Norway- 8 days!

Whenever I return home from a trip it is with starry reminiscent eyes. I could babble on for hours to any poor soul who is kind enough to listen but recognize that my travel anecdotes can become rather dull even for the most polite company.  To keep from dominating a conversation with said polite friend, I find myself asking about their next trips or daydream destinations. Such was the setting for Daniel and I as we ate pancakes at a local diner upon my return from Iceland. I was fresh off the plane wearing my Iceland sweatshirt, beaming with post travel jitters. Daniel, it was clear, had Scandinavia on his mind. Between his trip to Sweden last year and my talk of Iceland, Norway seemed like his next stop. Well long story short, all this talk got us riled up, and we booked our tickets to Oslo three weeks later!

Flam, Norway

Norway, Land of the Vikings, trolls, and Scandinavian charm! Where legend has it babies are born with skis on their feet and shops sell winter down jackets and wool sweaters even in July.  This hardy beautiful kingdom bridges modern city skylines and fairy tale forests all in one breathe. It was clear that Norway was worth a visit.

Aurlandsfjorden

Norway is notorious for being expensive. We found that by planning the major components of our trip (accommodations, transportation, city passes) well in advance, we were able to manage and pay off some of our larger expenses before setting foot in the country. Once in Norway,  we only needed to pay for food and drinks (and we rented bikes in Bergen).  We kept costs down by grabbing food at a grocery store instead of eating out for every meal. Food trucks were also pretty accessible and affordable, with great locations right in the center of the cities.

Bergen

Norway is very easy to navigate. Everyone speaks English, the cities are safe and clean, and there is a sense of personal accountability that I find very refreshing. Multiple times I found myself in situations where I thought, “This would never be allowed in NY. There would be far too many liability concerns, too many possible injuries.” Yet in Norway, it seems no one would ever think to sue the city for their own personal stupidity upon injuring themselves.  The Oslo Opera House, for example, is made out of countless ramps jutting out here and there that lead directly down into the harbor and wind upward to the top of the building to look out over the city. The ramps are steep and could easily result in a full-scale plummet if one were unfortunate enough to trip.  But hell, in Norway if you are silly enough to play around inappropriately and befall misfortune it’s a teachable moment, a life lesson that will remind you to act responsibly and mindfully next time.

Radhus (city hall), Oslo

We saw this all over.  At Edvard Grieg’s home outside Bergen we walked down to find a jetty and a rocky beach, supplied with a lifesaver as opposed to a swimming prohibited sign.  In Oslo public fountains were cool down pools for children and dogs alike, with no one blinking an eye about sanitation or safety concerns.  It was superbly refreshing!

Astrup Fearnley Musset, Oslo

Since we were only able to take one week for our visit, we divided our time between Bergen and Oslo respectively.  After researching transportation costs and considering the time and money it would take to get from one city to the next, we settled on Norway in a Nutshell. It’s a service that plans your transportation one way between the cities, so that you are able to see the famous sites and fjords that lie betwixt them.  It was well worth it! We traveled by train, to another train, to a ferry, to a bus, and once more to a train before reaching Bergen, taking in the astounding mossy forest landscapes, waterfalls, and fjords that Norway is renowned for.

Fantoft Stave Church, Outside Bergen

We spent the first half of our trip in Bergen, which proved to be an extremely quaint city steeped in history and charm.  Bergen’s surrounding mountains and countryside should not be neglected either! The first day was spent hiking Stoltzekleiven, a beautiful stone paved staircase nuzzled inside Sandviken, a neighborhood not often visited by tourists, and on the second day we biked around the  outside of the city.  We spent our afternoons checking out the Bryggen and museums. Then we were on a train heading back to Oslo for the next half of the trip.

Spotted from our train window

Oslo is the more modern and hip capital, offering diverse neighborhoods and distinct cultural sites. We stayed in Grunerlokka the hip district to the northeast that is often considered the Williamsburg of Oslo, filled with cafes and modish shops.  Central Oslo offers up the capital buildings, central train station, and bustling harbor views, while Bygdoy peninsula houses the city’s museums.  There is plenty to keep you fully occupied.

