Bergen & Hardangerfjord

Fly from a choice of regional airports to Flesland airport, Bergen and self-transfer to your chosen hotel. We recommend the Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz or the Clarion Collection Havnekontoret, both of which are within a minute’s walk of Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The long summer days allow you to enjoy the town, surrounding mountains and harbour-front area until late in the evening.
 

Fortify yourself with a traditional Scandinavian buffet breakfast before exploring Bergen further. The day can be as active or relaxed as you wish. You may choose to head up into the mountains by funicular railway or cable car. Here Fløyen and Ulriken afford spectacular views of the surrounding area. Culture buffs can head for one of two dozen museums in Bergen, including the home of Edvard Grieg. For those looking for a gastronomic delight, head out to Cornelius Seafood restaurant, which is situated on a small island 30 minutes outside of Bergen and only accessible only by boat. The owner Alf still dives most days for the oysters that appear on the menu. Alternatively, take the train to Myrdal and enjoy a ride on the Flåm railway and cruise on the Naerøyfjord before returning to Bergen in time to enjoy a midsummer evening in this vibrant city. 
 

After breakfast today, check-out and collect your hire car. We recommend heading south out of the city on the E39. This quieter route first takes you through the suburbs, meandering through the hilly terrain and lush green fields. Boarding the short 12 minute ferry ride from Hatvik to Venjaneset ensures all vestiges of the city are truly left behind.  Each twist and turn of the road affords another magnificent view. Just outside Eikelandosen why not take a short detour to Holdhus Stave Church, where the pulpit dates from 1570. It is at Mundheim that you are rewarded with your first view of the Hardangerfjord, as your journey continues along its shores to Nordheimsund. 

Your fjord-side residence for the night is the Thon Hotel Sandven. Built at the end of the 19th century, the hotel is full of charm and history and offers a range of accommodation ranging from the traditional to stylish modern apartments. There are plenty of nooks and crannies from where to sit and enjoy the view and an aperitif before dining in the ornately decorated hotel restaurant.Not far from Norheimsund is one of the region’s most celebrated waterfalls – Steinsdalsfossen. Here you can walk behind the 50m curtain of water without getting wet.
 

After a restful night in this tranquil town, we recommend that you retrace your steps slightly and take the Tørvikbygd ferry to Jondal and the heart of Hardanger. Hourly departures mean that you can enjoy an early start as there is a multitude of attractions in this particular area. Head down to the Baroniet Rosendal, a manor house built in 1665. Here, the air is filled with the scent of the rose garden, the restaurant offers food sourced from the kitchen and herb garden and a tour of the house reveals the lifestyle of the last owners who left in 1927.  Another alternative is the 19km paved toll road to the edge of the Folgefonna Glacier (Norway’s 3rd largest). The view across Hardanger is a tremendous reward for negotiating the perilous hairpin bends on this route. Do check before travelling, but it is possible to enjoy summer skiing and guided blue ice hikes on the glacier itself. At some point you will follow route 550 north towards Utne. This particular section of the National Tourist Route road hugs the shore, which is peppered with flowering fruit trees and roadside stalls laden with the cherries and apples that the region is renowned for. At Utne you will find the Hardanger Folk Museum, boasting exhibits of traditional costumes, fiddles and historic buildings. Utne is also home to one of Norway’s oldest hotels and an ideal spot to enjoy a cup of coffee whilst waiting for your onward ferry.
 

The Ullensvang Hotel is the jewel in the Hardangerfjord crown and your home for the following two nights. Established in 1846, this glittering fjord-side hotel has expanded into one of Norway’s premier properties with 168 rooms enjoying a fjord or mountain view, an outstanding restaurant as well as a spa, swimming pool and wellness area. The hotel remains in the family and the 5th generation continue to ensure that hospitality and service remain at the highest level. This hotel demands that you stop, relax and breathe in your spectacular surroundings, something that can easily be done over dinner tonight.
 

The day is entirely at your disposal. As well as the wellness and pool area and gardens, you can also hire one of the hotel’s own rowing boats and practice your skills on the fjord.  The more energetic can take HM Queen Sonja’s favourite panoramic hiking trail or climb The Monk Steps, the only visible remains of the Opedal Monastery. The start of one of Norway’s most iconic hikes to ‘Trolltunga’ is just 25 minutes away. This 8-10 hour classic trek is only recommended for those in good shape! Dinner is once again served in the hotel restaurant.

 

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, as today’s drive to Eidfjord is under one hour. Eidfjord is at the northern most tip of the Handerfjord and on yet another of the National Tourist Routes. Visit the Hardangervidda Nature Centre showcasing Norwegian nature, climate and environment. The Sima Power Plant, located within a mountain, it is one of the biggest hydroelectric plants in Europe and offers daily tours during the summer months. There is the Viking burial site at Haereid that also offers excellent views of the fjord along the trail and Kjeåsen mountain farm perched high above the fjord. Finally there is of course Vøringsfossen waterfall – a spectacular wall of water cascading 182m into the valley below. Overnight at the Quality Hotel Vøringfoss.

 

You are a mere 160km (3-hr) drive from Bergen, so by taking the early evening flight home you will have plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely drive back to the airport. We do recommend returning to Norheimsund via the Hardangerfjord bridge, (remembering to stop off at Steinstø fruit farm for a coffee and cake) and then taking the Hardangervegen to Tysse, arriving at Flesland airport having enjoyed another scenic drive and in good time to drop off your hire car and catch your return flight home.