Bergen, on Norway’s west coast, was the perfect introduction to the country. An important port for years, Bergen was at one time Norway’s capital. There is a neighborhood of historic wooden houses, called Bryggen, which is on the Unesco list.
As it is located on a fjord, Bergen was a good spot from which to take in nature. I wasn’t too clear on what a fjord actually was before coming here; it is a crack carved by glaciers in a mountain, that water and ice gouged out over time, eventually allowing contact with the ocean. Our favorite thing we did in Bergen, was ride a boat on a fjord.
It was so cold, the water was beginning to freeze, but we loved standing on deck, with steep mountains on either side, observing the waterfalls, and wondering what it would be like to live in one of the tiny villages with red and white houses and no road access. We also glimpsed porpoises swimming in the frigid water!
We rode on the Flåm railroad, which travels up a steep mountain, crisscrossing back and forth to avoid areas prone to avalanches. 18 of its 20 tunnels were carved by hand.
It is unique because instead of building bridges for the train to go over the river, workers instead built tunnels to divert the river away from the train. Along the way, we passed 2 large waterfalls.
We didn’t get to soak in a lot of culture, but we were able to bask in a boat load of nature.
Beer of Choice: Aegir IPA