The Stegastein viewpoint, Flåm, and a Nærøyfjord cruise.
I haven’t given myself the luxury of a lot of time in Bergen.
And so, to see a little more of Norway, I book a tour of Nærøyfjord, including a fjord cruise and visits to a few small villages and towns. It’s the “Norway in a nutshell” tour that you can do by rail and ship on your own, but I’m lazy to arrange all the logistics myself. In fact, there appeared to be a decent number of people alighting from the Bergen railway to take the Flåm Railway for this very reason.
The bus picks us up by the harbor near the ferry terminal. Our guide’s name is Maria; our driver Anita. As we drive through the city and past Bryggen on our way north out of the city I notice the large working ships docked along the port. Later, Maria will explain that eight cruise ships are allowed to dock in Bergen at any time. The city is not allowed to refuse any ship if there is room. So in order to control the flow of tourists, they invite oil platform ships to come and fill berths.
We pass through a number of tunnels and the small village of Dale, known for a brand of the same name specializing in wool garments. There’s a factory store in town, which makes it an occasional tourist stop.
The village is set in a a valley surrounded by tall mountains and though we’re deep into the morning the sun has yet to rise over this hamlet. Maria tells us that it’s the place god forgot and the devil left. She knows of two people who are trying to sell their Dale houses; no one wants to live there.
Maria tell us facts and anecdotes about the country, that there’s a one-year mandatory military service and that the people of Bergen are known to be loud and fast talkers.
She tells us about bunad, the traditional dress of Norwegians and the traditions that accompany it. It’s an expensive article of clothing and some of the younger generation are opting for money in place of the bunad that is usually gifted them as they come of age.
She tells us about regional differences as well and shows us photos of her in her bunad. At a rest stop Anita also shows us photos of her bunad and then they speak of other areas of Norway and the bunads associated with them, pulling up photos from the internet to show us examples of their favorites.
Our first stop is Tvindefossen, a waterfall just outside Voss. It’s a beautiful set of falls that cascade over a set of rocky ledges set against a cliff face. Maria tells us when to meet back at the bus and lets us out to explore on our own. There are hiking paths that lead to the top of the falls, but there’s not enough time to explore that far.
She admonishes us to stay to this side of the rope barriers, and then ends up policing other groups as they blatantly step over the ropes to take photos of the falls and the stream that runs from the base of the mountain. She laments that the other guides aren’t more strict and shakes her head at the disrespecting tourists who step back over the rope as soon as she turns her back.
From the falls we drive to Gudvangen where we stop for lunch. It’s set at the end of a fjord and the views of the valley full of water are breathtaking.
Along the way Maria sings us a lullabye about a troll mom who sings to her 11 children while she ties their tails together before they go to sleep.
I sit next to a woman traveling alone on her first solo trip around Europe. She’s had an amazing time and is thrilled at how easy it’s been; how much she’s seen. She’s eager to embark on her next trip after this.
After lunch I walk around the area, surveying the outdoor dining space and crossing a bridge to a beach with a slightly better angle on the views.
After lunch we climb back into the bus for the drive up to the Stegastein viewpoint, and the Aurland Lookout, a beautiful piece of architecture by Todd Saunders and Tommie Wilhelmsen.
The Snow Road or Aurlandsfjellet winds up the valley switching back upon itself a number of times as it climbs. It’s a narrow road, which comes at a cost as cars need to give way to each other in order to make the turns. This counts double for the bus, and I’m amazed at how well Anita manages the switchbacks. Maria assures us that they do this drive all the time.
As we climb we encounter longer lines of cars waiting their turn to pass. On one particularly congested turn Maria exits the bus to help direct traffic. Another woman exits her vehicle and between the two of them they manage to Tetris us out of a jam. Unfortunately, one impatient car tries to squeeze past and crashes into the bumper of the van it tries to pass. As we pull away the drivers get out of their cars to confront each other, their voices growing faint as we continue navigating the road.
The Aurland Lookout was borne from a 2002 competition held by the Norwegian Highway department to enhance the Norwegian Scenic Routes that “run through landscapes with unique natural qualities, along coasts and fjords, mountains and waterfalls. The routes are intended as alternatives to the main roads, and the drive itself should be an enjoyable experience.”
