Norway's Fjord Majesty

Oslo and the fjords

Oslo is the smallest and least earthshaking of the Nordic capitals, but this brisk little city is a scenic smorgasbord of history, sights, art, and Nordic fun. Add on a "Norway in a Nutshell" excursion over the mountains and to the fjords, and this is potentially one of Europe's best three-day packages of sightseeing thrills.

Oslo

On May 17, Norway's national holiday, Oslo bursts with flags, bands, parades, and pride. Blond toddlers are dressed up in colorful ribbons, traditional pewter buckles, and wool. But Oslo — surrounded by forests, near mountains, and on a fjord — has plenty to offer the visitor year-round.

In Oslo, sights of the Viking spirit tell an exciting story. From the city hall, hop the ferry for the 10-minute ride to Bygdøy. This cluster of sights reflects the Norwegian mastery of the sea. Some of Scandinavia's best-preserved Viking ships are on display here. Pillage and plunder were the rage 1,000 years ago in Norway. There was a time when much of a frightened Western Europe closed every prayer with, "From the fury of the Northmen deliver us, O Lord." Gazing up at the prow of one of those sleek, time-stained vessels, you can almost hear the shrieks and smell the armpits of those redheads on the rampage.

Nearby, Thor Heyerdahl's balsa raft, Kon-Tiki, and the polar ship Fram illustrate Viking energy channeled in more productive directions. The Fram, serving both Nansen and Amundsen, ventured farther north and south than any other ship.

Just a harpoon toss away is Oslo's open-air folk museum. The Scandinavians were leaders in the development of these cultural parks that are now so popular around Europe. More than 150 historic log cabins and buildings from every corner of the country are gathered together in this huge folk museum. Inside each house, a person in local dress is happy to answer questions about traditional life in that part of Norway. Don't miss the evocative old stave church.

Oslo's avant-garde city hall, inaugerated in 1950, was a communal effort of Norway's greatest artists and designers. Tour the interior. More than 2,000 square yards of bold, colorful murals are a journey through the collective mind of modern Norway. City halls rather than churches are the dominant buildings in the your-government-loves-you northern corner of Europe. The main hall of the city hall actually feels like a temple to good government — the altarlike mural celebrates "work, play, and civic administration." Each December the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in this room.

You can also explore Oslo's 700-year-old Akershus Castle. Its Norwegian Resistance Museum, the story of Norway's WWII experience, shows how one country's spirit cannot be crushed, regardless of how thoroughly it's occupied by a foreign power. The castle itself is interesting only with a guided tour.

Language problems are few. The Norwegians speak better English than any other people on the Continent. My cousin, who attended the University of Oslo, had to specify British English or American English in her language studies. She learned American — and can slang me under the table.

Oslo has been called Europe's most expensive city. I'll buy that. Without local relatives, life on a budget is possible only if you have a good guidebook and take advantage of money-saving options. Budget tricks like picnicking and sleeping in private homes offer the most exciting savings in this most expensive city.

One Day for the Fjords?

If you go to Oslo and don't get out to the fjords, you should have your passport revoked. Norway's greatest claim to scenic fame is its deep and lush fjords. Sognefjord, Norway's longest (120 miles) and deepest (over a mile), is tops. Anything but Sognefjord is, at best, foreplay. This is it, the ultimate natural thrill Norway has to offer.

A series of well-organized and spectacular bus, train, and ferry connections — appropriately nicknamed "Norway in a Nutshell" — lays Norway's beautiful fjord country spread-eagle on a scenic platter.

Every morning, Northern Europe's most spectacular train ride leaves Oslo at 8:11 a.m. for Bergen. Cameras smoke as this train roars over Norway's mountainous spine. The barren, windswept heaths, glaciers, deep forests, countless lakes, and a few rugged ski resorts create a harsh beauty. The railroad is an amazing engineering feat. Completed in 1909, it's 300 miles long and peaks at 4,266 feet, which, at this Alaskan latitude, is far above the tree line. You'll go under 18 miles of snow sheds, over 300 bridges, and through 200 tunnels in just under seven hours.

At Myrdal, a 12-mile spur line drops you 2,800 breathtaking feet in 55 minutes to the village of Flåm on Sognefjord. This is a party train. The engineer even stops the train for photos at the best waterfall, Kjosfossen

While most "Norway in a Nutshell" tourists zip immediately from the train onto the scenic fjord boat in Flåm, those with time enjoy an overnight stop on the fjord.

Flåm is a scenic, functional transit hub with several simple hotels. Aurland, a few miles north of Flåm, is more of a town. It's famous for producing some of Norway's sweetest geitost — goat cheese. Aurland has as many goats as people (1,900). Nearly every train arriving in Flåm connects with a bus or boat to Aurland, also on Sognefjord. While nearby Bergen is famous for its rain — more than six feet a year — Sognefjord is a relative sun belt with only two feet a year.

The train from Myrdal to Flåm is quite scenic, but the ride doesn't do the view justice. For the best single day's activity from Flåm, take the train to Myrdal, then hike or mountain-bike the gravel road back down to Flåm (2–3 hrs by bike, great mountain scenery but no fjord views). Or you could just hike the best two hours from Myrdal to Berekvam, where you can catch the train into the valley. Pick up the helpful map with this and other hiking options (easy to strenuous) at the Flåm TI.

From Flåm, "Nutshellers" catch the most scenic of fjord cruises. Sightseeing boats leave throughout the day. For two glorious hours, camera-clicking tourists scurry around the drool-stained deck like nervous roosters, scratching fitfully for a photo that will catch the magic. Waterfalls turn the black cliffs into bridal veils, and you can nearly reach out and touch the cliffs of the Nærøyfjord. On a sunny day, the ride is one of those fine times — like when you're high on the tip of an Alp — when a warm camaraderie spontaneously combusts between the strangers who came together for the experience. The boat takes you up one narrow arm (Aurlandsfjord) and down the next (Nærøyfjord) to the nothing-to-stop-for town of Gudvangen, where waiting buses shuttle you back to the main train line at Voss. From Voss, return to Oslo or carry on into Bergen for the evening.

Bergen, Norway's second city and historic capital, is an entertaining place. You can finish the day there, by browsing the touristy but fun wharf area, taking a harbor ferry, or zipping up the funicular to the top of 1,000-foot-tall "Mount" Fløyen for city and fjord views, before catching the overnight train back to Oslo.

Back in Oslo's station, as you yawn and stretch and rummage around for a cup of morning coffee, it'll hit you: You were gone for 24 hours, experienced the fjord wonder of Europe, and saw Bergen to boot.

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