Sognefjord | The PhotoNaturalist

June 30-July 2

If you want to take the world-famous train from Oslo to Bergen you should book your seats as early as possible. Tickets open up on vy.no (the official Norwegian rail site) about 3 to 4 months before departing. I stayed up until midnight on the day the ticketing opened and was probably the second person to book seats in Car 1 preferred seating (bigger seats, free coffee…probably not worth the extra cost).

The railroad is the highest mainline in northern Europe crossing the Hardangervidda plateau at 1,237 metres (4,058 ft) above sea level. Leaving Oslo the weather was a pleasant sunny 65 degrees, but at Finse, the highest point in the bare mountains, there was still a ton of snow, a cold rain was falling, and it looked absolutely miserable. We were a little shocked when the lovey-dovey young American couple next to us got off here; she seemed to be 8-months pregnant and dressed more for a day of mall-shopping than stepping off into this desolate spot on a miserable day. There is no town here, only a few lodges that cater to hardcore hikers and skiers.

Planet Hoth

This otherworldly location was, in fact, used as a filming location for an otherworldly planet. The Empire Strikes Back filmed in this area atop the Hardangerjøkulen glacier near this stop at Finse.

Norway in a Nutshell

The reason this train ride is so hard to get tickets for, is that it is a crucial part of the “Norway in a Nutshell” loop. Tourists can do this extremely popular train-ferry-bus tour in a day, or make it an overnight. Several companies offer tickets, which are really just packages of tickets that you can book yourself for cheaper. Starting in Oslo the loop takes the train to Myrdal (2/3 of the way to Bergen?), then a different train to Flåm. Folks then get on a modern ferry to go up the Aurlandsfjord and return via the world’s narrowest fjord, the spectacular Naeroyfjord to Gudvangen where they transfer to a bus, and then back to Oslo (or continue west to Bergen). Norway in a Nutshell!

We wanted to spend a few days in the Sognefjord, purported to be Norway’s most beautiful, so we got off in Myrdal and took an older train that drops 2,800 feet precipitously down a mountain valley and through 20 tunnels to Flåm. We then took a different ferry than the “Nutshellers” over to the remote town of Balestrand.

Shout out to Rick Steves!

Okay, I must admit that I am a big Rick Steves nerd. He had recommended Balestrand, and I listened! Rick Steves is a travel guru, author, YouTuber, podcaster, publisher from Seattle. He is a Norwegian-American (like myself) and for many years I watched his Travels with Rick Steves show on PBS, I continue to buy his European guidebooks (the most detailed out there), and ingest many of his YouTube videos. We also bought each of the boys one of “his” travel carry-on backpacks for the trip. Oh, and now I listen to his weekly podcast. Yeah…a real Rick Steves nerd. I really love his “travel as a political act” philosophy, and share his basic belief that the vast majority of people on this planet are good, caring folks.

Rick (I feel like we should be on a first name basis) recommended staying away from the chaos of the Norway in a Nutshell tours and soaking in the scene and scenery in a more remote, quieter town in the Sognefjord. We chose Balestrand.

Inge’s Cabins

I had rented a small cabin from Sognefjordcabins.com for three nights as I thought we could use a bit of a break from our go-go-go schedule up to this point. Plus, from my trip Excel spreadsheet I could see these cabins had a laundry facility, and this was one of Bridget’s requirements for every 5 days or so.

If you do end up staying in Balestrand, and don’t want to shell out the big bucks for the Kviknes Hotel and its fancy buffets, then I can whole heartedly recommend Sognefjord Cabins. Ours was only yards from the fjord edge and had most of the amenities of home; two bedrooms, covered porch, and a TV with Netflix access—Have you ever seen Trollhunter? If not, go see it now!).

Owner Inge is a charming guy with deep roots in the area (check out the crazy cool video he took of Killer Whales/Orcas going right under his little fishing boat just down the fjord. It is on the website sognefjordcabins.com). He made us feel very welcome and showed us around the property (free use of canoes, paddleboards; small fee for fishing boat, sauna use). But once again, the only bedding were winter-weight down comforters. These Norwegians must be cold sleepers.

Balestrand is a sleepy town of 824 folks on an arm of the Sognefjord. It is kept sleepy by the fact that no cruise ships can dock here, and only a single narrow road that winds around the sparsely populated north side of the fjord reaches this spot. Did I mention that the road is narrow with a capital D? Some spots two cars can not squeeze by each other.

Walking around town doesn’t take too long…it is quite small. One of the architectural highlights is the dragestil-style (see “Oslo” post) St. Olaf’s Church. Built in 1897 and somewhat modeled after ancient stavkirkkes, it is open to the public. Services are still held here. Oh, and don’t forget to pet the fluffy gray neighborhood cat with the bad eye.

I ran into a couple from Minneapolis, and of course we knew someone in common! She formerly taught with Larry Weber in Duluth, my neighbor and one of my authors. Small world!

Dining options are fairly limited if you don’t want to shell out $80 per person for the Kiviknes Hotel buffet (we didn’t). We chose the Golden Fork instead; great food, loooong wait to get our meal.

Kaiser Wilhelm’s “Vacay” spot

Kaiser Wilhelm II found this spot much to his liking; in fact, he summered here from 1899 until the outbreak of WWII. Built for him, “The Kaiser’s Stairs” are still down on the waterfront (see photo of Birk on the stairs). He was so enamored with the legend of King Bele, a Viking King who was said to be buried in one of the five Viking burial mounds west of town (see photos), that he commissioned a large bronze sculpture of Bele to be placed atop one of the mounds (see photos).