It is a lot cheaper to hire a car and drive around the internal coast roads of the dramatic Norwegian fjords that surround Bergen than go on an organised trip. You can also go at your pace and enjoy the peace and quiet of this magnificent majestic scenery without having to endure walking around in a crowd of noisy tourists.

To the south east of Bergen you will find on a map a very long fjord called Hardangerfjord. The sea water has flooded the valley where rivers of glacial ice used to flow. There are steep imposing mountains on either side.

From Bergen You can drive over mountain passes to reach the Hardangerfjord coast road. In some places the coast road ends and you have to take a short car ferry to get to the other side of the valley.

Being on the water in the middle of a fjord is a memory that will stay with you. You can catch one of the longer ferries that sails the length of the fjord stopping at charming little fishing villages on route.

If you want to go a bit further you can drive to the 182 meter Voringsfossen water fall. It is one of the tallest waterfalls in Europe. There is accommodation near the Voringsfossen waterfall called the Fossli Hotel. It is a traditional country hotel in a fantastic location.

You could make your fjord exploration daytrip into a two day tour. That way you would have time to go for a hike from the hotel to the bottom of the waterfall rather than just viewing it from the top by the road. It is much more breathtaking looking up at the tons of water thundering over the cliff edge than from above.

The houses in Norway and Sweden are traditionally painted mustard yellow and dark red because the paint was coloured by using the from the waste products of the mining industry. This tradition has continued even though modern technology means you can paint your house any colour you want.

Travel books