Posts In The “Destinations” Category
As an EU citizen and accompanying family member, we can stay in the Schengen immigration area for an unlimited time period. But if we stay longer than 90 days in Norway (and most other Schengen countries), we must register as residents. We’ve decided not to do that, and instead exited the country briefly to Sweden….
In the fall of 2020, we made our third major plan change of the year. We’d been enjoying our Norwegian cruising so much that, rather than return to Scotland in October, we decided instead to winter in Norway. From the anchorage opposite the oil rigs in Steinsvagen, we made a two-day run south to Bergen,…
While hiking Saeterfjellet above Kjekallevagen, we could see a group of large oil rigs moored about twenty nautical miles away at the island of Sandoyna. They looked super-interesting, and we decided that visiting them would be our next adventure. We found an excellent anchorage opposite Sandoyna at Steinsvagen, within clear sight of the rigs. The…
We didn’t intend to stop for long in Austfjorden as we continued our detailed tour of the Norwegian coast. But on a tender tour of the area, we explored Kjekallevagen along the eastern shore. The high-sloped basin, ribboned with waterfalls, looked so dramatic and beautiful that we just had to stop there and hike to…
During the World War II German occupation, a Norwegian army unit operated from a secret base in the Matrefjella mountains at the head of Masfjorden. They had limited air support and accessed the base on foot using the old trail Stegane. Built to access the mountain farm Kringlebotn, Stegane is a remarkable feet of 19th-century…
The narrow and shallow channels leading into the large basins near Lindas, Norway are subject to strong tidal currents, making entry difficult for larger displacement vessels at other than slack water. The entry was important enough that a saltwater lock was completed in 1908 to allow steamships to enter at any stage of the tide….
2,812-ft (857 m) Hogafjellet is the highest mountain on the island Osteroy, with great views from the summit. A further appeal for us in making the hike was several technical aspects en route, including ladders, boardwalks, bridges and staircases. We also walked under two power station penstocks, and passed three dams and two sets of…
The village of Stamnshella, at the mouth of the Bolstadfjorden, has been a church site since the early 14th century. Today the village lies on highway 569, connecting Bergen to the island of Osteroy via bridges over the Bolstadfjorden and the Veafjorden. We’d driven along a portion of the Bolstadfjorden on our 2018 day trip…
Besides being a sheltered and appealing anchorage, another reason we’d stopped at Bruvik was to climb 1,920-ft (585m) Bruviknipa. The hike is one of the most popular on the island of Osteroy because of its fabulous fjord landscape views. The views from the top were excellent, and we also very much enjoyed the hike over…
After two months of near-continuous cruising in Norway, we’d covered 640 miles and made 33 stops. Yet we had only reached Bergen, a mere 102 miles north of our port of entry at Stavanger. The Norwegian coast is a complex and interesting one, with a seemingly endless number of high-quality anchorages and attractions. We departed…
Hardangerfjord is the second longest fjord in Norway, at 96 nautical miles long, and the fourth longest in the world. The fjord extends in an inverted ‘V’ shape, extending roughly 60 miles northeast into mainland Norway, and then running another 30 miles southeast to its terminus at the town of Odda, with fabulous scenery en…
Steinsdalsfossen is one of the most popular waterfalls in Norway because you can walk behind it and out to the other side. The falls are easily reachable on foot from the harbour at Norheimsund, along a loop trail that circles the lake Movatnet. After visiting the Hardanger Akvasenter fish farm and touring Fyksesund in the…
We’ve seen a lot of fish farms in Norway and around the world, but have never set foot on one. So when we learned about the Hardanger Akvasenter, a working fish farm that is open for tours, we contacted them to find out if we could arrange a private visit. The answer was an enthusiastic…
Spectacular Eidfjorden is the innermost arm of Hardangerfjord, extending 16 nm inland from the mouth of Sorfjorden and branching into Osafjorden, Ulvikjforden and Simadalsfjorden. At the terminus of Simadalsfjorden is the beautiful Sima Valley, where high above is the famous farm Kjeasen. Dubbed the “world’s most inaccessible farm,” Kjseason is 2,000ft (600m) above sea level…
The Ryfylke Scenic Route is one of 18 National Scenic Routes in Norway, and one of the longest and most diverse. The road leads alongside and above steep-sloped fjords, across lake-filled mountain plateaus, and past dramatic gorges and waterfalls. We drove a small portion of the route in 2018 when we visited Pulpit Rock from…
Buerbreen is a glacial arm off the east side of the Folgefonna icefield near Odda, accessible through a relatively easy and interesting hike with excellent views to the glacier en route. We’d already hiked up to the west side of the icefield at Fonnabu, and after hiking to Buerbreen we’ve now stood on both sides….
Norway’s iconic rock formation Trolltunga juts out horizontally 2,300ft (700m) above the lake Ringedalsvatnet, providing incredible photo opportunities of visitors perched way out on the edge. The hike there is one of the country’s most popular, with 80,000 annual participants, but also is among the most challenging. Rated extra-demanding by the Norwegian Trekking Association, the…
The Tyssedal Via Ferrata course near Odda, Norway follows the path of the century-old penstocks that once supplied water to the Tyssedal power plant, with sweeping views along the way. The top of the penstocks is 1,300ft (400m) above sea level, with industrial buildings dating from the early days of the power plant and more…