It was a 7-day trip with 3 people in the summer of 2022. It is worth to travel to Norway in the summer, because in this time the weather is good: the mornings are bit cool, but in the day it can be over 25°C. In the mountains and near the Norwegian Sea you should prepare with some warm clothes, too. We traveled by air plane and we rented a car in Oslo for 5 days. The accommodations were in Oslo (2 nights), Laerdal (1 night), Bergen (2 nights) and Geilo (1 night). On this trip we got to know the two major cities of Norway (Oslo and Bergen) and between these two cities there are many natural beauties, which are really worth see.
18.07.2022 – Oslo
The trip starts at Budapest Airport early in the morning. Fly to Oslo. You arrives to Oslo in the early afternoon and go into the city by train (it takes 20 minutes to reach the Central Station of Oslo). On the first day look around at new harbor, where you can see the new Opera House (Snohetta Architects – photo) and the new Munch Museum (Estudio Herreros). The new district “Barcode” is also near the new harbor. You can take a walk in the centre of the city and in the evening you can enjoy the sunset on the Akershus Fortress. The extension of the Architecture Museum (architect: Svere Fehn) is also no too far from the fortress.
18.07.2022 – Oslo
We spent the whole day in Oslo and we saw parliament building, the national theatre, the royal palace, the city hall (by architects M. Poulsson and A. Arneberg – go inside, it is worth), the Aker Brygge dictrict, Astrup Fearnley Museum by Renzo Piano (photo). On the afternoon I recommend to go the Vulcan district (tip: you can eat there in the market hall), which is funny and young place of the city. After that go the University Campus, where you can see some post war modern buildings in very good condition. You can close the day with a walk in the Frognerpark – take a look at the creepy sculptures.
18.07.2022 – Hamar and the Mountains
Rent a car in Oslo and go to Hamar. This town is sleepy place but there it has an old history. Hamar Cathedral is unfortunatelly already a ruin and a huge glass-steel construction protects it. An architecture masterpiece stands next to the glass-steel construction: the Annomuseum by Svere Fehn (photo). This museum was the most interesting contemporary building, that I have seen in Norway. It is really worth to see and take so much as you can, because there nice details all around. Go further to Reinli and you find there a tiny wood church. And now the mountings are coming: it can be rainy and cold there. If you have nice weather, than you should visit some places like: Lomen, Hore, Oye and Borgund. Borgund is the most famous norwegian wood church and it is on the UNESCO world heritage list. In the evening you arrive to Lærdal. Your accommodation can be in the camping site just next to the Sognefjord.
18.07.2022 – Between Lærdal and Bergen
(We had bad weather on the day before so we started the day in Borgund.) Start the day in a new and trendy bakery in Lærdal: Fredag & Fretland Bakeri. Go throught the LærdalTunnel, which is the longest car tunnels of the world (24 km). On the other side of the tunnel you should drive up to the Stegastein (tip: the road is steep and narrow and there are many cars on it, so you should be careful). From this new viewing platform you can see the Aurlandfjord from above. Go further to Flåm, if you have time – this place is famous, but actually I have not seen any intersting things, just many people, who were waiting for the cuise ship… Drive to the Nærøyfjord (photo – from the town of Gudvangen), which is a UNESCO world heritage site, and may one of the most beautiful fjords of Norway. And now you can take a look to the valley from above: the terrace of the Stalheim Hotel is open for the public. The road between Stalheim and Oslo is very nice: you can see lakes, forests, fjords and waterfall. I recommend you to take some time by the Tvindefossen waterfall. You arrive to Bergen in the evening and for architects it almost mandatory to have an accommodation in the Stølen district. This place is famous from its white wooden houses and by almost every entrance roses are growing.
18.07.2022 – Bergen
In Bergen (photo: Stølen district) you can start the day on the top of the city: Fløyen. Tip: the Fløibanen (cable car) is very popular by the tourists, so you should go early in the morning. After that you cn walk in the around the old harbor. The Brygge with its old wooden houses is a UNESCO world heritage site and the fish market is a very cozy place (you can try there for example a whale steak or any other sea animals). In the afternoon I recommend you to the coast of the Norwegian Sea – it is a very special landscape: from Bergen to Hellesøy you drive throught a lot of briges and islands, the wind is blowing hard, the sun is shining, but is cold (also in the summer).
18.07.2022 – Hardangerfjord and Hardangervidda
Between Bergen and the Hardangerfjord, there are some nice waterfalls: Mørkhølsfossen, Fossen bratte, Steinsdalsfossen. The Hardangerfjord is also the one of the most beatiful fjords of Norway. Tip: you should take a stop at Steinstø Kakebu: it is cozy café, with a nice view to the fjord. Before the greatest attration (the big waterfall of the day) you can have lunch in the town of Eidforjd. And now comes the Vøringsfossen waterfall. Tip: actually we have not got luck, because it was foggy weather and we could not see anything (it was the middle of Juli!). Go further throught the Hardangervidda high plateau (photo). The flora and fauna are as in the tundra, it is cold and you can walk sometime in snow. It was on the greatest landscapes that I have ever seen. You arrive to Geilo, here you have accommodation.
18.07.2022 – Vøringsfossen
(On the last day we went back to the Vøringsfossen (photo) and it was clear weather – and we could see again the Hardangervidda…) You can go back to Oslo Airport with some stops in the mountains.
And here is the map:
ADAM BALOG 