Norway in a Nutshell
Oslo, Bergen, and the Fjords Shine in Early Spring
"Should we really be doing this?" asked my wife Rita, her breath
crystallizing in the evening air. "Norway in March?" We had just arrived at the
Oslo airport and were bundled in jackets waiting for the shuttle train to the city center.
| I had been thinking the same thoughts. We’d planned this trip after finding
attractive shoulder-season airfare and lodging prices to experience the best of Norway:
the country’s largest and most historic cities, Bergen and Oslo, its most majestic
fjords, and its snowy rugged highlands. Would the trip timing make for a good vacation
experience? Our fears were soon put to rest. The next morning we stopped at the ice-rink
on Oslo’s main square bustling with skaters, young and old. We’d been exploring
the town’s beautiful harbor and other sites in full sunshine. It was the first day of
our ten-day visit and it turned out to be the model for each day to come. We were already
saying to ourselves, "Yes, this is the time to be in Norway. The temperatures are
crisp, yet comfortable, the winter sports and activities are still in full swing, there
are almost no tourists, and the energy of longer days and emerging spring is in the
air." |
Oslo's outdoor ice rink on Karl Johans Gate
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Norway in a Nutshell
Norway in a Nutshell is a travel package that includes a highlands train all the way
across the country, from Oslo to Bergen or Bergen to Oslo, with the option of a return to
the city of departure. The features of the catchy-phrased tour was what first enticed us
to experience this country that the United Nations has ranked as the world’s most
livable. The beauty is that the purchaser can go on any date, get off at any point
along the way, and then continue the journey at any time. The package includes a trip down
to the fjord village of Flam at sea level via an incredibly steep narrow gauge rail spur
lined by waterfalls. From Flam the traveler takes a small ferry to view incredible
Aurlandsfjord and Naeroeyfjord, Norway’s narrowest fjord. Here again, the tour
provides great flexibility by allowing the traveler to stay as long as they choose in one
of the small villages lining these waters. The trip picks up with a bus ride from
Gudvangen at the end of Naeroeyfjord back to the high-country train connecting Oslo and
Bergen. The Norway in a Nutshell excursion presents the best sights in the country in a
convenient, customizable manner. Great lodging deals are also available with the
associated Fjord Pass. We tailored our Norway in a Nutshell odyssey by staying four nights
in Oslo, two nights in the village of Aurland on the fjord, three nights in Bergen, and a
last night in Oslo before flying home. It was 10 days in paradise. We’ve listed some
of the trip highlights below.
Oslo
Oslo Cathedral
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Viking Ship Museum
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Oslo City Hall
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- The self-guided walking tour of the city center included sites such as Oslo
Cathedral; the grand boulevard called Karl Johans Gate with its Eidvolls Square, outdoor
ice rink and Parliament building; Akershus Fortress; the City Hall with huge vibrant
murals depicting Norwegian cultural themes; the beautiful harbor on Oslo Fjord and the
neighboring revamped Aker Brygge Mall with its many shops, restaurants, and bars.
- A street car trip to the edge of Oslo took us to the skiing museum and the world-famed
Holmenkollen Ski Jump. "Wow!" was all we could say after we’d climbed to
the top to pretend that we would be taking the next jump onto the arena slope waiting far
below.
- The National Gallery was a great place to see Norway’s unique native works,
including the paintings of Edvard Munch. We marveled that Munch’s The Scream, painted
in 1893, so well communicated his expressionist feelings on the human race.
- A trip to Frogner Park enabled us to experience the mighty sculptures of Gustav Vigeland
who spent his life filling this 75-acre garden with his energetic works, including the
huge center monolith of 36 statue groups reaching 50 feet into the sky.
- A trip to the Bydgoy neighborhood brought us to the Viking Ship Museum where three 9th-century
Viking ships reclaimed from Oslo Fjord are surrounded by artifacts from their days of
pillage and plunder.
Norway’s Highlands and Fjords
Aurland Fjord
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Fjord ferry
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Kjosfossen Waterfall
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- The train between Oslo and Bergen is touted as Europe’s highest and most
grandiose alpine train ride, stretching for several hundred miles above tree-line at
around 4,000 feet altitude. It is truly an engineering feat in construction, as well as in
the ongoing maintenance to keep the line open. We sat glued to the window for virtually
the entire snow-bound trip from Oslo to Myrdal station where we transferred to the narrow
gauge spur down to the Aurlandsfjord. The hour-long ride into the fjord provided photo
stops at the most awe-inspiring sights such as Kjosfossen Waterfall that was totally
capped in ice when we passed.
- The fjord ferry took us the full length of Aurlandsfjord and Naeroeyfjord with surround
peaks up to 6,000 feet altitude. The snow line in late March was about 1,000-2,000 above
sea level, making for incredible vistas. Naeroeyfjord is considered the world’s most
beautiful, as it is Norway’s narrowest, measuring only 820 feet wide across and six
miles long.
- We debarked from the ferry and stayed in the village of Aurland for two great days of
hiking along the fjord. It was amazing to see small farms tucked into steep vales of the
surrounding mountains. Our favorite hike was from Aurland up to the hamlet of Bell,
descending to the hamlet of Volda on the fjord, and then returning along the fjord track
to Aurland.
Bergen
Bergen from Floibanen hill
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Harbor and Hanseatic quarter
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Fish market
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- On Norway’s west coast, Bergen is Norway’s most historically rich
city. We enjoyed the self-guided walking tour, which included the Hanseatic quarter dating
from the 1400s. By the 1500s it was home to 2,000 German bachelor merchants who controlled
trade for most of the North Sea and Baltic area. The Hanseatic Museum, Fish Market, 13th-century
Rosenkrantz Tower, and St. Mary’s church were some of the major sites in the
surrounding area.
- The Floibanen funicular took us to the top of the hill that looks down on all of Bergen
and its beautiful harbor and fjord.
- A ferry shuttle across the harbor and a hike over the hill took us to a quaint old
neighborhood down from Klostergate and leading to the Ole Bull Theater and cultural
center.
- A bus trip and country hike outside of Bergen to Edvard Grieg’s home rewarded us
with views of his beautiful snow-covered lake and the studio where he composed his major
symphonies and classical works. His Victorian home from the late 1800s was a delight to
behold, brought to life by the stories told of Edvard and his family by the friendly guide
who met us at the front door.
- Our favorite meal in Norway, a salmon dinner, was served up at Vagsbunnen Restaurant on
a narrow cobbled street just up from the fish market.
When You Go
Norway in March makes for an unforgettable travel experience. The traveler can hike,
cross-country or downhill ski, ice skate, and see the country's best sites without
contending with the high summer prices and hordes of tourists. We strongly recommend
purchasing a Norway in a Nutshell travel package connecting Oslo, Bergen, and the fjords.
Our recommended guidebook is Rick Steves’ Scandinavia. Look for
Internet airline deals to Norway with S.A.S. during the Christmas countdown promotion and
other winter deals. Very attractive pricing is offered for trips through the winter and
into March.
Norway in a Nutshell site: www.norwaynutshell.com/default.asp
Fjord Pass for great lodging deals: www.fjord-pass.com/default.asp
SAS site: www.scandinavian.net
Les Furnanz
Photos by Rita Furnanz