My wife and I, both early 70s, had a great trip to Switzerland last year. We stayed three nights in gimmelwald and seven nights in Mürren. We loved the local, laid-back feel , and of course, because of the great cable car, bus, and train service in Switzerland we had access to anywhere we wanted to go. Our question is, at first glance it looks like the fjord area of Norway would be what would interest us. We really enjoy relaxing and enjoying the views. We probably would enjoy taking some boat rides as well. Is there any place that anybody has gone to in the Bergen area or thereabouts that would duplicate the experience we had in Switzerland last year? We absolutely do not like big cities and we’re not looking for museums and things like that. More geared towards nature. Some light hikes and just really enjoying beautiful peaceful views . We will then be going from Norway to Austria. I guess I should start a new topic for that, but perhaps someone has knowledge about the same type of vibe in Austria towns. To put it in perspective, we were told originally that Lauterbrunnen , Switzerland was a great place to stay because it was central to many locations. We found Lauterbrunnen to be too city like which is why we chose gimmelwald and Mürren. Thanks for any advice.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3913 posts
Alesund makes an excellent starting point to visit the Geirangerfjord and the Hjorundfjord — a favorite fjord among Norwegians. These fjords can be visited as daytrips from Alesund by public transit— including boat transit—or with a car.
You can reach Alesund by flying directly there from Bergen, Oslo, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and London’s Gatwick airport.
Posted by
Cleveland
206 posts
We are of similar age and also like nature. We visited Switzerland in 2022 and Norway in 2024. I loved both of them, but they are different. Here's my trip report from Norway.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/two-weeks-in-norway-in-june
In Switzerland, we stayed in Lauterbrunnen and visited Murren. Alesund, Norway was lovely, but it's bigger than Lauterbrunnen.
My advice to you is:
Don't be afraid to drive. We did the first week of our trip by public transit and the second by car. The drivers in Norway are so careful and courteous, it was a pleasure to drive there.
We stayed at a couple campgrounds that had cottages and liked that. They were both outside of a small town. So check out campgrounds.
If you stay in Bergen and take the funicular to the top, there is a huge park that is full of wonderful hiking and much of it is flat. We enjoyed hiking up there. You are right above the city, but feel like you're in nature.
Have a wonderful time.
Posted by
Chicagoland
2264 posts
To start, I suggest you pick up a good guidebook or 3 on Norway. (Not necessarily the Rick Steves' Scandinavia since it doesn't cover a lot of the country, like the Lofotens Islands for example). This will give you a better understanding of the different areas of Norway -fjords, mountains, coastal.
Keep in mind that not all fjords are the same. Some, are narrow and deep, like the spectacular Naerøyfjord or the Geirangerfjord. Others are quite wide, like the fjords of Tromso and Molde. The Moldefjord is around 10 km wide, whereas the Naeroyfjord is less than 200 meters at its narrowest.
So do some research to see what would be a good fit.
Will you be renting a car or traveling by public transportation?
Posted by
OP
Florida
20 posts
We really enjoyed not having to have a car when we were in Switzerland. But we are open for suggestions.
Posted by
309 posts
If you're thinking of going inland check out Balestrand.
Posted by
OP
Florida
20 posts
Thanks to all for their replies. It gives us a starting point to research.