Fjords, Bergen

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The fjord from the North Sea into Bergen is a beautiful one and should not be missed. Be on deck in order to enjoy the cruise, best at the end of the day when there is a lot of activity in the harbor and fjord. In our case, the ship was the Holland American Line Prinsendam which has many viewing areas and can easily clear the bridges into Bergen.

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Most fjord trips only run during the summer but there was still one operating in November - 'Norway In A Nutshell' and I booked it in the Tourist Office. It was expensive - £62 for me - but I particularly wanted to see the fjords and an organised tour is the best way of doing so if you're not renting a car.

The journey started from Bergen's main railway station with a train to Myrdal. It was a very scenic ride and the countryside became snow-covered a short way outside Bergen. At Myrdal Station, we changed onto the historic Flåm Railway which winds its way through the mountains for 20km to Flåm Station, at the start of the Aurlandsfjord. There we boarded a small boat and set off for a wonderful cruise up Aurlandsfjord into Naeroyfjord, which is the narrowest fjord in Europe. Although the light was fading fast, it was a magical trip and probably more so because it was so deserted at that time of year. Our little boat was the only craft on the fjords and there were absolutely no sounds around us as we made our way through the still water, with high mountains on both sides.

The journey ended at Gudvangen where a bus picked us up and took us back to Bergen. In summer, the bus takes a more scenic route but the tour is shorter in winter because the mountain roads are too perilous.

It was very, very cold on the water and I would have liked more daylight time to admire the stunning scenery, but the trip was still well worth taking.

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You can have a 4-hour boat trip around Bergen Bay and fjord. Its a convenient way to visit fjords if you don't have too much time.

It costs: NOK 430 for adults and 22o for children under 16. You can also order a lunch on boat. Its a relaxed and lazy trip. But you have to choose a day of good weather.

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There are plenty of excursions to the nearby fjords. The one I chose took a fews hours by boat & coach. Can't remember which ones I saw, but I got to see so many beautiful sights of snow capped mountains rising up from the fjords.

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Everyone going to Bergen should visit the fjords. They are such a phenomenon not seen in many places in the world. Around Bergen the fjords go dozens and dozens of kilometres inland.
First we had to go with a bigger passenger boat a few hours along the bigger fjords, then in the middle of the sea we changed to a smaller boat as the bigger one does not fit into the narrow fjords. At the narrowest they are really narrow; there is no much space left between the mountains on both side and the boat.

You might see a whale if you are lucky. We saw many dolphins. The silence, the waterfalls and the incredible beauty of the landscape in perfect sunlight was breathtaking and made me feel small. The sky happened to be blue with no clouds at all.

I was so moved of this beauty and experience, that after the trip I did not want to go out or anywhere. I was back in my accommodation around 6 p.m. but I just needed to absorb it all. I sat on the balcony with a beer and memorized it all, watching my pictures.

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Bergen is the best place where starting your disvery of the Norwegian fjords. There are daily cruise towards the Sognefjorden and Flam. More information on my %L[http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/82cb6/6f/ ]Norway page

Bergen is the gateway to the Norwegian fjords. I have been a lot of places and never seen waterfalls like Norwegian waterfalls. They were every where, very new zealand-esce.
You can experience the scenic Bergen Railway line, the breath-taking Flam Railway line, the Aurlandsfjord, the narrow Naeroyfjord and the steep Stalheimskleiva. This is a daytrip starting in Bergen. They have buses, boats and trains that take you on the tour. I got off on one section and took a different ship so I could see the largest fjord in the world here, whoopee!

Bergen is the capital of the Norwegian Fjordland. You can take cruises to some of them from the harbour. See some pictures of the fjords at the fjordland travelogue.

The fjords were created during the Ice Age around three million years ago. The river valleys were enlarged by the weight of the ice. When the ice melted it left behind the deep gorges that we see today.

Pt 2 Flǻm
If you are not doing the full nutshell, at least take an early ferry to Gudvangen and see the Naeroyfjord.
Marvellous fjord scenery at its best.