Independent news editor and Barwon Heads resident Justin Flynn recently ventured to Norway in winter and says a trip to the Scandinavian country during the coldest part of the year is both rewarding and breathtaking.
Soaring snowcapped mountains, majestic fjords, ancient glaciers, pristine nature, Viking history and the northern lights – all good reasons to visit Norway.
That’s exactly what I did recently and although my expectations were high, I never realised just how much this Scandinavian country would leave me so enchanted.
Yes it’s expensive – a 500ml beer cost $27 at one bar in Tromso, and I baulked at a room-service burger with chips for $60 in Oslo, but once I stopped checking my bank transactions and just relaxed a little, a world of stunning beauty opened up.
My 18-day journey began in Melbourne on 24 January and I arrived in Oslo, via Doha and Helsinki, 26 hours later.
A night at the airport Radisson Blu was convenient and restful, before a three-hour flight up to Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, located halfway between the mainland and the North Pole.
Svalbard has around 300 polar bears compared to 2500 humans. It is illegal to leave the town limits of Longyearbyen without a rifle or at least without somebody who has, and knows how to use, one. The threat is real. From May to September, you can do a tour to spot them, but like the aurora borealis, it requires patience and there is no guarantee.
I arrived in Longyearbyen, 1300km above the Arctic Circle at 2pm and it was dark outside. Polar night was in its final stages and officially ends on 30 January, but because of the surrounding mountains, it lingers a little longer.
This was surreal. It was dark in the middle of the day and although I expected, and craved it, the vision still didn’t compute in my brain.
The town itself is compact and has everything you need. Popular excursions include northern lights tours, husky sledding, snow mobiling, a tour of the now closed coal mine and a look at the global seed vault, which houses crates of seeds from all areas of the globe for safe and secure long-term storage in cold and dry rock vaults in the case of a catastrophic human disaster.
What I really wanted to do was the ice cave tour, but that was cancelled due to the lack of snow for the snowcat vehicles to travel on. Svalbard is the fastest warming region on the planet.
Still, it was around -12 at the ‘warmest’ time of day, but nothing that thermals, good footwear and layers didn’t combat.
The scenery here is beyond anything I have experienced. It’s difficult to believe I was on planet Earth.
But that was before I headed down to Tromso, still above the Arctic Circle, but a quick 90-minute flight away.
Tromso is, quite simply, stunning. Mountains, fjords and quaint shopping streets had me immediately excited.
For the best views, the cable car up to Fjellheisen is a must.
While it was a comparatively ‘mild’ -4 in Tromso itself, the wind chill up on the mountain made it a solid -25, but the views were worth it.
There’s nothing quite like freezing your butt off in glorious sunshine while being completely mesmerised by what your eyes are conveying to your brain.
On another day, I walked over the 1036-metre Tromso bridge to the Arctic Cathedral. I also couldn’t resist buying a TIL shirt, Tromso’s team in the Eliteserien, Norway’s top-flight football league.
The aurora forecast was poor while I was there because of cloud and snow, but Tromso is one of the best places in the world to see them. I had already seen them in Yellowknife, Fairbanks and spectacularly so in Iceland, so I wasn’t hugely disappointed to miss out this time.
Next it was a two-hour flight down to Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city.
Picturesque and steeped in history, Bergen is a quaint, walkable and interesting place that deserves at least a few days.
I did a boat cruise through one of the fjords, and although there are many more-scenic places to do so, the convenience of having the vessel depart from the city centre was well worth it.
Towering cliffs and frozen waterfalls greeted me and out on deck, it felt 10 times colder than the mountain in Tromso.
We turned back once we reached a part of the fjord that was frozen over, and although the ice didn’t look deep, it was still an amazing sight.
I also did a historical walking tour of the city where it was only myself, the guide and a gentleman from Sheffield, UK, learning about the fires that have destroyed the city on 10 occasions, including the devastating 1702 disaster, and the story behind the picturesque Bryggen area. This was the ‘warmest’ day of the trip with temperatures hovering perhaps even slightly above freezing. Bergen is the warmest city in Norway, but also the wettest in Europe, however it was going through a relatively cold, but very dry, winter.
A funicular up to Fløibanen is a must for the views across the city and I sampled a reindeer hotdog from the local institution Trekroneren.
My next stop was Oslo, but I took the long way there, riding the scenic train, the Bergensbanen.
My tip is to do the Flåm railway detour instead, which involves getting the Bergen-Oslo train to Myrdal, about two hours out of Bergen, and although I missed my opportunity this time, others have said it is far more spectacular.
Maybe I was just spoiled by the absolutely stunning Alaska Railroad journey I did from Anchorage to Fairbanks a few years ago, but the train ride from Bergen to Oslo was a slight letdown. If you have never done anything like this before, you will love it though.
The left-hand side of the carriage is the place to be for the first hour for the fjords and the right-hand side is prime position while going through, and over, the mountains. The last few hours are relatively uneventful as you approach Oslo and its satellite cities.
It was still amazing, and many times I was spellbound by the colossal majesty of the Norwegian mountains and how remotely people choose to live.
I arrived in Oslo late afternoon to -7 degrees and would have two full days there.
Again, my tip is that if you are pushed for time, two days is enough. You could easily find plenty to do to fill in longer, but two to three days is sufficient to get a feel of the place.
I did a walking tour early on my first day and it was frigid at around -8, and there was hardly any snow on the ground. We pushed on and saw the opera house, the fortress (briefly), Christiania torv, Aker Brygge, City Hall and some waterfront saunas where a few hardy souls were jumping into the icy waters straight after getting out of their own personal hot-houses. Madness.
In the afternoon I did a short boat cruise around the city and the inner fjord, which allowed amazing views without having to leave the warmth and comfort of the cabin thanks to the huge, and clean, windows.
On the second day I walked to Akershus festning (the fortress) to explore in more detail. It had snowed overnight, blanketing the city with a white covering that made all the sights I saw the previous day completely different.
As a solo traveller, I saved money by not eating at restaurants and opting for cheap supermarket meals or just overindulging on the magnificent custard-filled cinnamon buns, but if you are with a companion or enjoy eating out, be prepared for a shock. Main meals at even a semi-decent place will set you back at least $50 without factoring in an entree, wine or even dessert.
With 500ml glasses of beer ranging from $18 to $27, I allowed myself two most nights, although I realise it’s not exactly cheap here in Australia either.
After that it was time to come home, but I had an eight-hour layover in Doha at midnight and booked a three-hour city tour with a private driver for $350 (although you will pay the same if there are two of you).
The less said about that the better. It was horrendously foggy and my guide was totally uninterested in searching for alternatives, such as walking around to see some mosques or the souq (market). I eventually received an apology from the company and a partial refund, but would love to try it again in better conditions.
If you are thinking Norway in winter is not your thing, then so be it. But if you do go, be prepared for a trip that will leave you yearning for a speedy return.
