Travelling by Ship Through the Sognefjord

The Sognefjord is located in the middle of Norway's fjord region and extends 204 km (127 miles) inland, with some of the wildest and most beautiful scenery in Norway. The fjord plunges to more than 1,300 meters (4265 feet, .8 mile) at its deepest and the mountains along the fjord rise to over 1,700 meters (5575 feet, 1 mile). We leave Flåm in the afternoon for the long, wonderful trip out through the fjord.

     

     

Leaving Flåm

We pass by a number of small village and isolated cabins. It must be a long drive/boat ride for groceries!

     

     

Small towns and isolated cabins

The scenery just continues to unfold beautifully for hours as squalls pass through, the sun disappears, reappears, a rainbow pops up, then, slowly, the sun sets ahead of us as we head west.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

The weather changes quickly and dramatically in the fjord

What a great day: Flåm, the Flåm Railway, mountains, and fjords.

Flåm and The Flåm Railway

Flåm is located up the Sognefjord, Norway's longest and most spectacular fjord.  Our ship travels the final part of the fjord to Flåm in the morning (more fjord pictures in the next blog when we pass through it on the way out in the afternoon).

Through the Sognefjord to Flåm

Flåm has only a few hundred people, with towering mountains on three sides and the fjord on the other.  The city is a gateway to this fabulous region of adventure (hiking, cycling, kayaking, cruising the fjords).

 Approaching Flåm

From Flåm, the Flåm Railway travels 20.2 km (12.5 miles), with an elevation rise of 863.5 meters (2833 feet, 1/2 mile) to Myrdal, where it meets up with trains from Oslo and Bergen.  The train line took 16 years to build and is now principally a tourist service for visitors to Flåm.

 The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana)

The train winds through the mountains, with spectacular views around every corner, travelling up a maximum gradient of 5.5% (1:18).  The trip is full of spectacular waterfalls, the longest with a vertical drop of 340 meters (1115 feet).

Riding up on the Flåm Railway

We get off at the Vatna-Halsen station, one stop from the end at Myrdal, explore the area, and stop for waffles and coffee at the Vatnahalsen Hotel.

 Vantnahalsen Hotel

View from the hotel

From the hotel, we follow a path down to Lake Reinungavatnet, walking through summer cottages that look incredibly tranquil and serene.

Lake Reinungavatnet

We hop on the train and head back down to Flåm for more great pictures along the way.

 Heading back

We wander along the shore of the fjord in Flåm, watching the kayaks, ferries, and fjord cruises head out into the beautiful scenery.

 Back in Flåm

Soon, it's time to head out on our return trip through the Sognefjord.

Bergen Trolls

Norwegian trolls, mentioned throughout Old Norse legends, tend to live in mountains, caves, and under bridges and are rarely helpful to humans, often dangerous.  Trolls are said to have insatiable appetites, eating rocks, livestock, humans, and anything else they can get their hands on.  They are generally not very bright and some are depicted as deformed, with multiple heads, fangs, and claws, while other depictions show them as incredibly beautiful.

Trolls are an essential part of the fabric of Norway and we find trolls throughout our trip, but the largest collection we come across is in the Bergen Troll Forest.

On reaching the top of Mount Fløyen, either on the funicular or by walking up the 320 meters (1000 feet) from the harbor, a short walk from the view point leads into Trollskogen and a great collection of carved wooden trolls.

 Troll carvings in the Troll Forest

And, of course, a place for trolls to sit

Back in town, the shops features lots of trolls for sale.  We don't acquire any, but do enjoy the variety.

 Trolls on display and for sale

We see trolls throughout our travels in Norway and all the ones we meet seem to be friendly.  We do not encounter any troll-related issues!

 Hanging out with trolls

Wandering Through Bergen, Norway

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and is located on a peninsula surrounded by seven mountains and numerous islands, buffering the city from the North Sea.  The harbor contains serious fishing and processing ships, along with well-preserved old houses and a fabulous fish market.  Many of the nearby towns are located on islands and there is a thriving ferry business.  Bergen is considered the gateway to the Norwegian fjords.

Fishing boats

 Processing boats

 Ferries

Bergen has Europe's largest collection of wooden houses and the colorful ones at the port are still in service as shops and restaurants.

 Wooden houses at the harbor

At the end of the harbor, the Bergen fish market has existed since the 1200s as a focus of trade between fisherman, farmers, and the residents of the city.   Fishermen who lived outside the city used to row in to the fish market, sell their catch, and row home.  Now, we can all buy fish to take away or have it cooked there for us to eat at the tables behind each stall.

 Bergen fish market

 Eat in

From the fish market, we walk up Mount Fløyen alongside the Bergen Funicular, which travels 320 meters (1050 feet) to the peak, where there are restaurants, walks, and fantastic views across the city.  The path up funicular first follows city streets that cross back and forth over the funicular, then a nature trail leads the final stretch up the hill.  The views get better and better as we climb.

Bergen Funicular

 We walk up

One great surprise along the way is that the residents have decorated their trees on their streets by wrapping them in multi-colored yarn blankets, adding festivity to the walk up (and later down).

 Tree art

We enter a cloud at the top and lose our view of the city, but at least have a signpost pointing the way to Tokyo, New York, Beijing, London, Rio, and Moscow, lest we lose our sense of direction up here in the clouds.

 On top of Fløyen

We soon head down, finding new views as the city reappears from the clouds.

 Heading down

Back at the harbor, we explore the shops located in the old wooden houses, full of fabulous needlepoint, sweaters, blankets, and furs.

 Shopping

We truly enjoy the feel of this great little town.