A new destination, a reunion with my sister and her boyfriend and a Christmas market visit… Oslo promised to be a city-break to remember! While chilly temperatures and grim weather on the Saturday meant we didn’t cram in quite as many activities as I would normally, we still managed to check out some of the city’s notable sights and some amazing street art. Read on to see how we spent two snowy days in Oslo!
Bergen is a picture-perfect town tucked into a reach of Norway’s iconic fjords. While it can be rainy, it’s still got lots to offer, and we had no trouble filling our 36 hours there. Here’s what we got up to, from fjord cruising to mountain climbing to delicious food, and something special that I have earmarked for next time. [Read more…]
Part Two of my Norwegian escapade was a couple of days in gorgeous rainy Bergen. I’ll be sharing more on what we got up to there in my next post, but after our incredible hike up Preikestolen we knew we wanted to get back into the Norwegian fjords. This time round, we opted for sightseeing with considerably less effort, by taking a cruise.
With limited time, we jumped onto a 3 hour cruise which would take us up into the Osterfjord. The comfortable boat departed right from the middle of Bergen and we nabbed a table inside – it was chilly out on the water! As we sped out through the harbour, the guide gave us a quick history of the town and some of the landmarks around us. I spent most of my time trying to decide which cute waterside house or colour scheme I preferred the most – there were some gorgeous spots.
Apparently this couple greet every cruise boat that passes with flag waving, horn tooting and garden hose spraying – that’s dedication!
The sides of the fjord grew steeper as we motored further north, past Osterøy Island, the largest internal island in Norway. With only two road bridges connecting either side of this massive island to the mainland, it was quickly apparent why most locals choose boats as their main form of transportation.
By this point I was getting strong reminders of the fjords of New Zealand’s South Island, although sadly the Norwegian equivalent didn’t have a resident dolphin population. That aside, the gorgeous green tones and many waterfalls were very familiar. It was so tranquil out there, with barely any other boats as we progressed further along the fjord.
Soon we were approaching Mostraumen, an exceptionally narrow sound stretching off the Osterfjord and the far point of our tour. The boat slowed right down and to the sounds of the pastoral classic Greig’s ‘Morning Mood’ we edged gently through.
The teeny settlement at the edge of Mostraumen
Once through, we headed straight for the cliff face – deliberately, thank goodness. A few brave souls had their arms twisted volunteered to collect the fresh fjord waterfall spray in a bucket from the front of the boat – given how cold it was in the far reaches of the fjord I was more than happy to watch from the upper deck!
Close enough for me!
All rugged up!
Before we knew it, we were gingerly navigating back through the pinch point at Mostraumen and heading at speed back down Osterfjord. I headed back inside to regain the feeling in my fingers and watched the green cliffs flash by. Back in Bergen harbour it felt positively bustling in contrast to the serenity of the fjord!
For more information on the cruise we took, click here.
Have you taken a cruise around islands or along a fjord?
Linking up for Travel Tuesday with Bonnie, Christine and Sara!
As I perched on the edge of the rock high above the fjord, fresh air in my lungs and sun on my face, I wondered why I hadn’t had a change from my many city-breaks earlier. Climbing Preikestolen, otherwise known as Pulpit Rock, in Norway reminded me how much I love getting outdoors – and how stunning these landscapes can be!
I flew into Stavanger with my trusty group of fellow explorers for the second May Bank Holiday, and we had an early start for the ferry from the central terminal to Tau. As we snacked on our takeaway breakfasts from our very comfortable Scandic hotel, we willed the clouds to clear for our hike.
Awaiting the ferry in Stavanger
We were travelling without a car, so had pre-booked our bus tickets from Tau to the start of the hike up Preikestolen, near the lodge Preikestolen Fjellstue. The journey from Stavanger to the start of the hike was just over an hour of travel. We posed for our obligatory group photo and up the hill we went! The track is really well-marked, and a lot of it is purpose-built boulders or wooden tracks. We’re all pretty fit and didn’t have any problems with the climbs, but if you’re a bit unsteady then walking poles would be a great idea. We were near the start of the season so there was still ice and snow around, and a few spots of rain. As you’ll see, the epic views in all direction meant any amount of clambering was well-worth it.
Early lake views
The scenery kept changing but it was all beautiful – this part reminded me of NZ’s South Island
One of the steeper bits
Gorgeous huh?!
As it was nearly the end of May, we were more than a little surprised to still find snow around in patches, but the temperature definitely warranted it – as we climbed it became quite chilly. All of us came from New Zealand and with our tramping (hiking for non-Antipodeans!) backgrounds, we were all well-prepared with multiple layers, rain-proof jackets, and sturdy shoes. Later on we saw lots of people attempting the climb in sneakers, jeans and light t-shirts, and I shudder to think how they would have felt when they got higher. Not fun!
Looking down the fjord
The tip of the rock!
After about two hours we made it to the top, where all of the scrambling and chilly winds were instantly forgotten as we took in these incredible views. Every way we turned, a different stunning aspect of the landscape commanded the eye. Pulpit Rock rises over 600 metres above Lysenfjorden, and one of my favourite panoramas was the view down the fjord towards the distant mountains.
Quite a long way down!
Sorry mum… I know I promised! 😀
We climbed a bit higher above the Rock and were rewarded with this view down onto Preikestolen – I love the splashes of colour from all the different jackets! Once we’d photographed selfies, groupies and the landscapes at every possible angle, we opted to head down. Preikestolen, despite the steep climb, is one of Norway’s most popular tourist attractions and it was starting to fill up. It made me a little nervous to watch people attempting jumping shots near the edge as it got more crowded, but I also appreciated that the Norwegian authorities had chosen not to fence off the edges. Personal responsibility, people! And of course, much more photogenic that way.
Even the little legs of this puppy managed most of the climb
The view for our late lunch – pretty great!
Once back at (nearly) sea-level, we opted to miss the first bus coming in favour of lunch at the lodge – definitely the more relaxing and restorative option. Nearly nodding off on the bus back to Tau, we enjoyed the smooth sailing and beautiful blue skies on the way back to Stavanger. I can’t recommend this hike highly enough – it’s definitely one of my favourite activities I’ve done since I moved to the UK! For more information on hiking to Pulpit Rock, click here.
Have you ever hiked Pulpit Rock, or somewhere else in Norway? Would you?
Linking up for Travel Tuesday with Bonnie, Christine and Sara – check their blogs for the linkup and loads more wanderlust-inducing posts!
