News from Norway.com June, 2000

1. MyGuides online
2. Bergen Information
3. Lillehammer Information
4. Norway in a Nutshell

1. MyGuides online

Last month we talked about the Oslo MyGuide and also gave some useful sites for that city. In this issue we do the same for Bergen and Lillehammer, and next month we will discuss Stavanger and Trondheim. Below is a list of MyGuides currently online (more will be coming online during the course of the summer). All of our MyGuides are the most comprehensive online guides for their respective cities.

MyGuides Online
Oslo - http://www.my-guide-oslo.com
Bergen - http://www.my-guide-bergen.com  
Lillehammer - http://www.my-guide-lillehammer.com
Trondheim - http://www.my-guide-trondheim.com  
Stavanger - http://www.my-guide-stavanger.com

2. Bergen Information

Bergen may be the second city in Norway population wise, but in terms of scenery Bergen is second to none. Over one million visitors come to Bergen each year to experience the charm of this old city surrounded by seven mountains and the sea. If you plan to be amongst the many to visit Bergen, the best place to get detailed information about hotels, restaurants and major sites is with our Bergen MyGuide at: http://www.my-guide-bergen.com  

Any visit to Bergen should include a ride up the funicular to the top of Mt. Fløyen. The funicular ascends about 1,000 feet in 8 minutes and gives you a great view of Bergen and its harbors. For a live web cam view from the top of Mt. Fløyen go to: http://www.bergens-tidende.no/kamera/eng/floyen_l.html

Anyone with an interest in Music should visit Troldhaugen, the home of the famous Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Now a museum, Troldhaugen has an informative website with an interactive map of the grounds, a Grieg biography, and an opus list. To see this, go to: http://bergen.by.com/museum/troldhaugen/index2.html

A visit to Bergen is a photographer's dream. To see lots of Bergen pictures, both in a slide show and 360° panorama format, go to: http://www.norway.com/bergen/

3. Lillehammer Information

Located less than three hours north of Oslo by train or car, the cosy town of Lillehammer is a place visited by many tourists to Norway. Famous for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics, Lillehammer has much to offer all year round. Even though Lillehammer is not a large town, only 24,000 people, there is much to do there and our Lillehammer MyGuide will help you get the most out of your stay.
For a comprehensive list of hotels and restaurants, plus maps and suggested itineraries to outlying areas, go to:
http://www.my-guide-lillehammer.com

The 1994 Winter Olympics brought Lillehammer to the World's attention. It also left the city and surrounding areas with many Olympic sites that are of great interest to visitors. It is, for instance, possible to go down the bobsled run in the summer and to take a chairlift up to the top of the ski jump in the stadium where the opening ceremonies were held. For information about the Olympic venues go to: http://www.olympiaparken.no/Engelsk/EFrame1.htm

Maihaugen, the largest open-air museum in Norway, is one of the most visited attractions in this country. With over 142 old buildings, 50,000 objects, and a unique walk-through exhibit of the history of Norway, a visit to Maihaugen can easily take up the better part of a day. To get a taste of what Maihaugen has to offer view the following slide show at: http://www.lillehammer.experience.no/lillehammer/maihaugen.asp
Maihaugen also has their own website at:
http://www.maihaugen.museum.no/e/praktisk/prak_frm.htm   

Finally, for interesting multimedia presentations and more information about Lillehammer, go to: http://www.virtuallillehammer.com

4. Norway in a Nutshell

The Norway in a Nutshell tour gives the visitor the chance to cruise on a fjord, ride the famous Flåm railway, and experience some of the best scenery that Norway has to offer - all in a one-day outing. The "nutshell" itself is a circle tour, which can be started at different points and can be done in either direction.  The tour can also be done as a one-day excursion from Bergen or Oslo, or you could take things a bit slower and make it into a two or three day tour by staying at some of the hotels along the route.

Lets go through the "nutshell" step by step and start with Voss. Located on the Oslo-Bergen railway line, Voss attracts many visitors a year both as a gateway to sights in Western Norway and as a destination in its own right. From Voss you can start the tour in either direction - lets head towards Myrdal by train.

First you will see the fine pastoral scenery that surrounds Voss and then you will make your way up above the tree line to the wild and desolate Hardanger Mountain Plateau where Myrdal is situated. Although Myrdal is just a junction station in the middle of nowhere, it is not a bad place to wait for a train - there is a cafe for your stomach and nice vistas for your eyes.

At Myrdal you catch the world famous Flåm railway. In less than an hour the train descends 865 meters (about 2,900 ft), going through 20 tunnels and making 8 stops - the most dramatic of which is a photo stop at the mighty Kjoss waterfall. Riding on the train, you will hear a chorus of "oohs" and "aahs" as the incredible scenery shifts from one side to the other. For pictures of some of the sights you will see, plus technical information about the train, click on the Flåmsbana link at: http://www.norwaylinks.net/viewframe.asp?mappe_id=400

Flåm, at sea level, presents quite a contrast to Myrdal - it is not uncommon to travel from a cold and totally white Myrdal to a warm, sunny Flåm surrounded by the sparkling blue-green fjord and verdant farms. During the day Flåm can be a bustle of activity, with visitors making boat and train connections and huge cruise ships moored right by the center of the village - at night and off-season it is a tranquil village nestled under high mountains. To get more information about Flåm and lots of photos, click on the Flåm cruise link at: http://www.norwaylinks.net/viewframe.asp?mappe_id=313

After spending some time in Flåm, for perhaps lunch or shopping, it is time to continue the tour by boat. The two-hour tour on the Aurland and Nærøy Fjords is a non-stop scenic delight. You will see mountain cliffs towering over 1000 Meters (3,300 ft.) above the Fjords, and isolated farms and villages that can only be reached by boat. During the summer months you will also see goats, sheep, and if you are lucky seals and small porpoises. For a description of some of the sites you will see during the tour click on the Aurland-Flåm-Lærdal link at: http://www.norwaylinks.net/viewframe.asp?mappe_id=313  

The boat trip ends in Gudvangen. Here a coach will meet you, and you will head towards Voss. From May 15 to September 15, you will make a stop at the Stalheim Hotel. En route you will drive up the Stalheim Mountain Road. This roller coaster of a road is the steepest in Northern Europe and offers views of waterfalls on both sides of the road. After your ascent, you will be given time to experience the view of the Nærøy Valley from the terrace of the Stalheim Hotel. Arguably the most famous vantage point in Norway, this view has been painted by many famous Norwegian painters. You may want to take a break in your tour and spend the night at this unique hotel. In addition to the view, the hotel has its own open-air museum and a lobby full of interesting antiques. The Stalheim Hotel has a good website at: http://www.stalheim.com /

After Stalheim, your coach will complete the circle by returning to Voss. Along the way you will pass the Tvinde waterfall and typical scenery for Western Norway.

For those of you wanting to experience more of the idyllic landscape of Western Norway, you may want to spend some time in Ulvik, a picture post card scenic fjord village. Located just one hour by bus from Voss, you can use Ulvik as a base for a day trip for Norway in a Nutshell - tickets can be bought at the local tourist office. The leading hotel in Ulvik is the Rica Brakanes Hotel, and it has a hypnotic view from the fjord side of the hotel. To get more information about accommodations there go to: http://www.brakanes-hotel.no

The Norway in a Nutshell tour is just one of the many highlights that Norway has to offer. For a list of other top places to visit, go the Norwegian Highlight Attraction links page at: http://www.norwaylinks.net/viewframe.asp?mappe_id=400