Hiking Stoltzekleiven, Bergen

We spent our time meandering through parks and museums scattered across the city. The summer sunlight hours (the sun doesn’t set until about 10pm) stretched the days out and we were surprised by how much we were capable of squeezing into a mere day in the city.  Our Oslo city pass (about 60 bucks for 48 hours*) allowed us to access trams, buses, museums, ferries and the like for free and we took full advantage of it. During our two and half days there we visited nine museums! 

Vigeland Park, Oslo

All in all we spent 8 days in Norway and it was wonderful. One week later here I am, back in NY, and a week away from the school year kicking off the end of my summer.  It was a wonderful trip and I appreciate you having read this far.

“Sorry, what’s that? I seem to have something in my eye? Oh! That? That’s just starry reminiscence. Yes, yes, of Norway. But tell me where do you plan on going next?”

Fish and Chips, Oslo

*I did not have data for my phone so I took a screenshot of my pass to show upon entry, which worked just fine.  And! On the third day of our trip when my 48 hour pass was suppose to no longer be valid the screen shot still got us both in for free to two more museums!

Kjellersmauet 27-1 Street, Bergen

Norway 8 Day Itinerary

Day 1—Arrival in Oslo

• Arrived around 2:30pm
• Picked up Norway in a Nutshell tickets at airport
• Hopped on a train to Central Oslo
• Checked in at our Airbnb
• Walked down to Oslo Opera House
• Grabbed dinner at Oslo Central Station
• Slept (the sun stays out late during the summer so bring an eye mask and possibly ear plugs since your windows will likely be open, at least in the summer, to the street sounds outside) 

Day 2—Norway in a Nutshell

• Rode the Bergen railway train to Myrdal- 4.5 hours
• Rode the Flam Railway to Flam- amazing landscapes in the mountains, it stops at a Kjosfossen waterfall where you might just spot flaxen haired nymphs dancing in red dresses up on the cliff sides- 1 hour
• Arrived in Flam (delightful town) ate lunch, roamed the town checking out the gift shops and railway museum-1.5 hours
• Rode ferry through the fjords!!! (sights- Sognefjord, Surlandsfjord, Otternes farm, Aurland village, Undredal village, Stigen Farms, Naeroyfjord, Sagfossen waterfall, Dyrdal hamlet, Styvi farm, Bleiklindi farm, Bakka hamlet, arrive and debark in Gudvangen village)-2 hours
• Rode bus from Gudvangen to Voss by way of the steep winding Stallheimskleiva road-1.15 hours
• Rode the Bergen Railway from Voss to Bergen- 1.5 hours
• Checked in at Airbnb
• Went to local grocery store bought something for dinner
• Slept

Day 3—Bergen/Stoltzekleiven!

• Walked to Tourist Information in central Bergen to pick up a city map, Bergen passes, and ask after buses to Stoltzekleiven hiking trail, and possible bike rentals for the following day.
• Took bus to Stoltzekleiven trail! Absolutely incredible trail! Beautiful city views at the top! you can take buses 3,4,5, or 6 to Munkebotn were we then followed the trail upwards until we reach the Stoltzekleiven entrance, and made our way up the winding stone steps.
• At top continued onto Skomakerdiket lake and followed the trail around it to the right to continue on to Mt. Floyen!
• Reached Mt. Floyen! We changed here to get out of our sweaty hiking clothes and then had a delicious Skillingsboller (the famous Bergen cinnamon bun) and hot tea over looking the gorgeous Bergen city view. 
• Rode Fliobanen Funicular down to Bergen Harbor (tickets must be purchased from city entrance in town, if you want to use your Bergen pass (which would make it free)! We ended up paying for a one way ticket down since there were only electronic kiosks and no one was able to check our Bergen passes to provide our free ride) 
• Visited the Hanseatic Museum-great history lesson about Bergen (discount with Bergen pass)
• Explored the Bryggen (unesco world heritage site) awesome shops and cafes tucked away in the old world fishing streets of Bergen
• Walked to Bergen Bike Rent to see about reserving bikes for the next day.
• Visited KODE 3 and 4 Art Museums (free with the Bergen pass)
• Ate dinner at Fish Market! Delicious feast of fresh seafood!
• Walked to Apollon record store and bar. I had a nice Norwegian beer while Daniel did his scouting of albums.
• Slept

Day 4—Bergen /Bike Ride!

