Balestrand

This pleasant fjordside village (pop. 2,000) is away from the Norway in a Nutshell crowd. From here you can side-trip to nearby Fjærland (a.k.a. "Mundal") and the awesome Jostedal glacier. Consider this worthwhile detour to the typical fjord visit — so you can dig deeper into the Sognefjord, just like the glaciers did during the last Ice Age.

Orientation

Most travelers arrive in Balestrand via the express boat from Bergen or Flåm. The tidy harbor area has a TI, two small grocery stores (Co-op and Spar), a couple of galleries, a town museum, and a small aquarium devoted to marine life found in the fjord. The historic, wooden Kvikne's Hotel and its modern addition dominate Balestrand's waterfront. The town has outdoor activities for everyone, from easy to strenuous mountain hikes and mostly flat bike rides.

Tourist Information: At the TI, located next to the Joker supermarket at the harbor, pick up the free, helpful Outdoor Activities in Balestrand brochure. If you're planning on a longer hike, consider buying the good 70-kr hiking map. The TI has numerous brochures about the Sognefjord area and detailed information on the more challenging hikes. It offers terminals with Internet access (1 kr/min) and free Wi-Fi, rents bikes (40 kr/hr, 200 kr/day), sells day-trip excursions to the glacier, and more (late June–late Aug Mon–Sat 7:30–18:00, Sun 10:00–17:30, shorter hours in spring and fall, closed Oct–April, tel. 57 69 12 55—answered all year).

Sights — Balestrand

Town Walking Tour — Follow the self-guided town walking tour described in the Outdoor Activities in Balestrand brochure (free at the TI or your hotel; 20 min to an hour one-way, depending on your pace and how many stops you make). You'll stroll along a lightly traveled paved road punctuated with benches (some with great fjord views) — perfect for a break or picnic. Most sights are signposted in English.

The "old road" — once the main road from the harbor — follows along the fjord's edge, passing numerous "villas" from the late 1800s. These were built in the popular Swiss style of the period by locals attempting to introduce a dose of Romanticism into Norwegian architecture. Look for the dragons' heads (copied from Viking-age stave churches) decorating the gables. Along the walk, you'll see two burial mounds from the Viking age, marked by a ponderous statue of a Viking king. Check out the wooden shelters for the postboxes; some give the elevation (m.o.h. stands for "meters over havet" — the sea — not too high, are they?).

If you'd prefer to see the town with a local guide, contact Bjørg Bjøberg at the Golden House art gallery (500 kr/1-2 hrs, tel. 91 56 28 42, see listing below).

St. Olaf's Church — This distinctive wooden church was built in 1897 by the wife of Knut Kvikne (of the Kvikne's Hotel family). This devout Englishwoman wanted a church in Balestrand where English services were held...and indeed they still are, by British clergy in summer (free, open daily, services in English every Sun late May–Aug).

The Golden House (Det Gylne Hus) — This golden-colored house, at the corner of the waterfront scene (left from the boat dock), houses an array of diversions and a good restaurant. A local watercolorist and historian, Bjørg Bjøberg, and her husband, Arthur Adamson, rescued this fine old building and are turning it into a time capsule of Balestrand's past. On the ground floor, you'll find Bjørg's gallery, with watercolors celebrating the beauty of Norway. Upstairs is a free exhibit of historical artifacts from the town. What began as an informal collection of old general-store items found in the attic was gradually added on to by locals wanting to preserve treasures from their own families' past — making this an organically-grown town heritage museum. While there are no written English explanations, Bjørg is happy to explain things (free entry, May-Aug daily 10:00–22:00, slightly shorter hours late April and Sept, closed Oct-mid-April, tel. 91 56 28 42.) If you're intrigued by the Golden House, note that you can also hire Bjørg to take you on a private tour of the Golden House's hidden rooms, which includes a 30-minute movie merging her art and local nature (50 kr/person, 100-kr minimum, 200-kr maximum, one hour).

Aquarium — The tiny aquarium gives you a good look at marine life in the Sognefjord. There are no English descriptions in the exhibit, but you can borrow an English brochure at the front desk. While not thrilling, the well-explained place is a decent rainy-day option. A 15-minute slideshow starts at the top and bottom of each hour. In the last room, enjoy the wood-carvings depicting traditional everyday life in the fjordside village of Munken (70 kr, June–Aug daily 9:30–17:00, closed Sept-May, tel. 57 69 13 03). Be sure to check out the tanks on the dock outside, which are sometimes filled with live fish. You can fill your own tank at Café Fløyfisken, the aquarium's cheery restaurant.

