Norway Part II: Bergen

A full 24 hours after we were supposed to leave Oslo, we finally boarded an afternoon train on the Bergen Railway for a seven-hour trip that is widely considered the most scenic train ride in the world. My poor Erin was weak from being horrendously ill, but was at least able to gather some sustenance from a few small food items without seeing them again later. We were both concerned about how the train ride would treat her, so she wore yoga pants for as much leverage as humanly possible.

The train was pleasantly cool and spacious and filled with outdoorsy types in weatherproof jackets and hiking boots with huge packs of gear. As the train zipped down the tracks, the hubbub of Oslo quickly melted away and left us with lush greenery and mountains that were eventually joined by white-water rivers, waterfalls, lakes, and an unquestionable sense of peace and quiet for the rest of the journey. Occasionally, we'd see a colorful house perched on a mountainside or a farm with sheep roaming on unfenced land, but the signs of life predominantly came from the landscape itself.

As we climbed in elevation, the mountains became capped with snow, the houses became less frequent, and there were more lakes and waterfalls that looked both unbearably cold and alluringly refreshing at once. We got high enough in the mountains that my ears popped a few times.

  
Our train arrived in Bergen a few minutes after 10:00 p.m., and we immediately collapsed in bed at the Scandic Hotell Ørnen.

After breakfast the next morning, a stable but weak Erin and I set out for our walking tour of Bergen, an undeniably beautiful city surrounded by Seven Mountains and the self-proclaimed "gateway to the fjords." We both agreed that Bergen seemed to offer more of what we'd expected to find in Norway. 

Bryggen

Shielding Erin's sensitive stomach from the smells emanating from the popular fish market on the harbor, we walked through a vibrant downtown and made our way to Bryggen ("the wharf"), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the location of Bergen's oldest buildings. Originally built by traders nearly 1,000 years ago, Bryggen comprises dozens of colorful, closely spaced wooden buildings in what feels like its own little town. It has suffered many fires over the centuries, and an effort to restore what remains is underway — the oldest of the 62 remaining buildings is 300 years old. Bryggen is now home to a museum, shops, cafes, and pubs, including one nightclub that is appropriately called Bergen Nightclub.

Bergenhus Fortress

After walking around Bryggen and looking in at least eight shops selling sweaters and vests made with "genuine Norwegian wool," we moseyed over to the Bergenhus Fortress, a place dating back to the 13th century where the king of Norway used to live. The Rosenkrantz Tower is one of the remaining buildings left on the Bergenhus grounds, which I wanted to tour because I heard there was a dungeon inside. Who doesn't like a good dungeon? Erin sat on a bench to regain some strength for a few minutes before we bought tickets from a nice woman dressed in medieval clothing and went inside. 

The place was confusing enough that I'm not sure I ever actually saw the dungeon. For starters, there were winding staircases — akin to those we had some difficulty with at Kärnan — on both sides of the tower which seemingly led to different places, so I'm not sure what I did or did not see besides a bunch of gray stone walls. We did get some neat pictures from the tower roof, though.

Fløibanen Funicular

Our Bergen guide described the Fløibanen Funicular — a tram that takes you to the top of Mount Fløyen — as Bergen's most popular tourist attraction. As I am a travel blogger and we are both all-around seekers of good times, we naturally wanted to find out what the big draw was all about.

After purchasing tickets, we got in a queue with hundreds of other tourists in what felt like a subway tunnel. A blue or a red tram would appear every few minutes, letting off about 75 people as another 75 people climbed aboard (yes, I counted). After giving a dirty look to a woman trying to shove her way past me, we got on the red tram and took the seven-minute ride up the side of the mountain to get a look at the truly spectacular view.

Fjord Tour

On our second full day in Bergen, we did our other duty as tourists and signed up for an afternoon fjord tour. Of the dozens of tours of varying lengths and destinations available, we chose a 4.5-hour cruise on a catamaran to the innermost part of Osterfjord, a narrow inlet called Mostraumen that is only just wide enough to allow boats through. We started out on the upper deck for the best view, but the wind and the lower temperature on the water eventually brought us below deck for warmth. In the harbor, we rode past a couple large cruise ships with senior citizens happily waving at us, and those of us with souls waved back at them.

The pics below are some of those I took on the tour. To be sure, it offered some of the prettiest sights I've ever seen.

This was the last big trip we had planned during our time in Europe, which is nearing its end. We do have a couple more day trips in mind here in Sweden before heading back to the U.S. next month. Stay tuned!