Copenhagen and the Fjords of Norway: Riding the Flam Railway

Flam Railway with cruise ship in fjord behind it

Today, our ship entered the Flam Fjord where we had a date with the famous Flam Railway, one of the world’s great train journeys and a section of “Norway in a Nutshell.” The “Norway in a Nutshell” trip (yes, that’s what it’s called folks!) uses the train, bus, and ferry to tie together public transportation to experience some of the best sights in Norway.

Flam Valley as seen from the Railway

The trip begins somewhere down in Oslo, and travels northward approximately 300 miles thru the mountains of Norway. Our Flam Railway segment (14 miles) began in the town of Flam where our cruise ship was docked and ended at the small mountain hamlet of Vatnahalsen, 2600 feet above.

The undulating Flamselvi River

The Flam Railway offers some of the most varied and magnificent scenery in the country. We traveled from the sea level fjord past the quaint farm houses of the Flam Valley and up into snow-covered mountains. Along the way, our train hugged a picturesque Flamselvi river as it glided past jagged canyons and racing waterfalls created by the newly melted snow.

Waterfalls along the Flam Railway

The sights invited shutter bugging around every bend! Luckily, we sat on the right side of the train for the most idyllic views, but the crowded train prevented any really super-duper camera results.

Spectacular Kjosfossen Falls

The train climbed up a steep ascent of one foot for every eighteen feet forward (a 3.2 degree angle), and made a short stop at Kjosfossen Falls, a violent yet beautiful 60-foot waterfall.

The siren in red trying to lure men into the woods

The Flam Railway people added some extra drama at the falls with ethereal Norwegian music and a real-life blonde-haired siren, dressed in flowing red garb, who emerged from the forest to sing and dance on a strategically positioned upper ledge. She represented a mythical creature from Norwegian folklore called a Huldra who had a habit of luring men into the forest to seduce them. Frank thought it was downright touristy and queer, but Anne found it enchanting.

At the Vatnahalsen railway stop

Our train ride ended up in the clouds at a place called Vatnahalsen where it was too foggy to see the surrounding countryside. Luckily, we had an indoor treat waiting for us at the Vatnahalsen Hotel: a snack of hot chocolate and yummy Norwegian waffles topped with raspberry and cream. The fog had started to lift, but it was time for us to board the train and chug our way down the mountain back to Flam.

Cheers!

We hit the all too tempting Flam souvenir shops and then topped off the day at the famous Flam brewery called “Aegir Bruggeri.” The three of us sat around the Viking-style pub for an hour or so, sampling their very good beer before heading back to the ship.