Biking — You can cycle around town, or go farther by circling the little but extremely scenic Esefjord (north of town, en route to the ferry landing at Dragsvik — about 6 miles each way). The roads here are relatively flat. Bike rentals are available from the TI.

Kayaking - A local outfit offers three-hour tours (450 kr, daily at 10:00 and 15:00, see TI for details).

Sights near Balestrand

Hopperstad Stave Church (Hopperstad Stavkyrkje) — The most accessible stave church in the area is located just a 15-minute express-boat ride across the Sognefjord, in the town of Vik. Hopperstad Stave Church boasts an extremely scenic exterior, with several tiers of dragon heads overlooking rolling fields between fjord cliffs. The interior is notable for its emptiness — in a good way. Instead of being crammed full of later additions, the church is blissfully uncluttered, as it was when they built it in the mid-12th century (50 kr, good 30-kr color booklet in English, daily mid-June–mid-Aug 9:00–19:00, May–mid-June and mid-Aug–Sept 10:00–17:00, tel. 57 69 52 70).

The church is located a gradually uphill 20-minute walk from Vik's harbor. From the boat landing, walk up the main street from the harbor about 200 yards (past the TI, a grocery store, and hotel). Take a right at the sign for Hopperstad Stavkyrkje, walk 10 minutes, and you'll see the church perched on a small hill in the distance.

To get there, pedestrians can hitch a ride on the express passenger boat between Balestrand and Vik (68 kr one-way, 15 min). The only way to get to the church and back in one day (only possible Mon-Sat) is to take the 7:50 departure from Balestrand, then return on the 11:30 departure from Vik, arriving back in Balestrand at 11:50 — just in time to join a 12:00 glacier excursion (described below). Since cars can't go on this express boat, drivers must go around the small Esefjord to the town of Dragsvik, then catch the ferry across the Sognefjord to Vangsnes (a 20-min drive from Vik and the church).

Glacier Excursions — Balestrand is a fine jumping-off point for cruising up the Fjærlandsfjord to visit the Norwegian Glacier Museum in Fjærland and the receding tongue of the dramatic Jostedal Glacier (Jostedalbreen) itself. Half-day and full-day excursions are sold by Balestrand's TI or on board the boat (daily May-Sept only; for details, see www.fjord1.no).

If you do the full-day excursion (480 kr), you'll depart Balestrand by boat at 8:05 and take an 80-minute fjord cruise along Fjærlandsfjord. You'll see the Jostedal Glacier in the distance, perched atop the mountains. Once you reach the town of Fjærland (whose boat dock is called "Mundal"), a bus meets the boat and takes you to the informative Norwegian Glacier Museum (Norsk Bremuseum), where you'll have about an hour and a half of free time. You'll learn how glaciers were formed, experiment with your own hunk of glacier, weigh evidence of the woolly mammoth's existence in Norway, and learn about the effect of global climate change on the fjords (way overpriced at 110 kr, included in excursion price, daily June–Aug 9:00–19:00, April–May and Sept–Oct 10:00–16:00, tel. 57 69 32 88, www.bre.museum.no). After the museum, a bus takes you to a nearby arm of the glacier, stopping twice at two different places for a closer look; at one stop (Bøyabreen), you'll have about an hour to poke around. Both full- and half-day excursions return at 16:55 — in time to allow you to catch the last express boat from Balestrand to Bergen.

Sleeping in Balestrand

$$$ Kvikne's Hotel, is the classy grande dame of Balestrand, dominating the town and packed with tour groups. The picturesque wooden hotel—and five generations of the Kvikne family—have welcomed tourists to Balestrand since the late 19th century. The hotel has two parts: a new wing, and the historic wooden section, with 17 older, classic rooms, and no elevator. All rooms come with balconies. The elegant Old World public spaces in the old section make you want to just sit there and sip tea all afternoon (Db-1,700 kr in new building or 2,040 kr in old building, about 400 kr more with view; includes breakfast, mostly non-smoking, free Wi-Fi, family rooms available, closed Oct–April, tel. 57 69 42 00, fax 57 69 42 01, www.kviknes.no, booking@kviknes.no). Part of the Kviknes ritual is gorging on the store koldt bord buffet dinner—open to non-guests, and a nice way to soak in the hotel's old-time elegance without splurging on an overnight.

$$ Balestrand Hotel, family-run by Unni-Marie Kvikne, her California-born husband Eric Palmer, and their three children, is your best fjordside home. Open late May through early September, this cozy, welcoming place has 30 well-appointed, comfortable, quiet rooms; a large, modern common area with lots of English paperbacks; laundry service, free Wi-Fi, balconies (in some rooms) and outdoor benches for soaking in the scenery. They also have a waterfront yard with inviting lounge chairs and a mesmerizing view. When reserving, let them know your arrival time, and they'll pick you up at the ferry (non-view Sb-670 kr, view Sb-770 kr, non-view Db-990 kr, view Db-1,190 kr, includes breakfast, 5-min walk from dock, past St. Olaf 's Church—or free pick-up, tel. 57 69 11 38, www.balestrand.com, info@balestrand.com).

