The Oslo-Bergen rail journey

The Oslo-Bergen rail journey is listed in the top 10 rail journeys of the world. It takes around 7 hours from start to finish but it is time well spent. I joined in at Myrdal which connects the Oslo-Bergen line to the Sognefjord through the Flam railway.

The train journey is at a high altitude and the highest point is Finse at 1222 meters above sea level. Throughout the journey you can see nature at its best.

One of the greatest challenges for the Bergen Line is the harsh and changeable weather. The line is exposed to deep low-pressure centers from the west, which can mean strong winds and heavy snow for part of the year. Keeping the railway open demands great effort and technical expertise. Skilled workers, effective equipment, tunnels and snow tunnels currently make the Bergen Line one of the safest and most comfortable ways of traveling between Oslo and Bergen.

The Flam Railway

The Flåm Railway is one of the worlds steepest railway lines on normal gauge. The gradient is 55/1000 on almost 80% of the line, i.e. a gradient of one in eighteen. The twisting tunnels that spiral in and out of the mountain are manifestations of the most daring and skilful engineering in Norwegian railway history. It took 20 years to complete and connects the Oslo - Bergen railway line to the Sognefjord.

The train journey provides some of Norway's wildest and most magnificent scenery. On the 20 km-long train ride you can see rivers that cut through deep ravines, waterfalls cascade down the side of steep, snow-capped mountains and mountain farms cling dizzily to sheer slopes.

The most time-consuming work when constructing the railway line was on the tunnels. These were excavated manually. Only two of the twenty tunnels, which have a total length of 6 km, were excavated using machines. Every metre of tunnel cost the labour force, the navvies, up to a month's hard work. The labour force, 120 strong at the outset, rapidly increased to 220.

The steep mountainsides were a major challenge, the solution being to build hairpin tunnels in order to equalise the big differences in altitude on the steep mountain. The danger of avalanches and rock falls also constituted a problem. To avoid these hazardous stretches, the line crosses the river and valley three times during the journey, but it does not cross the river on bridges. Instead, the river is led through the mountain in tunnels underneath the railway line.

One can also check out the Flam Museum to understand the history of this engineering marvel.

Cruising on the fjords in Norway

Fjords are found in locations where current or past glaciation extended below current sea level. A fjord is formed when a glacier retreats, after carving its typical U-shaped valley, and the sea fills the resulting valley floor. This forms a narrow, steep sided inlet (sometimes deeper than 1300 metres) connected to the sea. The terminal moraine pushed down the valley by the glacier is left underwater at the fjord's entrance, causing the water at the neck of the fjord to be shallower than the main body of the fjord behind it. http://www.fjords.com/

I had no idea what I was getting into when I decided to go on a fjord cruise. I was pleasantly surprised and totally overwhelmed. I started off in Bergen and took the "Sognefjord in a Nutshell" cruise which commenced in Bergen and ended in Oslo with a trip on the famous Flam railway in between.
http://www.norwaynutshell.com/en/explore-the-fjords/sognefjord-in-a-nutshell/

The Sognefjord, Norway’s longest and deepest fjord, extends more than 200 km inland to the foot of the Jotunheimen mountains. This area is said to be one of the most beautiful travel destinations in the world. We passed quite a few villages some of which had as many as 50 residents and 150 goats! Coming from a populous country like India, it was a novel experience for me.

I decided to stay the night in the small picturesque village of Flåm which is situated innermost in the Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the 204-km long and up to 1308-metre-deep Sognefjord. Flåm is also the start or end station of the popular Flåm Railway, depending which way you commence your journey.

Flåm has a population of appximately 400 inhabitants and it is situated in Aurland municipality, which consists of Flåm, Aurland, Gudvangen and Undredal. 

I also did a cruise on the Nærøyfjord in Sognefjord - Western Norway. It is one of the worlds most beautiful and dramatic fjords! The name Nærøyfjord origin from the norse god 'Njord', the god of the seafarer and the sea. Nærøyfjord is one of many fjordarms in the 204 km long Sognefjord, the 'King of the Fjords'. In 2005 it became a part of UNESCO's World Heritage together with Geirangerfjord.

When you book a cruise, you have the option of making it a day trip or an extended trip with many stops along the way. Whatever you ultimately choose, a cruise on the fjords is breathtaking experience - fresh air, dramatic contrasts, vivid colours, pindrop silence, scenic waterfalls and deep blue waters. You have to experience it for yourself but in the meantime, take a look at some of my pics.

The Stave church of Underdal

Gundvagen

Can you believe this is a hotel?

Lost in the solitude of this place.

Bergen - a Hanseatic city

Bergen is a city on the western coast of Norway. It was one of the most important cities in the Hanseatic League. Today it is famous as the launch point of any cruise on the famous Norwegian fjords.

Approach into Bergen was quite an experience. From the air, it is such a beautiful place that one is transported into a fantasy world.

The airport is a tiny one and there is a direct bus that takes you to the city centre. I had very limited time in Bergen before taking the cruise to the fjords the next morning. So to acquaint myself with the city, I decided to do a walking tour arranged by the Tourist Information Centre. The tourist centre itself was housed in a beautiful old building with colourful frescoes depicting the history and culture of the people from Bergen. Their primary occupation was fishing, preservation of cod and boat building.

Bergen's first buildings were erected along the old Hanseatic wharf, Bryggen, which has been a lively and important part of the city through the centuries. This site, which features on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, comprises the remains of the old harbour buildings and is one of the best known medieval city settlements in Norway.


The Hanseatic merchants dominated Bryggen for 400 years. The area has been ravaged by fire repeatedly. Walking through the narrow alleyways and dark external galleries is like travelling back in time. At Bryggen the Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene, the Hanseatic assembly rooms, give an intimate picture of the life of a Hanseatic merchant.

Bryggens Museum based on the archaeological excavations of Bryggen, illustrates commerce, handicrafts and daily life in the Middle Ages. Next to the museum lies the twelfth century St. Mary’s Church, the oldest building in Bergen. Bryggen also houses the Theta Museum of the Resistance Movement during the Occupation of Norway during World War II.
Source: http://www.visitnorway.com/

The boarding point for the Fjord cruises.

The famous hanseatic buildings along the wharf.

An old building in the Hanseatic area.

The Fish Market is another important landmark and a must visit attraction. You can try out different kinds of salmon and pick up some fish for your lunch or picnic.

By taking the short ride with the Fløibanen Funicular from the city centre to the top of the Fløien Mountain (320 metres above sea level), you have a golden opportunity to view the city, the mountains, the fjords and the sea.

Overall, it is a small compact city which can be covered in a short while.

Norwegians love their trolls!

I love these narrow streets.

A sense of spookiness permeates this cozy drinking den. In 1849, a famous Norwegian bandit (Gjest Baardsen, the "Robin Hood" of Norway) drank himself to death here. Drinkers have reported sightings of a young serving wench in 17th-century costume who takes drink orders from patrons and then disappears without bringing the desired quaffs.

http://www.nileguide.com/destination/bergen-norway-308/bars-and-clubs/dyvekes-vinkjeller/886754

The fountain with the city of Bergen as a backdrop.