Norway in a nutshell - Cirrus Travels & Holidays

Before travelling to Norway I read a lot of blogs on the country, the names and details intimidated me. I was like wow, so much to see and so confusing, I had 8 days and clueless how to pack all in. My blog aims to help people plan their trip in a nutshell. This is also what the beautiful scenic journey From Bergen to Oslo or vice versa is called, more about that later.

This year I had promised to myself an international run, world majors runs being difficult to get entry to, ( I need to work on my pace ) I thought if not a word major it has to be the most scenic one. The obvious choice was the Tromsø midnight run. Dreaming of my personal best I tripped on a practice run ( thank you Government of India for roads where every run is filled with adventure) In a cast with the doctor advising no runs for next 3 months I was determined to salvage what I could. Used the booked tickets and turned this into a holiday to Norway. Intention was to probably hobble with the runners and feel the vibe, hope not to feel too left out. A zillion plans now, very different from the original one.

Tromsø :

The city with the midnight sun. I landed at 10PM and the sun was as bright as if it was 12 noon. Tromsø airport is quite small, with glass all around, did I land in the mountains and not an airport ?????

From the airport to reach the city there are taxis easily available and airport shuttle The Flybussen. The city at close to 11 PM was awake, pubs open, people on the roads, I guess all using the days & nights of light to the utmost . To stay in Norway any of the Thon hotels are good, well located, well priced and with a good breakfast spread to start the day. With most of Tromsø on an island all can be covered by walking or by cycles which can easily be rented. The city does not have a separate cycling lane though. Or else a bus pass, all major cities of Norway have bus passes which make exploring the city very reasonable and convenient. PS : It’s fun to just sit at any of the cafes on the harbor and enjoy the views.

Things to do :

Midnight sun cruise : Take a pick from the various ones offered but MUST do any one. Starts at 10 PM and ends earliest at 1AM. Could not stop clicking pictures of the sky, frustrated as nothing that I clicked could capture the actual hues. It gets very chilly on the boat, do carry all the woolens that may be needed to stay up on the decks. Hot chocolate & cookies are part of all cruises.

Artic Cathedral & Fjellstua : Tromsdalen Church, also known as Ishavskatedralen (The Arctic Cathedral) can be viewed from afar. Visible from the Tromsø Sound, the Tromsø Bridge and when landing in Tromsø. A glass and mosaic structure, simple and impressive.

Walkable from there is the Fjellstua cable car which goes from Solliveien in Tromsdalen up to Storsteinen, 421 meters above sea level, in just four minutes. It has a restaurant which serves some basics, would recommend to carry some food and have a picnic on the mountains. Enough flat spaces to enjoy a meal with the spectacular views all around. Do check timing of cable car to plan well.

Prestvannet & Telegrafbukta : Prestvannet is a small lake in central tromso, can skip if short of time, around 5 kms from there is Telegrafbukta, a lovely beach surrounded by mountains and water. Peaceful with picnic tables and amazing views. There is no food sold here, best to carry some. Was shivering with my jacket in June and wondering how the locals were happily sun bathing in swimwear. Don’t expect too much sand, its more greenery and mountains.

Magic Ice bar : This one I spotted in Bergen as well, I guess they have it in all major cities of Norway. Everything inside is made of ice including the chairs, tables, glasses they serve drinks in. Temperature is maintained at -5. A fun thing to to do, I lasted 15 minutes inside the bar. Had to finish my drink outside the bar. They allow that. Max people last here is 45 minutes as confessed by the bartender. Fun trivia : Canadians last the most.

Midnight run : HAVE to talk about this, they have all categories starting from 4 kms up to 42 kms. Start time for the full is 8:30 PM and the rest are all later. Guess motive is to be on a run at midnight. They don’t expect Kipchoge here

Its full carnival feel with a toddlers run as well, it’s so cute to see babies with running bibs as big as they are. Running in any direction they want, clueless about the finish line.

Stalls selling food, people having wine on the roads, fun and laughter all around. Ignoring doctor’s advice and my saner self I did a 8km run just to get a feel of the vibes. I was ecstatic at the end, requested for a not earned medal as a souvenir which I was shamelessly wearing.

Bergen :

From the airport to city center taxis and The Fybussen is easily available. Known as the capital of fjords and surrounded by 7 mountains, its rainy most days of the year. Postcards of Bergen mostly depict colorful wooden buildings on the wharf just by the main harbor. Only 58 or 62 of them are left now, converted to shops selling souvenirs.

