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m/s Marco Polo
FLAM
TOUR C220 - NORWAY IN A NUTSHELL
| Duration: Approx. 7.5 hours | Price Range: TBC |
On this magnificent tour by coach and train, you will discover some of the finest scenery Norway has to offer: mountains, fjords, waterfalls and valleys, you will see them all. Our tour starts with a drive through the recently-opened tunnel to Gudvangen, which now enables the inhabitants of Flam to travel all the way to Bergen without having to use a ferry. After a short stop at the Gudvangen Hotel which has an excellent gift shop, we start climbing up the fascinating Stalheim Canyon along the old mountain road known as the Stalheimskleivi, which has the distinction of being the steepest in Norway. Built nearly 150 years ago, it was a major feat of engineering with 13 hairpin bends within one mile. We travel through the narrow and impressive Nærøydalen Valley with its many waterfalls, passing the Stalheim Hotel, perched like an eagle’s nest on the brink of a precipice some 1,237 feet above sea level. There are splendid views of the beautiful valley far below, and the waterfall Stalheimfossen drops vertically some 400 feet into the canyon beneath. Our tour continues to the spectacular Tvindefossen Waterfalls. The name Tvinde comes from an old Norwegian word meaning twin or double, and you will understand why, when you see the two waterfalls side by side cascading down the mountainside. After enjoying some free time to take photographs or buy postcards, we travel down through the valley to the town of Voss. Situated by the Vangsvatnet Lake, the village has about 6,000 inhabitants and is a bustling resort for both winter and summer visitors. In the area surrounding Voss there are excellent facilities for skiing in winter and hiking and fishing in summer, and the village prides itself on providing no less than eight athletes for the Norwegian team at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Here a splendid smørgåsbord lunch, together with mineral water or a light beer and coffee or tea, will be served at the first-class Park Hotel in the centre of the town. After a relaxing lunch, there will be a short time to stroll around Voss or visit the church before we join the train to Myrdal, where we change trains and descend the Flåmsdalen Valley on the world-famous Flåm Railway. The locomotive, specially constructed for this stretch of rail, has five sets of brakes, each sufficient to stop the train. Although only 12½ miles long, this line is a masterpiece of engineering. On the tour we will pass through 20 tunnels and climb to a height of 2,845 feet, where the beautiful valley offers a breathtaking view down the steep-sided Flåm Valley, situated between towering mountains perpetually covered in snow and ice. At one point in your journey you will be able to see three rows of tracks below as the train travels above. The train makes a stop at the magnificent Kjosfossen waterfall, and passengers may leave the train for a few minutes to take some memorable photos. Finally the train will take us safely back to the quayside at Flåm, where our ship will be waiting. By train/coach, subject to a minimum of 35/maximum of 370. |
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