A NORWAY PASSAGE: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VOYAGE Shown at Explorers Club Polar Film Festival, Now thru 12/2

A Norway Passage: The Most Beautiful Voyage is a film that takes viewers on an 1,100-mile odyssey, showing off Norway's spectacularly scenic west coast and describing the country's 120-year history of coastal ferry service, vital to the people living along the 34-port route. And it is being showcased at The Explorers Club's inaugural Polar Film Festival in NY from today, Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. The film follows a sailing aboard the 451-berth MS Nordnorge, one of 11 Hurtigruten ships that make the 12-day round trip between the cosmopolitan city of Bergen and Kirkenes, on Russia's border high above the Arctic Circle.

Showcasing a diverse collection of feature films, documentaries and shorts about and from the Arctic and Antarctica, the festival's focus is to explore the history and grandeur of Earth's polar regions as well as the environmental challenges they are facing. The event is open to the public and will take place at the club's headquarters – 46 East 70th St. A program schedule is available at www.explorers.org. Information on A Norway Passage is available at www.hurtigruten.us.

Known as Hurtigruten's Coastal Voyage, the trip (and film) features an ever-changing landscape of small fishing villages in the rugged Lofoten Islands; Art Nouveau Alesund; the medieval Viking capital of Trondheim; the western fjords, with UNESCO-listed Geiranger leading the way; the wonderful coast of Helgeland; Tromsø, the Gateway to the Arctic; and the North Cape. A Norway Passage is an opportunity for travelers and non-travelers alike to be immersed in a visual delight, as the HD film, set against the midnight sun, portrays what is considered by several top travel publications as "the world's most beautiful voyage."

A Norway Passage isdrawn from the award-winning, Guinness record-breaking, 134-hour live program called Minutt for Minutt. Produced by NRK, Norway's national broadcaster, that program was aired in 2011 and seen by 6 million viewers in 148 countries. The hour-long A Norway Passage has been developed by Tony Judge, producer on A Prairie Home Companion, in partnership with Hurtigruten, for distribution to dozens of public (PBS) television stations across the United States. More than 80% of U.S. households will be able to see it. Dates and times of the airings vary by market, with the bulk of the shows appearing over the next few months. Specific times can be found on a viewer's local PBS station website or on Hurtigruten's website.

Hurtigruten is a world leader in expedition voyages, sailing to the most remote of destinations, including Antarctica, Greenland and the Arctic's Spitsbergen as well as year round along Norway's coast and Europe in the spring and fall. The company's fleet of 12 intimate ships, which each carry 100 to 646 guests, allows travelers to enjoy the scenery and culture of the destination in a relaxed atmosphere. Additional information, brochures and reservations can be obtained from travel agents or Hurtigruten's visitor-friendly website, www.hurtigruten.us; by phone at 877-301-3117; or fax at 888-524-2145. To order brochures 24 hours a day, call 800-582-0835.