Why Norway Is A Bonafide Bucket List Destination
Have you ever watched a movie and come across a scene set in a location so awe-inspiring that you immediately knew that you would have to one day see it with your own eyes? Well, being that we delight in foreign movies the way some people might in exotic wines, it should come as no surprise that we’ve seen some epic landscapes that help shape our list of adventure destinations. In the case of Norway, we are specifically speaking of an authentic Nordic-made movie called “The Wave” with its attention-grabbing plot based on what might happen if a mountain crumbled into a Fjord. Even though the resulting natural disaster was exciting to watch, particularly as we love a good survival movie, we couldn’t help but notice the spectacular setting of the movie in the fairytale town of Geiranger itself. As you might guess, we had no trouble deciding where we wanted to go to start our tour of Norway once we finally arrived there. And who says that TV only rots the mind?
What to see first?
With Norway being the home of a combination of stunning coastal cities and fjords giving way to dramatic mountains, valleys, and a verdant countryside it can become a little challenging to choose where to go especially in a place like this where every sight is a new delicious morsel you may not have sampled before. Of course, choosing where to start your tour is not going to be easy given that everyone you speak to in Norway will recommend a different thing to do or see and you’ll probably freeze when faced with so many options. Generally speaking though, the majority of Norwegians seem to agree that the true beauty of Norway lies in the countryside rather than the cities which we found to be a helpful tip as we were planning our trip.
We recommend picking a must-see city or attraction then planning an itinerary that allows you to take in as much of the country as you can en route to your desired destination. To get started you should probably ask yourself what you’d prefer to do. For instance, do you want to see the Fjords more or the Lofoten Islands? Do you want to explore the coastal cities like Bergen or visit the inner country? Are you more interested in hiking the Trolltunga or driving on some of the most scenic and hair-raising roads in the world? No matter what you choose to do though we can assure you that this is one of those rare places in the world where you won’t be disappointed.
Knowing that our ultimate goal was to spend time in Geirangerfjord made it much easier for us to plan out how we could best use our time to see as much of Norway as possible. This is in fact the most efficient approach to planning our trips that we have tried to date and recommend giving it a whirl yourself.
Getting To Geirangerfjord
Even though we knew our ultimate destination, we made sure to do the requisite research which was fortunate as we came across a blog by an expat detailing some must-knows about Norway which really helped our planning (check it out here). We learned from the blog that cross country driving in Norway should be avoided if possible as the roads are often mountainous and narrow with 2-way traffic sharing a two lane road. Furthermore, frequent construction to maintain the pristine roads of Norway often cause lengthy delays and can turn a 7-hour road trip into a 10-12 hour journey. Not to mention frequent weather changes can turn a scenic drive into an unexpected thrill ride.
Since road-trips have a special place in our hearts we had first considered renting a car and driving from Oslo to Lillehammer, a quaint town approximately 1 hour outside of Oslo, spending the night there then continuing on to Geirangerfjord. However, the wise words of warning from the blog and high gas prices prompted us to consider other means of getting to the Fjord. After a spirited argument where one of the two of us had to concede that nixing the road trip was the practical option, especially as the proponent of the road trip was not much help driving, we gave some thought to our second option which was to take a bus from Oslo to Geiranger. The bus ticket was fairly priced at about $85 USD one way, however the thought of a lengthy 8-10 hour trip on a bus where we didn’t control bathroom access didn’t seem like the best idea at the time.
Finally, we looked closely at cruises traveling from Oslo to Geirangerfjord and found several options, all of which required more time than we had and were more costly overall. We also noticed that the cruise liners tended to be huge carrying hundreds, possibly even thousands, of people and we ultimately decided that this was not our ideal way of enjoying the beauty and serenity of the Fjord.
Of course, this meant that we would need to take a flight which was not as simple as it should’ve been as Geiranger did not have an airport of its own. So, after frantically perusing a map of area and some more digging online we came across the city of Ålesund which had its own airport, was ideally located about 1 to 1.5 hours away from Geiranger, and which was touted as the most beautiful city of Norway. What else could we ask for, right? It also didn’t hurt that our flight was just $50 USD per person round trip!
Alesund
Arriving to the Ålesund Airport (Vigra) in the early morning hours as the rain clouds rolled away and the sunlit waters of the coast made its first appearance, we became antsy with anticipation of seeing the “real” Norway as some locals refer to the inner country and Fjords.
Landing at the small but well equipped airport and getting our rental car was a breeze. The drive into the city was about 20-25 minutes and, to our mild disappointment, did not offer as much of a view of the Norwegian Sea as we would’ve liked. We should’ve known better than to despair though as just a few minutes after lamenting the lack of sea views we drove across a bridge and into a bona fide magical floating city!
