Flåm, Norway
Our final port in the majestic country of Norway was Flåm. Flåm is a small village in Norway that has about 350 residents and sits at the end of Aurlandsfjord, which is one of the branches of Sognefjord. Flåm is perhaps most famous for it’s Railway, the Flåmsbana Railway Line. This Railway is one of the steepest and most scenic train rides you can take anywhere in the world. Most trains between Oslo and Bergen connect to Flåmsbana at Myrdal station.
Flåm was also an absolute must see for us on our trip to Norway. We had heard and read so much about the beautiful views not only on the railway but also in the beautiful fjord. We had booked the Flåmsbana Railway journey as a shore excursion and after meeting our group we headed right to the trains to wait for boarding. The train station is right where the cruise ship docks so it is the first thing you see when you exit the ship. It was a very cold and rainy day in Flåm and we had learned by now that layering and wearing jackets is a must do in any Scandinavian country! Remember that phrase I shared with you in my Denmark post, “There is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing” well it is absolutely true! When the trains arrived, we were lucky enough to get a window seat so that we could truly experience the beautiful scenery that we had read so much about.
As the train began to move, we got out first glimpse of the main town part of Flåm with houses and businesses close to town. We saw the Flåm Church which was built in 1670 by master builder Magne Essen. The church seats about 160 people and it a beautiful dark brown, almost black color. It looks so stunning against the green of the surrounding mountains! We soon passed the old town buildings and the grazing sheep and the train began to climb it’s way up the mountain. We began to see waterfall after waterfall , some huge and powerful, others smaller and trickling. It was like something out of a movie. In fact, one of the couples we were sitting near, lives in the mountains of North Carolina and they said they thought the waterfalls were beautiful back home before going on this trip, but now they will never look at them the same. They just couldn’t compare to the majestic beauty we were seeing out of our windows. And I agreed wholeheartedly. No waterfall anywhere could compare to what we were experiencing now.
Soon, the train came to a stop at one of these magnificent waterfalls, the Kjosfossen waterfall. Here we were actually able to disembark on a small viewing platform. Music began to play and soon we saw in the distance, near a little cottage, a woman in a red dress dancing. She was representing the Huldra, an elusive forest siren that, according to legend, would lure Norse men into the woods. The stop here is only about 5 minutes long, but it is one that you will never forget. We then boarded the train and carried on with the rest of our journey. The majestic beauty of Norway was on display at every turn as we climbed our way up the mountain. What an amazing experience it was. The next stop on the railway was Vatnahalsen Station where our tour group exited and began the short walk to the Vatnahalsen Hotell where we would eat the traditional Norwegian waffle with lingonberry jam and whipped cream. The hotel itself is not much to speak of. The meeting rooms and eating areas are nice and open with lots of light but the hotel itself is dark and unappealing. Almost spooky really. The staff however was very friendly and made the whole stop worthwhile. One unique thing about the hotel, is that it is only accessible by the Flåm Railway so if you want to stay there you will have to take the train to get there. The scenery around the hotel is beautiful and you can hear some of the waterfalls while walking the grounds.
After enjoying our snack, we headed out to explore the area before the train returned to pick us up. By now, the weather had gotten even more rainy and cold and it was very unpleasant to be outside but my son and I just couldn’t bring ourselves to go indoors and miss seeing the beauty that was around us. So we just kept on exploring the grounds. Eventually, the train did return for us and we boarded for the return trip to the city of Flåm. This time, we sat on the opposite side of the train and got to see different waterfalls and stunning views as the train wound it’s way down the mountain. Before we knew it, we had reached Flåm station and our journey had come to end. We had about two hours left before the ship was to depart and we spent that time shopping at the stores near the station. My favorite was the Mall of Norway. It was absolutely huge and had some of the best souvenirs we had encountered all trip. We were able to finish all of our shopping and got something for everyone on our list. I highly recommend stopping there if you have the time.
I have to say that the Flåmsbana Railway line and our time in Flåm was everything that we had expected and more.. The surprise stop at Kjosfossen waterfall and the dancing mythological Huldra (who is really a dance student from Oslo) just made the trip even more memorable. If you ever have the chance to stop in Flåm and ride the Flåmsbana Railway do it! You won’t regret it. Just dress warm.