2024 Viking Homelands - Day #8 - Eidfjord, Norway

The Scenic Flåm Railway

Through Fjords and Over Mountains by Road and Rail

Marvel at Norway’s stunning beauty during a full-day excursion to Flåm, one of its most scenic coastal villages.

You will find the countryside as breathtaking as your destination while riding by motor coach from the shores of Hardangerfjord to Sognefjord, crossing scenic mountain passes and driving through manmade tunnels en route. Travel through picturesque woodland to the Tvinde Waterfall cascading down the steep cliffside. After a short stroll close to the waterfall, continue to Flåm. Then, board the Flåm Railway for a thrilling ride as you climb nearly 3,000 feet through 20 tunnels and over numerous bridges. Change trains at Myrdal and continue through more spectacular vistas, alighting in Voss, settled among snowcapped mountains, forests, lakes and rivers. Stop for a delicious lunch at its famous hotel before returning to your ship, seeing more beautiful scenery via motor coach.

Sleeping a little later, the ship was docking at Eidfjord as we were getting up. We had breakfast in the World Cafe.

Our excursion to Flåm Railway was scheduled for 9:30 am. It was planned to last seven and a half hours. We did the excursion in the reverse of the description in the sidebar.

The day included:

• a bus ride from Eidfjord to Voss;
• a train ride from Voss to Myrdal, we covered this section on Wednesday when we traveled by train from Oslo to Bergen;
• at the high mountain Myrdal station, we transferred to the Flåm Railway;
• the railway drops 3,000 feet in just over twelve miles, it is considered one of Norway's top tourist attractions and was an amazing ride;
• the train made a short stop at a waterfall for pictures and a musical performance;
  
• the end of the ride was Flåm, a small village nestled innermost in the Aurlandsfjord, which is an arm of the mighty Sognefjord;
• from Flåm, we took a bus to the Stilheim Hotel for lunch, the view from the hotel/restaurant was spectacular;

• after lunch, we reboarded the bus heading back to Eidfjord;
• bus stopped at the Tvindefossen Waterfall for pictures;

• the bus slowed for pictures at a second waterfall in the middle of a series of hairpin turns on the old road.

After the course of the day, the scenery was incredible!

We were back at the ship right at 5 pm. After getting cleaned up, we went to the Explorers' Lounge to watch the ship sail away from Eidfjord through the Hardangerfjord.

We finshed night with dinner at the Chef's Table. It was a fixed menu that included: Sweet Potato Chip [apple, rosemary, crème fraîch], Crab Cake [avocado, orange, fennel, shallot, dill & blood orange]; Moscow Mule [vodka, ginger beer & lime juice]; Seared Halibut [California olive, herb vinaigrette, crumbled roasted cauliflower, buttered panko], and; Ojai Mandarin Parfait [candied ginger].

We crashed about 9:45 pm