Built on a string of islands extending into the Norwegian Sea, Ålesund looked like a set right out of a Disney movie with its colorful buildings floating atop gentle waters and embraced by the surrounding green mountains. Despite the wet and cold weather we encountered and that is all too common in the area, we had a fun time exploring the downtown area on foot and admiring the architecture of the city center. We unfortunately were not able to climb the steps to catch the famous bird’s eye view of the city due to the fog and mist but were more than happy to trade that for a cozy seaside dinner. If you happen to be luckier than us and catch that rare sunny day then be sure to take a walk up Fjellstua and take in that coveted view of the city. Check out this website for tons of fun things to do in Ålesund.
Innerdalen
Although we could have easily spent a week in Alesund alone just enjoying the fresh seafood, clean air and friendly locals our main purpose for visiting the region was not forgotten and it wasn’t lost on us that this particular city was also known as the gateway to Geraingerfjord.
Fighting the urge to drive directly to Geiranger, we decided to go a little out of the way to see a whole lot more of the countryside. We had read about Innerdalen which is considered Norway’s first nature preserve and it’s most beautiful mountain valley so this, of course, was our intended destination. Getting there was a bit of a challenge though as there was not an exact address or trailhead to which we could set our GPS. We were able to locate a general region for the valley using the Waze app and combined that with directions we found online here.
After 3 hours of driving through a countryside that could only be described as paradise itself with charming little villages nestled between sparkling fjords and lush sun-dappled mountains, we somehow managed to make a thousand impromptu stops but still arrived to Innerdalen with enough time for a hike. Considering that most of our drive was through sparsely populated areas on a two-lane road, we were extremely surprised to find a nicely paved albeit small parking lot on arrival. The trailhead was easy to spot as it was right next to the much-needed outdoor bathrooms, was all gravel and had a clear no-vehicles-allowed sign.
We knew that the hike into the valley would take ~1 hour but had no idea whether that time was for a round trip or just one way and we definitely did not know the length or elevation of the trail. Signage at the entrance indicated that the trail would be 5 kilometers long and while we weren’t exactly sure how many miles that equated to, we figured we could conquer a two-ish mile trail in 30 minutes or less since we were in fairly good physical shape. After about 10 minutes of constant uphill climbing however we were breathing hard but still pressing on because the view around each corner was increasingly spectacular until we turned yet another corner and spotted what looked like a 60 degree climb that went on for decidedly more than a mile. Much to our chagrin, the trail never leveled off and we were forced to slow our pace which was ultimately not a bad thing as, whenever the tunnel vision that comes with hypoxia receded, we were treated to views of cascading waterfalls and soaring mountain peaks.
After about 45 minutes of continuous climbing, we finally passed a livestock gate and entered Renndolsetra, an old farm that was also designated as a historic cultural heritage site. Due to the growing popularity of Innerdalen, parts of the farm were converted to provide lodging for hikers wanting to spend the night in this remarkable place. Rooms are limited so if you’re planning to stay in the valley and don’t have a reservation ahead of time be sure to bring camping gear and take advantage of the campsites located along the banks of the valley river.
The lodge and campsite offered free wifi but there was no phone service in the valley. However, with 7 lakes and a river well-stocked with trout, multiple snow-bedecked mountains to climb, waterfalls to explore and even a real life petting zoo at your disposal you likely won’t even need your phone except to take pictures! We highly recommend coming prepared to spend a night in the valley, especially if you’re visiting in the summer season when the weather is milder. What better way could there be to experience the calm and tranquility that comes with disconnecting and simply being in one of the most beautiful spots on earth?
Geirangerfjord
Although we were loath to leave Innerdalen, dusk was setting in and we knew we had another 3-hour drive ahead of us to get to Geiranger. We weren’t on a schedule, so we began leisurely meandering our way through the various scenic mountain roadways and even made a quick stop for dinner along the way. We figured we had plenty of daylight to drive by so no need to rush right? Well as it so happened, we decided to double check the route during dinner and noticed something we hadn’t seen before. To get from where we were to the fjord, we would need to take a ferry and of course the ferry had a schedule and would stop running at around 10:45 pm. If we missed the last ferry, then we would be spending our night sleeping in the car at the harbor. Needless to say, the urgency we suddenly felt had us gulping down dinner and rushing to the car. Conversation was now at a minimum as we tried to take the inside of the curve on every turn to save time and—what would you know? — the rain started up in earnest at exactly that moment.
Despite the change in weather and the suddenly tight schedule we managed to relax a little as we noticed that we were shaving time off the drive and actually would make it to the harbor with time to spare. We had specifically planned our route to include a drive on the Trollstigen, one of Norway’s most scenic mountain roads. It was a good plan until we arrived at the base of the road at twilight in the pouring rain, looked up and realized that all the descriptions of the road as “serpentine” were an understatement. Zigzagging up the mountainside, the Trollstigen was primarily a collection of tight hairpin turns on a one lane blacktop with strategically placed but narrow pull-offs to allow passage of oncoming traffic. Add in the rain, the gathering darkness, and actual waterfalls pouring down the mountain and onto the road and you’ve got yourself a scene right out of a horror movie.
