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From the Fjells to the FjordsWalking in the heart of Norway Nights: 7
Starting point: Hotel Finse, Finse. It is with a sense of adventure that you arrive at this small, rather sleepy place where Scott spent a winter training for his Antarctic expeditions. Your simple but convivial hotel is popular among Norwegians who come from far and wide to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities in this area of evocative beauty. Day 1: today you can cross the moorland to meet the blue ice of the mighty Hardanger Glacier. You may even wish to join a guided walk on the ice (pay locally). Alternatively, hotel staff will advise you on a variety of other walks in the surrounding area. You could walk to the Klemsbu hut and beyond, to a height of 1694 metres, with superb views all around. Another option is to hire bikes from your hotel and cycle along the Rallarvegan towards Myrdal and back. Accommodation: Hotel Finse, as above. Day 2: you take the train to Myrdal, from where you enjoy an unforgettable walk down the lush Flåm Valley. This famous valley plunges past woods, waterfalls and rushing water, an extraordinary transition from the mountains to the fjord. You follow the course of the Flåm Railway, also making its way to the fjord, and end at sea level in the sheer-sided Aurlandsfjord. Should you wish to shorten today’s walk we recommend that you walk the 10.5km from Myrdal to Berekvam station and catch the train to Flåm from there (pay locally). (20km, 4h) Accommodation: Fretheim Hotel, Flåm. This is an elegant hotel dating back to 1909 and overlooking the water. Many of the original features have been retained and there is a wine-cellar and bar, as well as the well-regarded restaurant. Day 3: starting and ending with a short bus journey (pay locally), this walk is another dramatic highlight – along the mule track that is still the only way to access the now long-abandoned farms dotted along the remote and magical Aurland Valley. The valley is watered by roaring waterfalls and home to a variety of wildlife, and the path takes you through a wilderness of ravines, steep cliffs and caves, following the course of the river. Accommodation: Fretheim Hotel, as above. Day 4: unless you are travelling from late August onwards, when it is necessary to take a bus instead, you catch the morning boat along Aurlandsfjord into majestic Sognefjord. At 200km long and 1,300 metres in depth, this fjord is unmatched anywhere in the world, giving spectacular views up to the small grass plateaux where cattle and sheep graze, seemingly clinging to the steep sides. You change at Balestrand for the journey along another spur to the small dairy-farming community of Fjaerland. Depending on the time of your arrival, you should have time for a walk in the afternoon (see day 5) or a visit to the village's museum about the nearby Jostedal Glacier. Accommodation: Hotel Mundal, Fjaerland. With an enviable location, this intimate hotel is the perfect place at which to spend your last two nights in the fjords. Sisters-in-law Billie and Marit Orheim offer you excellent cooking, warm hospitality and facilities that include a library, billiard room and rowing boats. Day 5: we provide a choice of five walks for your time at the Hotel Mundal, the first three of which start direct from the hotel. The easiest (2.5hrs), ascends gently and then more steeply through the Mundal Valley to a large cirque with a narrow waterfall, returning via the same route. The second (2hrs) is a short but steep hike through woodland to a vantage point 100 metres above the fjord. A more challenging route (4.5hrs) begins with a stroll by the fjord and then rises steeply up the slopes to a viewpoint at 665 metres above sea level from which you can admire the spectacular views over the fjord before retracing your steps back to the hotel. The fourth option (5hrs; again a linear route) involves a short taxi ride to and from the starting point (pay locally), then ascends almost 1,000 metres to the base of the Flatbreen Glacier, a spur of the vast Jostedal Glacier, one of the largest in Europe. If you are particularly fit, you could join a guided, hour-long walk on the ice (pay locally). The final walk (4.5hrs) starts with a transfer (pay locally) to the other side of the fjord then explores a wooded valley, affording excellent views of the ice field once again. Accommodation: Hotel Mundal, Fjaerland, as above. Day 6: your holiday ends with a memorable return journey to Bergen, giving you the chance to marvel at this splendid scenery one last time as you take the ferry along the fjord to Balestrand, then along the coast by express boat for a final night in the fjord capital. (The boat usually departs Fjaerland in the early afternoon, giving you time to enjoy another walk from the Hotel Mundal if you wish.) Accommodation: Neptun Hotell, Bergen. Located in the centre of Bergen not far from the quayside, your final high-quality hotel has comfortable rooms individually decorated with some interesting artwork. When this is not available, we use the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel and the Norge Hotel, also conveniently located close to the atmospheric harbour. Wherever you stay, you can take your pick of the various restaurants nearby for dinner (pay locally). Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Recommendations for extra nights: the Hotel Mundal (Fjaerland) is one of the most romantically situated hotels in the world, and makes a perfect choice for extra nights, especially as we suggest so many walks in the area. Alternatively, you may wish to stay longer at the Hotel Finse to enjoy the wide variety of outdoor activities, or even add a night or two in bustling Oslo at the start of your holiday – please contact us for prices. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar holidays: The Serene Hardangerfjord (grade 2), The Bernese Oberland (grades 2 & 3), Towards the Matterhorn (grades 2 & 3), Villages of the Engadine (grades 2 & 3), The High Route (grade 3) Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended destination airports: arrival Bergen & Oslo; departure Bergen Extra night prices
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Explore Norway’s astonishing mix of landscapes, from the mountain moorlands of the Hardanger Plateau to the peaceful scenery of the awesome Sognefjord, perhaps the most beautiful of all the fjords. You walk through a region rich in history and culture, using trains and boats to extend your range, as you journey from Finse to Fjaerland. Transport in Norway is easy to use and very reliable, making it an enjoyable part of the holiday which complements the exciting days spent exploring the paths in the mountains, by the glaciers and on the slopes of the fjords. You stay in quality, comfortable hotels throughout, enjoying the warm hospitality of the Norwegians as you travel. A truly special experience.
Waterfall in the Flåm Valley 