Bryggen would be the central area to stay in. The harbor, pedestrian walking area in the shopping district, monument of sailor, park with fountains, station all would be walkable. The park at Bergenhus has a lovely fountain and a café selling fresh breads and coffee. A bus pass would be the cheapest and best way to get around. Bergen is ideal for activities such as hiking, cycling or kayaking. Happy thing to do : Having Ice cream from the shops at Bryygen sitting by the harbor. Enjoying the buzz of activity, from ships and tourists.

Things to do :

Fjord tour : Obviously, this is synonymous with Bergen. A must for the region’s jaw dropping landscapes. Try to reach early and board at the earliest to get a good spot on the deck. It would be a shame to sit inside. Most of the tours sell wine & beers along with some snacks. Weather can change any time in Bergen, advisable to have a rain proof jacket handy always. As for the cruise itself, It’s impossible to describe the experience, won’t even try.

Ulriken or Mount Floyen : For views of the city. Ulriken has a higher mountain feel and is outside the city, can take the cable car or hike up. Mount Floyen is from city center and can go by funicular or hike up. Take a pick, would not recommend to do both as its similar experience. For better views Ulriken, with children Mount Floyen. Ulriken has a restaurant called Skyskraperen at the top which is highly rated. Did not feel it warranted so much attention. Good but not amazing.

Norway in a Nutshell : Highlight of the trip, the spectacular journey starting from Bergen and ending at Oslo. Bergen to Voss is a train which I found was the the least spectacular part of the journey, even so try to get a seat on the left side of the train for better views. Seamlessly connects to a bus journey to Gudvangen. This part is mind blowing good. The bus stops at Stalheim as a photo stop as well as for all who want to break the journey. The journey can be broken up at every point. Activities on the way can also be added. From Gudvangen its a cruise in the fjords up to Flam. Try to travel as light as possible. Luggage has to be taken care personally.

Flam has a few good places to stay, also works as a great mid point to break journey instead of continuing on to Oslo making the day hectic.

If willing to experiment would highly recommend staying at Flam campsite. They have all kinds of rooms including a dormitory. Complete with a community kitchen, they have all equipment to cook a full meal. Take Maggie noodles at least to to cook. I was most excited about this stay and it did not disappoint. Children would love to run around the vast gardens. It’s a road away from the station and ferry terminal. Enough restaurants and cafes around. Nothing to do though except cycle around. Cycles can be rented easily. Just breathe in the clean mountain air. Total detox.

From Flam to Oslo is a 6 hour journey by train. The first part is a short 50 minute ride on the breathtaking Flam railway, looked like an ancient train with commentary on the route, they have a picture stop at a magnificent waterfall at Myrdal. The final train was from Myrdal to Oslo, a journey which was the last part but not the least part. Has a cafeteria as well as a family car for adults with toddlers. This section was totally padded up to ensure falling babies don’t get hurt. It went too fast, wine and views…. memories made forever.

Flekkefjord : A picturesque town located in southern Norway, known for stunning fjord landscape. While there can take a ferry to Hidra, a small island known for it’s rugged coastline and hiking trails. They have an interesting unique concept of rail biking. Safe for people with small children also, covering 17 tunnels and having several stops, recommended to carry some food along and head lamps.

Oslo :

Capital of Norway and I was expecting a big city ( not a fan of big cities)

Maybe its just cause of the area I was in, what I found was a lovely compact city full of greenery, cobbled roads, roadside cafes, music all around. I LOVED it. Must stay in any hotel near Karl Johan’s gate. Every activity would be in a radius of 2 kms. Karl Johan hotel is a good one. A bus pass to get around is really not needed as everything is walkable. 70% of Norway is greenery. Pretty impressive. Norway also ranks high in the index of happiest countries of the world.

Things to do :

List down all monuments and museums and google map them and walk around. They are all close by. Only Vigeland Park having sculptures is at some distance. Or take a walking tour, the guide will know exactly how to do all with least amount of walking. Guides also know a lot of stories & history which make the city interesting.

Take an Island hopping tour or just buy tickets at the dockyard and do it yourself, its pretty simple, only advantage of taking a tour is again, the guide will have some interesting tales about each island.

Shop at the shops at Karl Johan gate or just relax after a hectic holiday and soak in the vibes.

Note :

Norway has excellent hiking, biking, trekking, fishing & boating experiences from all cities and towns. There will never be any place which does not give opportunities for the active traveler. This is probably a simplified, touristy version of all that can be done in Norway, hope it helps.