We briefly considered turning back but the other route to the fjord would’ve been an additional four hours of driving at the end of an already long day and, besides, our egos just would not withstand such a hit. And so, we secured our seatbelts and began a white-knuckled, spine-tingling, heart pounding 5 mph drive to the top. It took us about 20 minutes, with lots of pullovers to allow passage of other traffic, to make it up the mountain. We must admit that even though it appeared treacherous to us initially, the road was in great condition, and we eventually realized that we were actually not in any great danger especially as we took it slow, followed the signs, and were courteous to others sharing the road.
Feeling exhilarated after making it to the top, we stepped on the gas and got to the Linge ferry station just in time to catch the last boat. We have to say that even taking the ferry was a fun experience on its own as it involved driving our vehicle onto the boat, which is something some of us had never done before. The process was also seamless as we just had to drive into the appropriate line and wait for our turn to board. Our rental car included a toll pass that was good for both roads and ferries known as the AutoPASS and the ferry master was easily able to scan it to exact payment.
Crossing Geirangerfjord was thrilling as we were finally almost at our much-anticipated destination. The twenty-minute trip flew by as we quietly huddled together in the crisp air to admire the unparalleled beauty of the fjord and the twinkling lights of the town of Eisdal to which we were sailing.
Thirty minutes after we exited the ferry, we found ourselves on another scenic mountain road making our descent towards the town of Geiranger. As we descended, the heavy, low-floating clouds that initially surrounded us and obscured all sights finally parted and we saw, for the first time, the glowing lights of Geiranger below us. A stop at the Flydalsjuvet lookout point provided breathtaking bird’s eye views of the fjord, its waterfalls, and the town. It wasn’t hard to figure out why this particular fjord was designated a UNESCO world heritage site.
We chose to stay at the Havila Hotel Geiranger which proved to be one of the best and luckiest decisions of our entire Scandinavian tour for a couple of reasons. First, the hotel was situated slightly up the hillside which somehow allowed us to have both an elevated view of the fjord and town as well as easy access to the waterfront. Secondly, it was well-appointed with comfortable, cozy rooms, an enormous breakfast buffet and plenty of hot water for the chilly nights. The third and most important thing about the Havila Hotel to us personally was that this was the exact hotel where the filming of the aforementioned movie, “The Wave,” was done and which inspired our trip in the first place! Hilariously, we didn’t actually realize this until we returned home and rewatched it on Netflix a month later!
As we were visiting in the high summer season, we weren’t surprised at the volume of tourists in the area. In fact, we feared that we would have to contend with crowds on the scale of what we experienced in Vatican City where we were shoulder to shoulder with other visitors no matter where we went but this was not the case. We never felt as though we had to compete for space at the local eateries or that we would be overrun in the shopping areas. Things did get a little more crowded around town when the cruise ships came in in the early afternoons, but this was but a brief nuisance as the ships often stayed only for a short time. It is worth noting that driving through town is not the best idea as there appeared to be only one small road to be shared by two-way traffic and buses. Parking was also extremely limited. We ultimately did most of our sightseeing on foot, which was very doable given the small footprint of the town.
There were plenty of outdoor activities to choose from in the area including hiking, biking, rock climbing and a slew of water sports. We particularly wanted to get up close and personal with the fjord so we chose to kayak it. We booked the 7 Sisters Tour provided by the Geiranger Fjord Service and that launched from the Geiranger Kayak center located just around the bay from the hotel. We did have to take a short 5-minute drive out to the kayak center which was made longer by a dump truck blocking traffic in all directions.
The tour was guided with multiple instructors directing a small group of us and teaching us how to properly manipulate a sea kayak. Our pace was leisurely as we worked our way towards the waterfalls. The guides were extremely knowledgeable, providing anecdotal and historical data about the precariously positioned and now abandoned farms located along the high-up mountain sides.
We made our way with seemingly little effort to The Suitor, the first of the great waterfalls we saw that day. We then crossed the fjord and came to the Seven Sisters waterfalls pausing in the spray of the grand falls for a quick photo-op and a snack before starting back. We were treated to gray skies, an ever-present misting rain and chilly weather for the entire 5 hours of our tour but, honestly, the atmosphere only seemed to heighten the power and grace of the waterfalls and deepen the beauty of the emerald water around us. Our point of view on the weather might be slightly skewed though as we were quite comfy in our waterproof/wind proof gear!
After chowing down on some of the best fish and chips we’ve ever had, we said goodbye to the fairytale town of Gerainger and the stunning countryside of Norway as we made our way back to Ålesund and then Oslo. With much of our Scandinavian tour still ahead to look forward to, leaving Norway was somehow still a bittersweet affair. The days we spent immersed in the endless natural beauty and surrounded by the down-to-earth people who live in harmony with this incredible place marked us in such a way that we knew we were leaving behind some of ourselves but taking away with us the unexpected magic we had found.
