ILOveScandic: BerGEN

getting on to noon express bus from Stavanger to Bergen

Bergen is a city on Norway's southwestern coast surrounded by mountains and fiords including Sognefiord, the country's longest and deepest.

The top attractions include Bryggen , the Floibanen funicular, the Fish Market and explore the surrounding fiords and mountains or join the popular round trip " Bergen in a Nutshell " . . and we did . Luckily we decided to choose the shortest time package bcos during the ferry ride around the fiords , we realised after 3 waterfalls, the rest almost looks the same ! and came home with a sun tanned as well !

Bryggen area consists of the old wharf and its surrounding commercial buildings ( a former center of the league of Hanseatic merhants ) and features its vibrantly colored wooden houses. UNESCO protected this old merchant quarters of Bergen.
The Bergen aquarium offers a shark tunnel and panoramic views of the port. Unfortunately, we didnt have the time to explore the aquarium...

First thing to do - The " I " in Bergen

Even though its actually the best way to see Bergen on 2-wheels, we are all too tired to cycle around except Dave and CC....our legs still recovering from Copenhagen cycling " marathon "...

lone-ranger exploring Bergen

checking out the free rides in Hotel lobby

at the top of funicular

breathtaking view of Bergen

the " US group "

the Hanseatic Museum

at the UNESCO old quarters area

and getting " lost " wandering along the back streets of the Hanseatic UNESCO area ...

and of course, can't go home bare-handed ya....

i just have to buy this wallet ...

and the " bergen in a nutshell" begins....

at 1,220 Kronos per person , the package takes us by train from Bergen to Voss, a scenic bus ride from Voss to Gudvangen. Boat from Gudvangen to the Flam. Then the famous breathtaking view of the mountains, waterfalls and fiords on the Flam Railway from Flam to Myrdal. and back to Bergen on normal train.

almost a whole day outing ....bus, train, boat, train........ but its all worth it !

first train out from Bergen to Voss....

Transfer to bus. Voss to Gudvangen

getting on to the bus taking us to the Naeroydalen valley

running to the Loo

waiting for the ferry ... always on time!

The journey continues by bus thru the mountainous Naeroydalen valley before arriving at the spectacular Stalheimskleiva road, which twists and turns down tje 13 steep and spectacular hairpin bends, offering wonderful views of the Stalheimsfossen and Sivlefossen waterfalls.

view form the Stalheimskleiva Road

This tour takes us on a journey thru some of the most beautiful scenery in Fiord Norway and includes the breathtaking experiences on the Bergen Railway, the Flam Railway, the Aurlandsfiord, the Naeroyfiord and the steep and winding Stalheimskleiva road.

At Finse ( alt 1222 meters ) we pass the highest point on the Bergen Railway with the blue ice of the Hardangerjokul glacier glittering in the southwest.

The train journey on the Flam Railway between Myrdal and Flam is one of the highlights . The 20 km long train ride between the mountain station of Myrdal and Flam takes roughly 1 hour. Along the way, we see the magnificent mountain scene and beautiful thundering waterfalls.

On the fiord cruise, we sail past the beautiful village of Undredal with Scandinavia's smallest stave church, and the mountain farm, Stegan which sits incredibly on steep meters above sea level, before our boat enters the Naeroyfiord.
The arm of the Sognefiord is one of the narrowest and perhaps the most dramatic fiord in Europe ! The whole fiord landscape is a conservation area and is a UNESCO site.