Hellesylt, Geiranger, Flam, Gudvangen

[petergoesrock]

We'll be visiting these in Jul/Aug, and are keen to know if there's anything we should especially do?

 

We're young and fit, but with a 4yo, so walking's fine, just not intense walking! We've also already rejected the idea of doing the train from Flam, great it may be, but we only have about 4hrs, and don't want to miss the cruise down to Gudvangen.

 

We're sailing with Fred Olsen and aren't intrested in their organised trips.

 

thanks

[kaisatsu]

We've done Flåm to Gudvangen on our own as part of a non-cruise trip. We took the Flåmsbana down to Flåm and then rode the ferry from Flåm to Gudvangen. If you're coming to Flåm on a cruise ship, you've got a long sail down Sognefjord before you reach Flåm. Nearly half of the trip back to Gudvangen from Flåm will be on fjord that you've already sailed through.

 

Honestly, as much as I love fjords, they really only stay spectacular for a few hours, and I've heard other fjord lovers share this sentiment. The scenery is absolutely beautiful, but after a few hours of admiring it, you know it's still pretty, but it's hard to maintain the interest.

 

Nærøyfjord, the arm near Gudvangen, is one of the narrowest fjords in Norway and one of the two UNESCO world heritage fjords (Geirangerfjord is the other), but I really didn't get any kind of overwhelming impression of it. Since you'll also be visiting Geirangerfjord, I wouldn't say that Nærøyfjord is as much of a must-do. I actually found them to be fairly similar. If you do decide to go to Gudvangen, be sure to do a ship's excursion. The ferry trip is 2 hours one way, so with only four hours in port, you'd need spot-on ferry/bus timings!

 

We spent an hour walking around Flåm while we waited for a ferry, and it's a pretty little town to stroll. The tourist office has walking tour maps with different lengths/difficulties of hikes. And the Flåmsbana is an interesting ride with some pretty views. There's not much in Gudvangen, so if you do head over there, don't plan to do much before making the return trip.

 

 

We just got back from our first visit to Geiranger (we were there a week ago on the QE2). Don't miss the scenery during the sail-in or sail-out. We had some wet, early summer weather, so the waterfalls were quite active. Even though the tops of the mountains were veiled in fog, you could tell that they were surprisingly high. And Geirangerfjord is very narrow and steep (like Nærøyfjord). It really is astonishing that it's deep enough to sail these big ships so close to the edge!

 

I definitely recommend finding a way to get up the hills to see a view of the fjord from above. It gives it a different (and equally beautiful) perspective. We hiked up to the Westerås farm and then did a few hikes from there. The hike up to the farm is all uphill, but it's not too strenuous. It took about an hour (coming down was much faster). The farm itself is full of sheep and goats, which appealed to our childish sides (and the part of us that's been living in the city for a little too long), so we took lots of cute sheep photos. (It might be fun for a four year old as well?) From the farm you can take a very easy walk along the farm road to another lookout point. Here is a link to a very helpful hiking map. The routes I mentioned are A and B. The trail to Westerås starts behind the Hotel Union and is marked by a wooden sign along the road. From the cruise piers, you can follow the road up to the hotel. Look for the pedestrian path up the hill below the church to shave off a little more time. It's pretty easy to find your way. Also, this version of the map has some basic time estimates for the Geiranger hikes.

 

We didn't get off at Hellesylt, because only organized tours were disembarking from our ship for overland tours to Geiranger. We had considered a hiking excursion from Hellesylt, but it was canceled on our voyage (probably because the trails were still muddy from the spring thaw). From our fellow passengers who did excursions, the couple who visited the glacier was very impressed. However, if your cruise includes Olden or Nordfjord, it's easier to reach the glacier from there. Also, even though it was foggy and overcast, the people who went up to Mt.Dalsnibba were satisfied, even without the great view.

 

Regardless of what you do, you're bound to have a great time. The fjords are as stunning as everyone says!

 

PS - After a long afternoon of hiking, we enjoyed the sail-away from the relaxing comforts of the outdoor hot tub. A very great way to enjoy the passing fjord scenery towering above you! ;)

[strummer]

Thanks kaisatsu for some great info. We are on the grand princess in August and will be visiting Geirangerford so will take your advice re the hiking. We were thinking of the mount Dalsnibba but not sure if I want to risk paying over $100 each if there is a chance of no views due to bad weather so the hiking seems a good option.

 

We are visiting the glacier on an excursion from Olden and we are planning to do our own thing in Bergen and Aallesund.

 

Thanks again for the great info - I will post the hiking map on our roll call :D

[petergoesrock]

Thanks for the ideas and links, there's some great ideas for us. :)

 

I remembered the other reason for not doing the organised trips, they seem to be lots of coach and little walking, understandable with Fred Olsens usual demographics, but not good for us, and doubly worse with 4yo!!