$-$$ Kringsjå Balestrand Hostel, a camp school for sixth-graders, rents beds and rooms to budget travelers mid-June to mid-August. Half of their 58 beds are in doubles. All the four-bed rooms have private bathrooms and view balconies (bunk in 4-bed dorm-260 kr, Sb-510 kr, Db-790 kr, extra bed-120 kr, includes breakfast, discount for hostel members, sheets/towels-50 kr/person, free Wi-Fi, tel. 57 69 13 03, www.kringsja.no, kringsja@kringsja.no).

Eating in Balestrand

Kvikne's Hotel offers a splendid, spendy store koldt bord buffet dinner in a stately old dining room. For a memorable fjordside smörgåsbord experience, it doesn't get any better than this. Take your time. Get a new plate with each course and save room for dessert. Consider taking a preview tour before you dive in so you can budget your stomach space. Each dish is labeled in English (500 kr/person, May–Sept daily 19:00–21:00, closed Oct–April). After dinner, head into the rich lounge to pick up your (included) cup of coffee or tea, which you'll sip sitting on classy old-fashioned furniture and basking in fjord views.

Me Snakkast ("Let's Talk"), inside the Golden House at the harbor, dishes up Norwegian home cooking and a variety of salads. Sit outside—or indoors, in a dining area built to resemble a traditional Norwegian kitchen. The restaurant upstairs shows off part of owner Bjørg's antique collection. They serve 30–100-kr light meals—sandwiches, soups, cakes, and more—throughout the day, and pricier meals after 15:00, such as 120–220-kr meat and fish dishes (May–Sept daily 9:30–21:30, closed off-season, tel. 91 56 28 42).

Gekkens is an informal summer restaurant serving grilled meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes, along with burgers, fish-and-chips, and other fried fare. Sit in the simply decorated interior, or out on the shaded little terrace Geir Arne "Gekken" Bale can trace his family's roots back 400 years in Balestrand. He has filled his walls with fascinating historic photos and paintings, making his dining hall an art gallery of sorts (light dishes-60–100 kr, daily dinner plates-100–140 kr, June–Aug daily 12:00–22:00, closed Sept–May, above and behind the TI from the harbor, tel. 57 69 14 14).

Transportation Connections — Balestrand

Balestrand is connected to the rest of Norway via the Fylkesbaatane express boat (buy tickets on boat or at TI, discounts for students and seniors, tel. 55 90 70 70, www.fjord1.no)

From Bergen to Balestrand takes four hours (470 kr, departs Bergen May–Sept daily at 8:00, also Mon–Fri at 16:30, Sat at 14:15, some Sun at 16:30 — but not mid-June–late Aug; Oct–April Mon–Fri at 8:00, Sun–Fri at 16:30, Sat at 14:15; departs Balestrand May–Sept daily at 16:55, Mon–Sat also at 7:50, some Sun at 11:30 — but not mid-June–late Aug; Oct–April Mon–Sat at 7:50, Sun at 15:55). In summer, the 8:00 boat from Bergen continues to Flåm.

From Flåm to Balestrand takes about 1.5 hours (220 kr, departs Flåm May–Sept daily at 15:30, stops at Aurland, arrives in Balestrand at 16:55; second boat sometimes runs from Flåm Mon–Fri at 6:00, arrives Balestrand at 8:00; departs Balestrand daily at 11:50; a different boat departs Balestrand Mon–Fri at 8:30 in July-early Aug; no express boats between Flåm–Balestrand Oct–April).

From Oslo, you can take an early train to Flåm (no later than the 8:11 train as part of the Norway in a Nutshell route), then catch the 15:30 express boat to Balestrand. After your visit, you can continue on the express boat to Bergen, or return to the Nutshell route by taking the express boat to Midtfjord, and transferring to the next boat to Gudvangen (June-Aug only, otherwise transfer in Flåm).

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