• Slept in a bit
• Made our way to Bergen Bike Rent to pick up bikes (discount with Bergen pass)
• Biked to Gamlehaugen (about 30 minutes ride), the royal family’s summer residence, walked around the gardens and enjoyed the lake view (if we had worn bathing suits we could have taken a swim!)
• Biked to Troldhaugen (discount with Bergen pass), composer Edvard Grieg’s Home (about 20 minutes ride)
• Attended Lunch Concert (at 1pm daily during summer hours) in the concert hall there. It’s a 30 minute performance by a visiting pianist who plays a handful of Grieg’s piano pieces.
• Went on an included guided tour of his home at 1:45pm
• Wandered down to the lake side (again it appears we could have gone swimming here had we brought/worn our suits)
• Biked to Fantoft Stave Church (about 20 minutes). It was beautiful and our first time seeing a Stave church! (Included in the Bergen pass)
• Biked back to the Bergen returned bikes (about 45 minutes)
• Stopped in at a coffee shop for a pick me up and a much earned rest.
• Went to dinner at Pergola Mat & Vinbar – sweet spot down a hidden alley way with out door seating underneath neighbor’s laundry and window boxes. A local spot with few tourists from what we could see.  Tasty pizza and extensive wine list!
• Walked to Kjellersmauet 27-1 Street - the location of a famous Norwegian black metal photo as Daniel would have you know, and possibly the most quaint residential street in the city!
• Slept

Day 5- Train to Oslo/Grunerlokka/Opera House

• Rode the train to Oslo
• Arrived and checked in at our Airbnb in Grunerlokka
• Explored the neighborhood
• Walked down to the Opera House
• Grabbed dinner to go in Grunerlokka
• Passed out

Day 6- Oslo/Vigeland Park/Bygdoy Peninsula

*all transportation and museums covered by Oslo Pass 

• Bought and activated online our Oslo City Passes (take a snap shot of it)
• Hopped on a tram to Vigeland Park and museum
• Took the tram to Bygdoy Peninsula (where all the museums are!)
• Went to Norsk Folk Museum. I loved this place- you wonder around grounds where they have reconstructed or moved historical farm steads and a stave church. Museum workers are dressed in traditional costumes and more than happy to answer your questions! I really liked it! We also had lunch there at the café)
• Went to Viking Ship Museum
• Went to Kon Tiki Museum (Very cool! The original ships are set up for you to look at!  I need to check out the documentary on it.)
• Went to Fram Museum  (the entire boat is in this museum and you get to explore it!)
• Took ferry ride back to center city Oslo
• Ate dinner at food trucks on the harbor! A great place to grab some fish and chips!
• Slept

Day  7 – Oslo/City Center

• Ordered tickets online for Royal Palace tour at 2pm (only open during summer months)
• Went to National Gallery to see Munch’s Scream and other Norwegian works – covered by Oslo pass
• Walked to Oslo Radhus (city hall) which has breathtaking murals over every interior inch of it!
• Grabbed a slice of pizza from a food truck
• Went to the Akershus Fortress/Castle
• Went to Resistance Museum
• Toured the Royal Palace
• Grabbed a smoothie
• Walked to record stores – Big Dipper, Tiger (which was closed for our whole visit apparently), and Neseblod
• Walked around Oslo Botanical Gardens 
• Took a rest back at our Airbnb for a bit to recover from all the sun and walking
• Picked up dinner to go in Grunerlokka
• Slept

Day 8/ Last day in Oslo

• Checked out from Airbnb
• Stored luggage in Oslo central station, and grabbed breakfast
• Went to last record store The Garden
• Went to Nobel Peace Center Museum
• Grabbed a snack down by the harbor
• Walked down Aker Brygge and onto the Astrup Fearnley Museum which we discovered is the hot spot for summer swimming in the city! 
• Grabbed ice cream on the walk back to the train station
• Caught the train out to the airport
• Flew back to NYC

Lake view at Gamlehaugen, outside Bergen