerse yourself in this environment unlike any other and explore its unexpected riches. In this natural sanctuary, the polar light combines with the changing weather of the Arctic, a big blue sky, the horizon scattered with clouds, the enveloping mist erasing the border between the land and the sea. Follow in the footsteps of the first explorers and admire the majestic fjords and glaciers sculpting the breathtaking landscapes, their icy waters shimmering beneath the midnight sun. The fjords, veritable cathedrals of ice, reveal their millennial secrets, while the glaciers, like sleeping giants, move slowly towards the sea, setting free sparkling icebergs. On the water, you might spot belugas and rorquals, while on the shores, seals and Arctic foxes add a touch of mystery to this living tableau, where the steep cliffs become breeding grounds for thousands of seabirds, like guillemots. Southwest Spitsbergen is an ode to nature in its rawest and purest form.

Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.