In summer of 2017 we made a beautiful trip through the south of Noway. Here your wil find a short report of the route we travelled.
Day 1
In the middle of the afternoon we drove from home to our overnight hotel near Hamburg.
Day 2
After breakfast at the hotel we crossed the border with Denmark to go to Hirtshals. We were well on time. After a walk through the town we could drive on the boat that brought us to Norway. We took a fast ferry. Driving on and off was already an experience. At the beginning of the evening we arrived in Kristiansand where we booked a hotel near the zoo for 2 nights.
Day 3
This day we visited Kristiansand. A cozy little town on the south coast with a cute old city where you can admire quite a few houses from earlier times. One of us had its birthday and we celebrated with a delicious meal on a terrace with a great view over the water and the surroundings. The city center is surrounded by lots of water. It is therefore not surprising that many yachts and cruise ships moor in Kristiansand.
Day 4
As close to the coast as possible we drove to our hotel south of Stavanger, where we arrived at night. On the way we enjoyed nature, villages and the lighthouse on the southernmost tip of Norway. We first met the impressive fjord landscape and visited Flekkefjord and Egersund.
The hotel that we had booked for two nights was on the water. From our hotel room the view was phenomenal. We could almost touch the boats.
Day 5
Stavanger is the oil capital of Norway. It is a real port city where you can wander between the historic mostly white houses in the old part. The center is compact. We were there on a Sunday, so that the activity was probably on the low side, but the restaurants flourished. You can eat delicious on the water and there are many nice shops. All that within walking distance.
Day 6
Time to move on again. Now to the north and to Bergen. This day contained two beautiful boat trips with sturdy ferries. A nicer decor for our 5-year wedding anniversary was hardly imaginable. These ships are easily and quickly accessible and sail through a magnificent backdrop.
The hotel, which lies south of Bergen, surprised us. We thought we had booked a nice room for two nights with a view of the fjord landscape. It turned out to be a complete house, equipped with all comforts. In order to process all impressions at ease, we decided to use the dinner in the hotel. We enjoyed that; a real treat.
Day 7
The plan was to explore Bergen. Unfortunately it was rainy. So we went to explore the area at a slow pace by car until it got drier by noon. Then we went into Bergen. Parking was simple. The large parking garage near the station was easy to reach and is centrally located, so that was a nice starting point for our city walk. Soon we saw the harbor and the houses and sheds that Bergen is so famous for. Beautifully colored and beautifully maintained they are there. This cozy old town is definitely worth a visit.
Bergen, the city with the most rainfall in Europe, is wedged to the sea between seven mountains. You can see this wonderfully when you go up with the Fløibanen, the only funicular of Scandinavia. From the top you can see the whole city and the harbor. Unfortunately, the rain had returned. After a while, we went down with that cable train.
A few weeks later we were able to enjoy all the television images of Tom Dumoulin at home who won the World Cup time trial on this mountain!
Day 8
Along the Hardanger fjord we went to Geilo where we stayed again for two nights. It is almost boring to mention, but here too the landscape was very beautiful. Those fjords remain fascinating, but also the plateau Hardangervidda was something special; we were hardly able to take it all in. The route had underground roundabouts. If you have to cross the fjord, you will first enter a long tunnel. You come to a roundabout that offers an exit to the bridge over the fjord. Once at the end of the bridge you disappear into the rocks again, after which you wind up many meters in those rocks before you see the light of day again.
Day 9
We spend this day exploring the surroundings of Geilo. Geilo is a starting point for winter sports enthusiasts, but also in the summer there are plenty of walking and cycling trails.
Day 10
On to Oslo, the capital of the beautiful country. For two nights we booked a hotel just outside the city on the water.
Day 11
A wonderful day exploring Oslo. We went to the center by bus. From there we crossed the center on foot. From the building where the Nobel Peace Prizes are awarded along the Opera to the Palace of King Harald V and the shopping streets of which the Karl Johan Gate, almost 2 km long, is the best known and the most expensive. We found a nice relaxed city. We ended the day at Aker Brygge, a renovated old quarter with many restaurants and entertainment.
Day 12
After checking out at the hotel we spent the morning visiting the Holmenkolmen ski jump and the Vigeland Park. In the afternoon we decided to go into the center and have our last Norwegian meal of this trip. In the evening we drove onto the ferry. That evening there was plenty of fun on board and cruising the Oslofjord was great.
Day 13
Woken up at sea, after a restless night. It is a bit different to sleep on a boat or in your own bed. The Danish Frederikshavn was the place where we left the boat. After disembarkation a journey of about 1,000 km took us home.