A day in Sognefjorden

Real explorers start the day early!  We reached Nærøyfjorden 05:30 in the morning. The fjord is regarded to be one of the most beautiful and dramatic in the world and is on the UNESCO world heritage list. Hikers were dropped at Bleiklindi in the inner part of Nærøyfjorden and left there to make their way to Flåm. They followed the old postal route to Styvi. It was a very pleasant experience, as  they walked in the midst of this stunning landscape. The hikers were off the ship before breakfast; however, nobody goes hungry on Fram as the Hotel Manager and Chef had prepared a full breakfast on the beach.

Tomasz Zadrozny

Tomasz Zadrozny

Tomasz Zadrozny

The Royal Postal route were built in the 1600`s to get mail between Bergen and Gudvangen. The post was transported at this time by foot some stretches or by boat if possible. When the fjord was frozen the post had to be transported overland and the mail carrier used the route Bleiklindi-Styvi and onwards by boat.

Tomasz Zadrozny

The hikers chose the same way this morning to catch up with the ship in Flåm. They walked the 6km to Styvi and there they were picked up by Polar Cirkle boats.

Tomasz Zadrozny

In the meantime another adventure had started from Flåm; a ride with the train from Flåm to Myrdal. The railway is 20 km long, but the train climbs 867m during these 20 km, crossing back and forth across rivers and through 20 tunnels. The railway is a masterpiece of engineering.

FriedaPhoto

FriedaPhoto

FriedaPhoto

FriedaPhoto

FriedaPhoto

FriedaPhoto

Next stop in Sognefjorden was Balestrand. Some enjoyed a cultural walk through this beautiful little town surrounded by high mountains and stunning scenery.

Lisa Anderson

To get a better view some even hiked all the way up the steep trail to the viewpoint at Orabenken. 

Tomasz Zadrozny

The evening ended with a fruit and ice carving show presented by our very talented crew out of the galley and the restaurant.

Lisa Anderson