Veøy & Bolsøy – two sisters on the fjord

Welcome on board. As you stand here looking out over the fjord, you are not just travelling from one place to another. You are part of a living piece of Norwegian transport history. The ferries you are travelling with – Bolsøy and Veøy – are among the very last classic fjord ferries from the 1970s still in operation today. Bolsøy was built in 1971 at Hatlø Shipyard in Ulsteinvik, while Veøy followed in 1974. At the time, they represented something entirely new. A ferry journey was no longer just about getting from A to B – it was meant to be an experience. That’s why these vessels were designed with bright, spacious observation lounges on the upper deck, featuring large windows and panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. This was a clear contrast to the darker passenger areas below the car deck, which had been the norm until then. As you move around on board, you may notice that much of the original character has been carefully preserved. Bolsøy still operates with her original Wichmann engines from 1971, and parts of the interior feel like stepping into a true maritime time capsule. These ferries have served several important routes along the coast of Møre og Romsdal, before finding their natural home here in the Geirangerfjord. Today, they are maintained by Fjord1 as valuable cultural heritage vessels in one of the world’s most iconic landscapes. So as you now glide quietly between steep mountains and cascading waterfalls, you are not only travelling through a UNESCO World Heritage Site – you are also travelling through history.