Tag Archives: Norway

Scandinavian travel sites call it one of Europe’s most beautiful train journeys. Even in April and May, the season that Norwegians call ‘late winter’, the views from the train between Bergen and Oslo are magnificent, alternating between stark rugged beauty and picturesque charm. My husband and I were travelling on a small ocean cruise from […]

View full post »

Norwegian tourism sites are quick to tell you that a trip on the Flåmsbana – the Flåm Railway – is one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world, and it certainly is impressive! I love train travel, and European trains are an absolute treat. The Flåm Railway line takes less than an hour […]

View full post »

It was raining. But that didn’t stop the residents of Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, from coming out into the streets and public spaces to celebrate their cultural heritage. I was very lucky with the Sunday I had by myself exploring the delightful city: a local troupe was performing traditional folk dances under the protective roof […]

View full post »

It’s hard to imagine a more dramatic location for a most picturesque city! Surrounded by steep, snowcapped mountains with glaciers tucked within them, and sliced by deep fjords and fast-running rivers, historic Bergen has long Viking roots and rich Hanseatic heritage. The iconic medieval harbour district Bryggen is immediately recognisable with its colourful collection of […]

View full post »

You could say that the Norwegians invented fjords. Their country is certainly home to some magnificent UNESCO-listed examples, and it is they who originated the word. A rough line around Norway’s sea borders (the coastal perimeter) adds up to about 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi). But, if you measure what is called the ‘low-resolution coastline’ which […]

View full post »