If there’s one thing you need to see in Norway it’s the Fjords. These oceanic bays that weave hundreds of kilometres into the Norwegian country side creating one of the world’s most distinctive landscapes.
Huge mountains drop directly down into the sea, their snow covered caps rapidly melting in the spring sun, creating thousands of dramatic waterfalls plunging from the mountain tops down to sea level. It’s quite an amazing site.
A great way to see Norway is to take in two sides of the country. Starting off in Oslo which is one of the world’s great cities. There are great queer bars, several are in close proximity in the city centre allowing a great bar hopping trip.
There’s the two story café Ett Glass, the girls bar So, and one of the most popular LGBTIQ spots is the British themed London pub. Head to Oslo in June and you’ll also be able to take in the city’s Pride festival.
The Oslo Opera House is a sight worth seeing. It’s a huge marble building that’s on the bay and it rises up out of the water like a mountain, you can climb all over it, it’s made up of many differently angled sides recreating the structure of a small hill.
Head down to Aker Brygge, a short walk from the city centre, a walk along a long promenade of cafes and shops. At the end of the promenade you’ll find the Astrup Fearnley Museet, a wonderful modern art gallery that well worth a look around.
Leaving Oslo, you can head across the country by train to the port city of Bergen. This eight hour long train trip has been recognized as one of the greatest train journeys in the world and it doesn’t disappoint.
You begin by traveling through small country villages, the green landscape dotted with brightly coloured wooden houses. This gives way to views of forests filled with waterfalls before you finally climb to the top of the mountains and enter a winter wonderland.
Even when we visited in spring time the landscape was a solid white vista of snow and glaciers. It has served as the planet Hoth in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and today is where they film beyond the wall for ‘Game of Thrones’.
As you begin your decent down into the western side of the country you wind through the forests and farmyards again, and have spectacular views of the fjords. It’s stunningly beautiful. Conveniently the train has wi-fi so you can upload pictures from your phone to make all your friends immediately jealous of your travels.
Bergen is a beautiful port town, one of the highlights is a series of wooden houses that are hundreds of years old at Bryggen alongside the wharf. These ancient wooden houses painted in autumnal colours all lean slightly to the side, leaning against each other, holding each other up.
A walk through the town fish markets is also filled with atmosphere. The town has lots of cobbled laneways with lined with hipster stores of recycled furniture, independent music, fashion and curios.
One of the biggest challenges on Norway is that food is incredibly expensive, unless you’re taking a stack of cash you’ll find yourself heading to the supermarket to buy some bread and cheese for each meal. Luckily in the centre of Bergen you’ll find the Sostrene Hagelin, a store opened by two sisters in the 1930’s that provides affordable food. Their specialty is fish cakes, which is served as burgers, soups, with gravy and vegetables and in a variety of other presentations.
From Bergen sign up for a tour of the fjords, you can head back into the mountains on the train, transfer to a bus, head across the water on a ferry before travelling back to the city on a train again.
Stunning landscapes, picture-perfect postcard views abound and one of the world’s greatest train rides. It’s a wonderful journey.
Graeme Watson
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