It’s a spectacular piece of architecture, a beautiful curved platform that juts out over the fjords. We’re fortunate to arrive before other busloads and are able to enjoy it in relative quiet for a few moments.
As beautiful as the lookout is, the views are spectacular, the water a steely bluegrey filling the valley. The weather seems be shifting as clouds have spread across the sky. I feel fortunate that we’ve had a day as clear as we have. Norway is putting on a show.
As beautiful as the lookout is, the bathroom is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen, perched on the edge of the car park overhanging a stone retaining wall. It reminds me of one I saw in Iceland, placed seemingly in the middle of nowhere with views from the washbasins out over the ocean.
We drive back down the snow road to Flåm where we’re to meet up with a boat to take us on a cruise of the fjords. I’m fortunate to be sitting on the right side of the bus as I’m rewarded with views almost the entire way down.
Approaching the town I spot a cruise ship sailing away, and I’m curious about its itinerary: where it’s been; where it has yet to go.
In Flåm we first visit Flåm church, a wooden church constructed in 1667 by master builder Magne Essen using a long church design by an unknown architect. On the walls are paintings of animals and deciduous trees, unique as church art.
Maria takes us inside to show us the interior and then gives us some free time to explore on our own.
The bus brings us back to Flåm where we have some time before we need to board the boat. Maria encourages us to visit the railroad museum and mentions that her father’s cabin is represented in a diorama of the Flåm railway. I happen to catch her inside and she points it out, telling us stories of the cottage which he purchased from the railway when it fell out of use.
Back in Flåm we board the ship and begin our journey along the Aurlandsfjord. Leaving the dock we pass a cruise ship that dwarfs the small hamlet, A crowd of people are assembled by its gangplank waiting to reboard.
We pass waterfalls that spill down from the mountains and small farmsteads as we make our navigation. Our route takes us up Aurlandsfjord until it meets Nærøyfjord, which we’ll turn down and follow until we end up back in Gudvangen.
We pass Undredal, one of the larger villages we’ve seen. Famous for its brown goat cheese, just eight farms produce about 10 kg of cheese a year. The production is reflected in its population, approximately 100 people and 500 goats.
Almost hidden from the world, the village was only accessible by boat until 1988 when two tunnels were constructed to allow for it to be connected by road.
Near the confluence of the two fjords we pass Lægdafossen, one of the largest waterfalls in the Nærøyfjord. I wish we could slow the boat to spend more time passing its series of falls, but our progress is unabated. There are schedules to keep, one supposes.
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Waffles are included in the cruise and Maria rushes from the cafe counter to her guests delivering hot waffles to everyone. I tell her I can wait and am one of the last to receive mine. I sit on a bollard on the front decks and enjoy my hot waffle as we pass a series of small waterfalls, doing my best to balance my plate on my lap, finishing quickly in order to photograph the landscape.
We reach Gudvangen in about an hour and a half, alighting by the main complex where we had lunch. And as great as it’s been to see as much as we have it’s only whet my appetite for more. In the coming months I’ll research the other scenic drives and chat with a Norwegian friend about returning next summer in order to experience as many as possible given what time we have.
On the way home Maria sings a song about a happy bus driver and hums the main themes of “Morning Mood” and “The Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg, telling us that Grieg originally had no interest in composing music for Ibsen’s play about an anti-hero until Ibsen offered so much money he could not turn him down. Ironically, his suite for Peer Gynt contains one of his most well-known melodies.
Nearing Bergen we pass the Osterøy Bridge, which connects the mainland to the Osterøy, the largest Norwegian inland island, and the second largest such island in Northern Europe The bridge itself is the third-largest suspension bridge in Norway.
Clouds have now occluded the sun and it feels later than it is for how the daylight is dimmed. I’ve grown used to the long Norwegian summer days, and the overcast evening turns my mind towards the fall. My time in Norway is coming to an end, and though we’re far from a shift in the seasons, the feeling persists, signaling a shift in position for me as well. 🇳🇴
