It was on a random chat with another tourist, when i heard about that wooden Borgund Stave Church. Let’s go there i thought, followed the rainbow and found my way via the fantastic Vindahellvegen to that awesome wooden church.
Don’t miss the beauty of it, they said. The Geiranger Fjord is another highlight of every Norway trip and also listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. But this means lots of visitors to expect. Luckily there the most tourists were still asleep when i arrived the fjord early morning.
The sky was scattered with clouds and the morning mist just lifted slowly, hovering over the mirror-smooth water of the fjord. The scenery was spectacular in this tranquil hours of the early morning.
Just when the first tourists arrived and started to do their stupid things, like ignoring safety fences for silly selfies or shouting funny words to hear an echo, i was on my way for more quite spot for another coffee.
Can anyone explain me:
Traveling further south i had to climb up the famous pass route of Trollstigen.
Just before the climb i stopped to get some photos and took a small hike in the nearby forest. No trolls to see. But even here some tourists tried desperately to get in front of my camera.
On the top of the pass the crowd grew even bigger. Despite the rain started to pour down. I just took some pictures to collect memories, but been happy to find calmer places in the fjords again.
Unexpectedly i heard some trolls calling me on my way. They showed me a nice spot to sleep under their watch.
I was expecting a crowd in Trondheim, but little knew about the Olavsfest, what was held on that particular weekend. The famous Nidaros Cathedral was overrun by spectators and entry tickets were sold out for the day. But there was still a lively market place to visit.
Not far from the cathedral flows the river Nidelva, which divides the city in two parts. The old city bridge ‚Gamle Bybro‘ connects them and leads to the neighborhood Bakklandet, what’s certainly worth a visit.
After a long day strolling around, enjoying street life and drinking coffee with sweets, i was longing for a calm place again. Luckily i found a nice hike in the hilly forest just outside of the city. The gentle rain that started to fall didn’t even bother me, but it also gave me a beautiful rainbow.
With lots of sunshine the Lofoten was pure bliss.
Pure? Almost, if there wasn’t those dirty people using the bushes as camping toilet. It makes me angry to see how some tourists pollute the nature, while posting about the their passion for outdoor activities. I guess there will be consequences for other tourists and traveler sooner or later. I wonder how much longer wild camping will be tolerated.
Back on the road i noticed wooden frames with left overs of dry fishes. Stockfish is an important good in Norway and its export was recorded back to the medieval times. Although it’s originally not salted, i found some salt on the bottom of these frames.
There are quite a few villages. Most are suited themselves best for tourism. They’re pretty, some have also museums and other information centre. Probably most important are the restaurants and cafes settled on beautiful places.
After a couple beautiful days on the archipelagos i reached the village of Å , where i had a last hike before boarding the ferry to south at midnight.
The very famous Lofoten belongs to the best known region of Norway.
As beautiful the landscape is, in summer saison it’s overrun with tourists. All the visitors want enjoy the fjords with crystal blue water, hiking the many peaks or just relax by a good meal or refreshing coffee along the route.
Once i’m here as a tourist myself, i gonna take a hike too, i was thinking. But it wasn’t easy to find even a free parking lot near a hiking spot. The more famous hiking routes i had to skip because of that. Eventually i found a less popular hiking path on a top of a mountain. Surprisingly few wanderer on the route. Maybe they were scarred of the steep slope, especially at the top. But it was definitely worth to stand on the peak with its breathtaking view.
Friends told me not to miss the island Senja. And they were right!
Typically Norway weather with quick changes from sunshine to rain and dropping temperatures also. The landscape however was stunning. In every weather situation. Especially at the cooler morning when the mist is floating around the mountains or falling from the cliffs.
I also had a hike on smaller mountain peak or a stroll along a beach. But not boring longer with words, let’s show some pictorial impressions.
Alta is not only a pleasant town in northern Norway, but also has some prehistoric rock carvings to offer. A nice walk at the shore lead me to impressive prehistoric art. But before i was visiting the Alta Museum for more information about the history on this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After the endless ways inland in the past days, i enjoyed the roads along the fjords very much. Many times i felt to stop for the view or having a coffee break in a breathtaking landscape. So i arrived Tromsø too late for visiting any museum or the famous Arctic Cathedral. However, there was enough light to stroll trough the town and get an impression before leaving for the fjords again.
Another long drive trough beautiful landscape of northern Norway. Even the sun comes out for awhile, just when i was on a hike at Silfar Canyon. Another traveler approached me for a chat. So we went together along the the canyon, shared travel stories and enjoyed the nature around.
Due maintenance the North Cape Tunnel was closed for a couple hours. This roughly 6.9 kilometer long tunnel dives 212 meter underneath the sea and connect the mainland with the island Mageroya.
Just to make it clear: The North Cape is not the most northern spot, neither from mainland Europe (what is at Sletness Fyr), nor from Europe as in general (what is on Svalbard ). It’s simply the most northern point one can reach on road from mainland Europe. When i arrived there unfortunately strong winds brought dense fog too. With that the midnight sun was hidden behind clouds. Just for a minute there was some sun rays pushing through the thick mist, slittering over the surface of the Barents Sea and reached the foot of the cliffs.
A nice surprise to meet my old traveler friend Paolo, who i met before in Africa. He’s traveling for years around the world with his motorcycle. There’s a lot to catch up, and so we spent hours in the cold to share stories.
rene bauer photography 