“In a nutshell” – Bergen to Myrdal, Flam and Balestrand

For those on a tight travel schedule who want to see the highlights of Norway, a trip on the Oslo-Bergen railway with a side-trip from Myrdal down the Flamsbana railway (returning to the main railway line via the Naerofjord, Gudvansen and Voss) is highly recommended. We are fortunate to have time enough to head north overland the next day though. We depart Bergen station around 1030 am, arriving in Myrdal around 1:00pm. It’s just a railway station in the middle of nowhere. 30 mins later we are on the steep 20 km descent through 20 tunnels in 6 km passing rushing waterfalls, beautiful valleys etc, until we reach Flam (pr Flomm). Here we catch a fast ferry (110 Nkr pp) to the crossroads of the Sognefjord – Balestrand. Our accommodation (790 Nkr per couple) is in an HI Hostel that was once a lovely hotel. Our room has a view “to die for”, balcony overlooking the mouths of several fjords, and full bathroom with heated floor! What more could we ask for! After dinner we take our daily constitutional “passageri” around the village and retire to bed in blissful peace and quiet. We were fortunate to experience all of today in warm sunshine that magnified the experience.