Norway: The Land of Fjords II – VIDEO

If you don't intend to go upstairs, make a stop in the old village of Skredhaugen – a dierction board (rigth 3 km) is going to lead you toward the village off the main street at the central car park. Skredhaugen is a peaceful, amgical place. Old houses stand on stone columns, windows are made of mica, and roofs of stone plates. It is a beautiful nature museum. Many cultural events such as small concerts or theatrical performances take place there.

Another stop on our way to the north is Kinsarvik. This place is situated in the mouth of  Husedalen valley which is covered of forest. There you can find beautiful waterfalls. The valley is great for walks and trips. Even here, you can get on a trail which gets you uphill to the plateau of Hardangervidda. There are many motels, camps, or a children's amusement park. A ferry departs from Kinsarvik to the other coast of the fjord – Utne village.

We want to avoid ferrys. Therefore, we move on to Bergen across a bridge only a couple of kilometers away. You go through two long tunnels which are paid. Inside them , there are even roundabouts. The gray tunnel was 7 kilometers long. After we rode out of it we got ourselves on scenic valley back to the fjord. The road goes along it and give's you sort of a bird's eye perspectiv over the fjord.. Once the tunnels are behind us we got to the mountains covered of vegetation on the other side. The water finds way down everywhere. Therefore, there are waterfalls all around. Next we get to the valley below Kvanndal mountain, another popular destination among excursionists. You would hardly find a village in this part of the fjord. However, there are beautiful vistas over the fjord everywhere. It is truly a scenic ride because the speed limit here is 60 km/h.

Alvik is another village full of beautiful wooden houses of square ground plan. There is a beautiful resting area between the road and the bank. IT is equipped with a clean flush toilet. Further down the road there is another beautiful resting area where are some benches and a grill (maybe you can even fry a fish you would catch here). Moreover, you can see the islands beautifuly. Often, there are fish tanks at this area of the fjord. Behind Fykse, couple of kilometers down the road, there is a bridge crossing. The navigation attempted to take us to shorter road along Porsmyrvegen, a narrow almost empty road going inbetween houses. It leads to Lake Skärsvatnet which is called Golden Lake (for gold fish which are here at home). In case you plan to camp in Norway, I recommend you to stay over night here - there are all necessary facilities – firm table with benches, a grill supplied with wood, and a toilet. This all you can find on the bank of beautiful lake in beautiful remote location.

We did not intend to tent. Therefore, we continued along the lake. Couple of minutes later we were back in civilization, concretely in  Øystese village. Øysteseelvi wild river flows through this village. Soon, we reached the port town ofNorheimsund, it is worth making a walk through. I suppose, everybody would prefer rather Steinsdalsfossen waterfall instead which is only 6 minutes away. It flows to the valley right at the road. There is a short road below the waterfall and lead to its other side. The vista is always crowded with tourists. If you intend to bring some souvenirs, there are two souvenir shops below the waterfalls.

We are getting close to Bergen. You will go through tunnels up to the mountains. There you will notice trailer camps (each trailer is under a roof here and stands next to a small cottage). The land changes rapidly and we are among plain hills with only handful of trees. Another lure here are groups of houses the roofs of which are covered with grass. Several minutes down the road, nature is green again. A wild river accompanies you and you will see also green mountains with waterfalls. All of a sudden, we spot a fjord. Then there is a lake. Then you get confused but it doesn't matter because there is still a lot to see. Eventually, you get to Bergen down the freeway with the maximum speed limit of 80 km/h. Maybe, this is the reason why we thought of Norway as a tranquil country where the time slows down.

GPS: 60°19'55.4"N 6°39'39.6"E

Text, photos, and video: Martina Brožková