Leaving Oslo. Spontaneity won: spent a ‘small’ fortune, booked the infamous Flåm Railway to Bergen, Norway & a ferry out to the “The King of Fjords”- you only live once guys ✌🏻
August 21, 2023. I was meant to be in Oslo until tomorrow, at which point I had a pre-booked flight to Helsinki, Finland. Welp, no one can call me boring or say I have a lack of adventure seeking tendencies- that’s for damn sure after this scenario: currently aboard a SEVEN HOUR express train heading to Bergen, Norway for a fjord expedition of a lifetime…
I woke up in the middle of the night, around 4AM, and it hit me- the decision was clear. When will I be in Norway again? In any part of Scandinavia/The Nordic?? Probability is pretty low. So, the cost that I’m about to endure has nothing on the mesmerizing sights and surreal experiences I’m about to venture off plan to take part in. But just to spell it out- I’m completely choosing to miss my flight to Helsinki from Oslo tomorrow morning, eating that US$125. I booked an entirely different flight (both location and airline)- now going from Bergen, Norway to Helsinki, Finland on the morning of the 23rd- costing me US$175. I then, had to book the Oslo to Bergen Rail ticket, that wasn’t the terrible part, at NOK 1099 (US$104). The worst of it, financially, was the two night stay in Bergen, Norway. The cheapest and closest to the city center (for railway and water port) was a doozy at NOK 3859 (US$365). I’m still trying to book the round-trip cruise/ferry route from Bergen to Flåm to go through the village and see EVERYTHING while I’m out into the uppermost part of this country. So, to make myself feel bad or guilty or stressed, we’re talking well over a US1,000 unexpected expense for this experience (I haven’t even thought of food or anything other than the travel and accommodation expenses mins you). HOWEVER, I do not WANT to feel bad or guilty or stressed- so, I’m simply taking a breath, telling myself all of the positive aspects of this spontaneous decision, and actively choosing excitement and blissful anticipation…
For starters, The Sognefjord area, just around the corner from Bergen, is said to be one of the most beautiful travel destinations in the world. It is the longest fjord in Norway and by many described as “The King of Fjords”. The fjord extends for more than 124 miles (200 km) deep inside the country, reaching three national parks: Jostedalsbreen, Breheimen, and Jotunheimen.
The ice melting from the climate changes that followed the Ice Age formed Sognefjord. As time went by, people settled along the fjords and started farming. Five of the oldest stave churches are in the area, including the oldest one, Urnes Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bergen today is Norway’s second-largest city behind Oslo, it used to be the country’s largest city for centuries. Since the 14th Century, it was a very important city in the Baltic Region as the foreign trading post of the influential Hanseatic League. The magnificent Bryggen at the end of the Vågen Bay is a testament to those glorious times (although the current buildings are from the 18th Century). Finally, UNESCO included its historical area in its list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. Today, it is a modern city spread out between the seven mountains, home to 280,000 inhabitants.
Let’s talk about Flåm… Sognefjord bifurcates several times along its length. One of its main branches, the Aurlandsfjord, ends at the village of Flåm, a regional tourist center. Roughly halfway between Sognefjord and Flåm, the fjord branches into its wildest and most scenic section. Called Nærøyfjord, it is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tiny village of Flåm is home to 350 people and an equal number of cows (kidding..kind of..). Dramatic mountains and green valleys surround the town. Tourists have been going to Flåm since the late 19th Century. Today, more than 450,000 people visit Flåm every year.
THAT WAS ONE LONG TRAIN RIDE!! Arriving in Bergen just before midnight. The sights along the journey were mesmerizing. Such beauty out in rural Norwegian land.
