Norway: A slice of Scandinavia
A spontaneous road trip through some of Norway's most incredible parts
Norway is one of the most strikingly beautiful countries in Europe– perhaps even the most beautiful, if you go purely by its rugged natural characteristics, as opposed to the glitz of the mighty cities and seas much further south.
The exquisite majesty of its fabled Fjords– the perfect scenery for both mountain and sea lovers– is hard to match.
It is also one of the richest countries in the world, with enormous oil reserves, the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, and a per capita income of nearly $ 82,000 (in 2018, according to the World Bank).
Yet, despite all these riches, oil and natural abundance, the people remain simple and down-to-earth, unlike some of their louder neighbors on the European mainland. It is one of the most environmentally conscious lands in existence. The infrastructure for tourists is terrific, as you would expect one of the most developed countries on the planet to have. The only disadvantage for visitors is that all of this automatically makes it one of the most expensive countries around too–as we realised while we were ordering even the simplest of things at restaurants.
Having been based in Sweden for a while, I had already visited Norway's capital, Oslo. My mother and I, however, had been keen to see coastal Norway for quite some time, so we planned a trip at fairly short notice. Our respective hectic work and travel schedules have made it harder over the years for the entire family to take trips together, so we happily accept whatever comes our way, even if only some of us can make it. Rather than hop on one of the touristy cruises up the coast with their regimented itineraries, we preferred a road trip where we could be masters of our own pace and plan. Neither of us being very skilled drivers, particularly on treacherous mountain roads, we looked into hiring an appropriate car and driver to do the tour with us. As fate would have it, we asked a friend who runs a large transport business in Scandinavia—and is an expert on the lay of the land himself—to help us find one. He kindly offered to take us.
Given the spontaneity of the trip, we did something we have never done before: We set off on the journey without a single hotel night booked in advance. My mother and I are both serious advocates of planning everything from A to Z, but while slightly disconcerted, we took this as a refreshing first and set out on the adventure. It was mid-May (early spring), so before the peak tourist rush. We were bound to find accommodation options along the way. It turns out we were indeed most lucky—both with great hotels and the weather. We explored some of Norway's best known places in five days, but did not encounter a single drop of rain...and we were told this was very unusual!
We started from Stockholm in the early evening, and drove about five hours to the border with Norway, where we spent the night. The next morning, we crossed the border and passed Oslo (about an hour from there), beginning the main leg of our journey. The scenic drive from Oslo to Bergen takes around seven hours, and is a fantastic opportunity to witness some of nature's greatest bounties. It is along what is designated as a National Tourist Route. It took us through Geilo, a mountain village, and picturesque Hallingdal valley, popular among hikers. We stopped for a remarkable 360 degree-view of impressive Vøringfossen, the highest waterfall in Norway at about 182 metres, and watched it plummet into the narrow Måbødalen valley below. The drive takes you past the Hardangervidda National Park and across Hardanger Bridge, one of the world’s longest suspension bridges, over the Eidfjord branch of the Hardangerfjord. We arrived in Bergen by evening and checked into the Scandic Hotel right by the waterfront. Having consumed mainly junk during the car journey, we enjoyed a filling dinner at one of the eateries in the harbour Fisketorget (fish market). Unfortunately, my vegetarian options were limited to salads and seasonal vegetables, given that the local cuisine primarily comprises excellent, fresh seafood.
Bergen sits in an extraordinary spot, where Norway's mountains and sea embrace. It is the country's second largest city, with history dating back a thousand years. The city centre is located around Byfjord, the 'city fjord', surrounded by seven mountains. It was once the historic capital of Norway, and served as an important city during the days of the famous Hanseatic League. What remains of the old city now is a UNESCO world heritage site. Today, Bergen is still a major centre for shipping, fisheries and the offshore petroleum industry, while the port is Norway's busiest.
By sheer coincidence, we happened to be there on May 17, Norway's National Day, which gave us a chance to enjoy some charming local traditions. This holiday marks the signing of Norway's constitution in 1814. The townspeople were out in huge numbers to celebrate, enjoy the bright sunshine and witness a marvelous parade, complete with musical troupes, vintage cars and numerous marching bands. We strolled around the market square and historic 'Bryggen', a hanseatic wharf with colourful wooden commercial buildings, where the city’s business affairs were conducted for centuries. We also saw the charming Bergen cathedral. The highlight, however, was the ride in the Fløibanen, a funicular railway that connects the city centre to the Fløyen Mountain at 300 metres. It boasts magnificent views of the city and its lush surroundings, such as green mountains and turquoise waters. We also visited a kitschy but cute souvenir shop, where a stuffed polar bear stood guard at the entrance! Our final activity in Bergen was a delightful boat trip along the Fjord here, following which we proceeded further to Aurlandsfjord to spend our second night in Norway.
The Aurlandsfjord is a 29-kilometre branch of the Sognefjord, the 'King of the Fjords.' It is Norway's longest and deepest fjord, stretching 205 kilometres inland. We stayed at the prettily located Hotel Aurlandsfjord for the night, with serene views of the water. A short drive around the isolated settlement of just a handful of wooden buildings brought us to a charming pub, where we had a simple meal and local beer.
