travel Archives - Page 17 of 20

Snow covered perilous peaks laden heavily with Glaciers. Deep, dark coastal fjords. Stirring landscapes and torrid waterfalls. The home to some of the most beautiful UNESCO heritage sites in the world.

I definitely left my heart in Norway.

When we landed in Bergen to start our Norway in a nutshell tour, we were slightly apprehensive to say the least.
Did you know that Bergen has some of the highest rainfalls in Europe? Exactly.
Luckily for us, apart from a few days of drizzle, our week in this UNESCO heritage harbour city ran pretty smoothly.

We dined on freshly caught King crab, some with an astounding leg span of up to 5ft at the local fish market.
Clambered up mount Ulriken and celebrated under a mist shrouded Norwegian flag with a glass of red.
We slurred on hot chocolate whilst sourcing traditional Viking jewellery in the colourful wooden merchant houses of Bryggen.
We then excitedly booked our Norway in a nutshell tour of the Fjords and Flam railway.

The Tour

These iconic Fjord tours take in the best that Norway has to offer in the limited time that you have.
We chose a day trip to include the Flam railway, notorious for the title of being the most beautiful train ride in the world.
Our tour cost NOK 1220 ( Roughly 139 USD )

Bergen to Voss

We caught the train from Bergen to the pristine fresh water lakes of Voss. There were multiple photo opportunities on the way before we descended into numerous endless mountain tunnels.
After just over an hour we arrived in the astoundingly beautiful Voss. We had around 10 minutes to take in the mirror like lakes and mountainous backdrops before we boarded a coach for the hour ride to take us to Gudvangen Fjord.

Gudvangen to Flam

Our coach journey included a few scenic stop off’s including the UNESCO site of Stalheim and its perilous hairpin bends . Thundering waterfalls hundreds of feet high churned with glacier waters, whilst we descended into a lush emerald green valley.

On arrival in Gudvangen Fjord, we had a 30 minute break to grab a coffee and some snacks.
Perfect photo opportunities consisted of a Viking longboat with treacherous mountain back drops. Startlingly out of place against the calm green Fjordal waters.

We than Boarded our comfortable ship with out door seating and blankets and headed through the Fjorldlands to picturesque Flam. The cruise lasts roughly 2 hours.

Flam to Myrdal

Time for a short 45 minute lunch in the tranquil Fjord setting of Flam.
We then boarded the pretty Flam railway for the hour long train ride. One of the steepest in the world.

Word of advice. Cut your lunch short to ensure a window seat. Although both sides have unrivalled views, we were informed the right side was more highly rated.

What can I say? It lived up to its reputation in every sense of the word. Panoramic views, magnificent waterfalls, perilous drops and a steady slow ascent of up to 863 meters above sea level. If you could pack every possible jaw dropping landscape and compress it into an hour, the Flam railway is the result.

Strangely enough, some of my favourite scenery was near the end of our trip, where the snow became heavier and pretty wooden slatted villages and spare trees fought against the drifts.

On arrival in Myrdal, we changed trains for a 2 hour return trip to Bergen. Such is the magnetic pull of Norway, I planned my next trip back before I had even departed. It makes me wonder why the Vikings ever left…..

If you would like more information on the Norway in a nutshell tours, please follow the link.

travel

The Top 5 Most Visited Cities Of 2015

by Viking Wanderer

1. London

2. Bangkok

3. Paris

4. Singapore

5. Dubai

travel

Norway Bucket List My Top 5!

by Viking Wanderer

1. To climb mount Ulriken. Mount Ulriken stands at a sumptuous 2,100 ft and is in actual fact a mountain …. albeit a small one. The mountain is only a short 15 minute bus ride from the centre of picturesque Bergen with an easier climbing route 45- 60 minutes or the harder route, 40 minutes clambering up a boulder strewn stream! On the plus there is a restaurant at the top with a glass of red as a way of treating yourself, beautiful views over several Fjords, not to mention the cable car to whisk you back down if you were like me by the end of it. Exhausted! You can read the climbing Ulriken post here.

2. Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf -just one of the many protected UNESCO sites throughout Norway that is a testament to its beauty, both natural and man-made. The coloured wooden slatted buildings with a mountainous backdrop originated in 1702 and were traditional used for warehouses for merchants goods. Today you will find cafes, bakeries, artist studios and also jewellery inspired by traditional Viking designs. A perfect reminder of you holiday or just the perfect picture postcard : )

3. Bergen Fish Market – My obsession with seafood is well known and what better place to sample some of the best fishing waters in the world. Bergen has it in abundance. Literally straight off the boat. You may dine inside with 3 different restaurants to choose from or if the smell is a bit much there is also a heated outside seating area where you may feast on delectable sweet King Crab, Salty Oysters, Lobster and to this day, the freshest prawns I have ever had the luck to have eaten. Plump, firm, sweet and so fresh the produce, you can actually watch the fisherman offload their boats and walk into the fish market with their goods which will be arriving on your plate within the hour! Norway is notoriously expensive and the platters are no exception however just a few taster dishes and a bowl of Moules Mariniere is more than manageable.

4. Floibanen Funicular – Located in the centre of town, the funicular will take you to one of the several peaks surrounding Bergen and is well known for its stunning views looking down upon the UNESCO wharf and the surrounding Fjords. There is also a hotel which you may stop in for a light lunch and a multitude of woodland walks all starting from this point and leading onto the other mounts varying in 1 hour to 6. Seeing as Bergen itself has Europe’s highest rainfall, it’s worth coming prepared with good hiking boots and a warm waterproof jacket.

5. Slightly more off the beaten track, at least a 3 hour trip by train but who is complaining when you have scenery like Norway outside off your window? The Flam railway is the most beautiful railway in the world. Just a word of advice, we booked in for the Norway in a nutshell day trip that included the railway and the Fjord Gudvangen two hour Fjord cruise which to this day for me was the highlight of my trip. Sailing on a large cruiser with a backdrop of snow peaked mountains and cascading waterfalls. What more could you ask for whilst you sip on a latte and snuggle in blankets on the deck? Flam itself is quaint, of stunning natural beauty and an awe inspiring mountainous backdrop.

Category: travel

Norway In A Nutshell Tour! Review

The Top 5 Most Visited Cities Of 2015

Norway Bucket List My Top 5!

Book your free 15 minutes consultancy call