If you have never been to Norway, add it to your bucket list now!
If you love mountainous landscapes, calm glassy waters, plunging waterfalls, and wild, pristine wildernesses waiting to be explored, then Norway is calling your name.
After some research, I believe cruising through Norway is the best way to go all around. Gas is relatively expensive, and there can be tolls along the way. Not to mention that Norway and areas you desire to visit far apart can be remote. Taking the train can be rather expensive, and while you may see many breathtaking views along the way, nothing compares to peacefully cruising in and out of the fjords on the deck of a ship with a drink in your hand. Simply majestic.
Flåm
Tourism Website: Flam - Fjord Norway
The first thing we saw when exiting the ship in Flåm was the Flåmsbrygga Hotel. Beautiful hotel described as cozy and rustic, with two restaurants and a microbrewery.
Our second stop was this little food truck serving fresh fried seafood and fries. In the photo, you can see shrimp, calamari, and two different types of fish (I can't remember anymore what kind). Delicious.
Continuing, just a little further up the path, was our leading destination: the Flåm Railway station. We were to start our excursion with a train trip on the Flåmsbana Railway. This is a popular tourist destination. My parents went on this excursion this year in 2023 and said the train was packed with people. In 2019 I remember it being crowded but not too terrible. You can view the sparsely populated but beautiful Norwegian countryside along the way.
TURN DOWN YOUR VOLUME FOR ALL VIDEOS
(Poor quality and lots of background noise)
One of the stops along the way on the train ride is the Kjosfossen Waterfall. If you head out on the train, be prepared for a particular show! There we were, sitting quietly, admiring the waterfall, when suddenly mystical music began to play, and a lady appeared and began to dance. It was a fascinating display bringing you back to times of old. It was such a neat experience, and kudos to whoever put that together and made it happen. It was the highlight of that day for me.
After exiting the train in Myrdal (a one-way train trip), we were transported to Voss, where we ate lunch at Fleisher's Hotel (in the photo above). Lunch was decent, nothing to brag about, but good. After lunch, my aunt and I walked to the lake out front to admire the views (see video below) and took a photo with the giant standing Voss sign (see picture above). Then we boarded the bus and continued to the next adventure!
The next adventure is a drive down the side of a mountain in a bus on a highly curvy roadway called Stalheimskleiva. To say I was having a mini panic attack as we went down is an understatement (see video below).
After that harrowing experience, we stopped by a sizeable plunging waterfall called Tvindefossen. Beautiful rocky scenery, and you can tell it is a popular tourist spot!
Finally, we arrived at our final destination (man, this seems like a long day). Gudvangen is a miniature village at the end of the UNESCO Heritage Site Nærøyfjord (shown in the photo to the right). This area is well known for its beautiful fjords and Viking Village. That's right, a real-life Viking Village! Due to time constraints, I could not visit this village myself to describe it to you. However, you can check it out at the links below. I would love to experience something like that one day if I ever find the time to head back to Norway!
The tale ends here. My aunt and I boarded our bus and returned to the ship. We only stopped for the day and departed, so I did not spend significant time in the area. Each area wasn't overly populated, so I will not create separate informative maps for each location.
Additional Information:
Google Maps Link for the Flåmsbrygga Hotel:
Officail Website for the Flåmsbrygga Hotel:
Google Maps Link for the Flåmsbana Railway:
Official Website for the Flåmsbana Railway:
Google Maps Link for Fleisher's Hotel:
Official Website for Fleisher's Hotel:
Google Maps Link for the Voss sign:
Google Maps Link for the Stalheimskleiva:
Google Maps Link for Tvindefossen:
Viking Village Websites:
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