The next morning, we drove to Flåm. Here, we boarded the legendary Flåmsbana or Flåm Line railway, a 20-kilometre heritage railway line from Flåm to Myrdal. The line opened in 1940, and is by far the best train journey I have ever experienced. An incredible engineering marvel, the line is one of the steepest standard gauge railways in the world. The return journey takes under two hours. The train starts from sea level, creeps through dizzying mountains, and offers breathtaking views of valleys and bubbling waterfalls. Here, you stop at interesting points like the Kjosfossen, a stunning waterfall, and Myrdal station, which was even surrounded by snow in May. One journey up and down this route was simply not enough to fully appreciate the phenomenal landscape.
We took yet another journey of a lifetime on the same day—a two-hour ferry ride along the Sognefjord, from Flåm to Gudvangen. The 18-kilometre Nærøyfjord branch that we sailed through is particularly unique, and is fittingly inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list. In some places, the fjord is only 500 metres wide, enclosed at either end by a steep wall of gorgeous green and white mountains stretching in every direction, as far as the eyes can see. We then disembarked at Gudvangen village and took a bus back to Flåm, where our day's adventures had started. From here, we drove to Geiranger, passing many incredible lakes and glaciers, with the terrain becoming even more wild and untamed. Even in May, which is spring by all accounts, there was still snow on the mountains on either side of the road, and we stopped at an icy lake to fill our water bottles with the assurance that this was, even today, some of the purest fresh water we would find from a natural source.
We settled into the lovely Hotel Union Geiranger with great fjord views for our third night in Norway. The next morning, we began our final full day of sightseeing by exploring the tiny Geiranger village. The Geirangerfjord area is yet another treasure in Norway that is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, the fjord itself is considered by many to be the most picturesque amongst all of Norway's fjords… which is a tough call, at any rate! The best experience here is most definitely the view from a special lookout point not too far from the village centre, where you can observe Geiranger village, as well as the majesty of the fjord from high above. We also spotted a large cruise ship coming into the port. This sweeping panorama was unlike anything we had ever seen before, and we agreed that we could have spent the rest of the day there just gazing at the surroundings. But of course, we had to move on and make way for other tourists. Standing transfixed at that spot brings one to the realisation that every inch of the surrounding vista has been manufactured with fine, delicate craftsmanship by the hand of god himself, and all the tourists thronging it are but mere specks in the grand scheme of things. This truly is nature at its absolute, raw best!
We drove from Geiranger along another scenic route, with one memorable view after another, via countless tunnels through the mountains. Some of them are many kilometres long, and testament to the Norwegians' engineering capabilities, and eventually, we came to the Trollstigen Road. It literally translates as "ladder for a troll", a reference to the mythical ugly mountain trolls that are said to dwell in these parts (at least, according to Norse folklore). This is a serpentine mountain road and pass, with many sharp hairpin bends down a steep mountain side. The elevation of the pass is 850 metres—close to 3000 feet! It was incredible to learn that this incredible piece of infrastructure was opened way back in 1936, and how many tens of thousands of vehicles traverse it annually. We were lucky to find it open, as it is closed from late autumn until early spring, given the weather conditions. We enjoyed the vertiginous view of the road from a viewing platform at the visitor centre, had lunch there, and then began our descent— yet another phenomenal drive.
The next stop, and final sight on our agenda, was the famous Atlantic Ocean Road, which I had long wished to drive on, having seen endless pictures of it growing up. Admittedly, the 8.3-kilometre drive, while thrilling, was a bit of an anticlimax, as the road looks much more spectacular from the aerial shots floating around. It is undeniable, though, that this is a unique feat of construction, built on several rocky islands in an unsheltered part of the Norwegian Sea, frequently lashed by giant waves. We had our fill of the road, passed through the town of Kristiansund, and started driving east, back towards Sweden.
After several hours of driving, we came across a cluster of wooden buildings in what was a tiny village by a lake, and decided to stop for the night. The only discernible hotel, a quaint white wooden building that was at least a hundred years old, was locked. We discovered a phone number on the door and called it. A middle-aged local—who turned out to be the owner of the hotel—drove up the road, unlocked everything, and let us choose the rooms with the best views of the water. Furthermore, he informed us that we were the only guests that night. There was no live-in staff on the property since it was not yet high season, so he gave us keys to the main door! He took no photocopies of our identification nor credit card guarantees—just our address and contact number in Stockholm, so that he could post us the bill. We were shown a well-stocked bar and breakfast supplies in the kitchen fridge, and were told to note down on a writing pad at the reception, specifically how many drinks, pieces of toast, bowls of milk, etc we had consumed, so this could be added to the total we owed! This was completely unheard of, and a testament to the amazing trust this entrepreneur had in his fellow human beings, even in this day and age. Basically, he only had our address and our word that we would pay, but no collateral or shred of evidence that we had stayed there. Remarkable!
I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if this scenario was replicated in South Asia. Some tourists would steal liquor and food...maybe even art and furniture. Others might squat on the property indefinitely! This inherent trust people in Scandinavia have in others is likely diminishing by the day, as some unruly foreign elements with different values have led to law and order issues. This tiny village in the interiors of Norway was obviously an exception for now. We sourced pizzas from a local restaurant, watched the sun set over the lake from the back terrace of the hotel, and spent some time at the bar, toasting our fourth and final night in what had proven to be a tremendous country.
The next day, we left Norway behind and drove across the Swedish border, through Dalarna county, down to Stockholm. We saw some of the most wonderful regions of Norway in our four days, but I was determined to go back to tick off many more items on my excruciatingly long list of natural marvels–and continue to hope that I will be able to do so one day.
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