Costa Luminosa - Hellesylt and Geiranger

22/07/2010

Hellesylt
Hellesylt is a small village in the municipality of Stranda, Norway. Its population in 2007 was about 600. Hellesylt lies at the head of the Sunnylvsfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord (Great Fjord), and which the more famous Geirangerfjord in turn branches off nearby.
In the summertime, thousands of tourists travel through or stay at Hellesylt each day. Most of them take the ferry to Geiranger, which in high season runs every one and a half hour. The village is surrounded by mountains and valleys.

Geiranger
Geiranger is a small tourist town in the western part of Norway in the region called Sunnmøre in the municipality of Stranda. It lies at the head of the Geirangerfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord. The nearest city is Ålesund. Geiranger is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and has been named the best travel destination in Scandinavia by Lonely Planet. Since 2005, the Geirangerfjord has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This third biggest cruise-ship port receives 140 - 180 ships during the four-month tourist season. Several hundred thousand people pass through every summer, and tourism is the main business for the 250 people who live there permanently. There are five hotels and over ten camping sites. The tourist season stretches from May to early September; in the off-season the pace and activity are reduced to that of a normal small Norwegian town.
Each year in June, the Geiranger - From Fjord to Summit event occurs. It comprises a half marathon run and a bicycle race, both starting from the sea level at the fjord and ending at the 1,497 m (4,843 ft) summit of Mount Dalsnibba. As there is still a lot of snow left in the mountains at that time of year, the race could also be called From Summer to Winter.

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