At once the gateway to the Norwegian interior and beautiful in its own right, Bergen is the best base from which to launch a foray into the fjords.
On your first day, explore Bergen’s intimate Vågen harbour and wander in Bryggen, the city’s elegantly ramshackle old quarter and one of Europe’s prettiest waterfronts, complete with colourful wooden houses and step-gabled roofs. The World Heritage-listed houses lean at a disconcerting angle, the legacy of the seven fires that have destroyed Bryggen down through the ages.
When you get peckish, head for the fish market of Torget. The freshest salmon, herring and seafood salads make for a wonderful waterside picnic, while the elk burgers and reindeer sausages lend a particularly Norwegian flavour. There are tourists, but this is also where the locals shop.
Once fortified, broaden your perspective with a funicular ride up Mt Fløyen. Drink in the sweeping views then break from the tourist hordes on one of the well-marked walking trails leading down into the valleys. Some of the trails re-enter Bergen close to the Old Town Gate – while here, detour to the Leprosy Museum, one of Norway’s quirkiest.
Next day, make an early start – you have an active day ahead and, depending on the month, daylight hours can be short here.
Take the train along the sublime Bergen-Oslo railway as far as Myrdal, from where the precipitous Flåmsbana Railway begins. Dropping 865m at a gradient of 1:18, the train carries you down to Aurlandsfjord at Flåm, where offshoots of Sognefjord, Norway’s longest and deepest, converge.
You should reach Flåm by late morning; after a ten-minute bus ride to Aurland, leave your bag at the Aurland Fjordhotell and set off on foot into the steep hinterland. The hotel’s friendly owners, used to watching most people pass by on the tourist ferry, will be more than happy to suggest the best of the trekking routes. And the hotel is the perfect place to return to after a hard day’s hiking – relax with a steam bath, sauna, piping-hot drinks and a hearty meal.
Aurlandsfjord yields to the beautiful Naerøyfjord, which beckons on day three. Catch the bus back to Flåm, then another on to Gudvangen at the western end of Naerøyfjord. Ignore the ferry in favour of a kayak – you won’t get as far as but you’ll have the fjord to yourself. As you paddle, embrace the wild beauty of the fjord and look out for seals and remote villages atop 1,200m-high cliffs.
By the time you return to Gudvangen you should have just enough time before your bus leaves for Bergen to warm your hands around a scalding mug of hot chocolate at the Gudvangen Fjordhotell. As you take in your final views, ask yourself why you came only for the weekend.
The tourist office (www.visitbergen.com) can reserve rooms in private homes and provide information
Anthony Ham is co-author of Lonely Planet’s Norway (2005)
