DIY free: Eidfjord, Alesund, Geiranger, Bergen

[dav964]

Just returned from a HAL cruise to Norway that stopped at the above mentioned places. The price of HAL excursions was more that ridiculous so we did everything ourselves and ended up with an excursion bill of nothing...

 

Eidfjord

This is a pretty small village at the end of a fjord that is quite unspoilt and all the better for it. The tourist office is immediately outside of the pier and we got hold of a free walking map of the area. There were two walks - red and yellow, and we did the yellow walk that followed a river (lots of white water) up to a lake and then over a small hill to return via a lane through fields and small farming hamlets. Along the way you pass by Viking graves and a nice viewpoint that overlooks the fjord. The walk took about 90 minutes and was an excellent introduction to the Norwegian countryside. Returning to Eidfjord we had a look round the village centre (two supermarkets and a couple of souvenir shops) and then back on board.

 

There is also a tourist train that runs from the tourist office along with minibus tours to the big waterfall - all for much less than HAL tours.

 

Alesund

The ship docked immediately outside of the old town. It looked very nice from the 11th deck - a bit like Talinn in Estonia with turrets and the like. We left the ship and were given a map of the town at the terminal, but to be honest it was no better than what we were given on board. We walked around the old town which was nice - not only similar to Talinn but also it had a touch of Cornish fishing village to it. Very nice harbourside views and quaint little side streets. To be honest though it did look more impressive from the 11th deck. After that we went to climb up the hill (418 steps) to a viewpoint, but Mrs dav964 doesn't get on too well with heights so we didn't make the top. Still got a good view from where we managed to get to though. Looked round a few shops and then back on board.

 

Geiranger

I had read from previous reviews that there wasn't much to do here but that wasn't what we found. This was a very nice stop indeed, but we were lucky with the weather - it might have been different in the rain. There were 5 cruise ships here and the village only has about 300 folks so it was a bit overrun. Immediately after the tender pier there a several tourist shops and a supermarket and we walked up the hill to a waterfall (10 minutes) and then onto the church (another 5 minutes). Came back down again and walked through a camp site and around the fjord for a couple of miles. Very nice indeed. Walked back to the tender pier stopping at several of the shops on the way back.

 

To show how expensive HAL tours are, there is a "Sky to fjord" tour where you're taken by bus some distance from the pier and then issued with a bike and helmet and you find your own way back to the ship (17km downhill easy ride). HAL price is 150 USD. Local price is 259 NOK. That's £100 versus £27 so you can see the mark up...

 

There is also a hop on hop off bus that runs from the pier to a couple of view points.

 

Bergen

An excellent stop. We moored right next to Bryggen - the interesting area. Walked passed the Rosenkrantz tower (nothing interesting here) and then onto the Hanseatic warehouses. This area is about 300m by 100m and is comprised of old wooden warehouses - all tumbling around each other and now converted to shops. Well worth a look. Just opposite is the harbour and fish market where the fishermen cook the catch and sell it to locals/tourists. Lots of interest and we did try some crab (£17!).

 

We walked up to the funicular railway but the queue was long so Mrs dav964 suggested we walk up. Surprised me, but we managed it after about 75 minutes walking up a sloping path. There were plenty of others doing this including a couple of mums pushing baby buggies so it's a good walk but doable if you're reasonably mobile (we're both 57). At the top I had a reward of 0.4 litres of beer which worked out at just over £9 for less than a pint. Good grief. After that we walked down to the harbour (50 minutes) and then back on board. I would suggest that the walk down would be in most people's reach.

 

So that's what we did. Four stops, four good experiences and lots of money saved that can usefully be put towards our next cruise. Hope this info helps...

[Audi]

dav964,

Thanks for your review of the Fjord towns that you visited. I will be going to these same four towns in a couple of months and am happy to hear that you can do so much on your own. We are much older than you but still like to walk and really enjoy doing as much of it on our own as possible. We so appreciate all of the great information that we get on these boards. Thanks again.

[milano_cruiser]

Thanks for your summary! I'll be on the same trip in a few weeks, so it's great to hear another opinion from someone who's already been there.

[Cy'all@C]

I'm late in doing my research so I appreciated you having these tips all listed in one place. I jotted notes down and am off to begin our adventure! Thanks again.

[TLCOhio]

I'm late in doing my research so I appreciated you having these tips all listed in one place. I jotted notes down and am off to begin our adventure! Thanks again.

 

Agree that much can be done on your own for super charming Bergen. Alesund has some great options farther away from the central town' date=' but see the special architecture in the main town, walk up to the key overlook area. Ship tours do tend to be high, HIGH, as ground costs are high in Norway and the lines are pressed to make up revenue they are losing during today's high-competitive economic environment.

 

BUT, for Geiranger, I would urge a little more caution. Have not been to Eidfjord. With Geiranger, we were glad we got "up country" to see this harbor from the higher, more spectacular vantage points. Plus, seeing lots of other unique nature areas, a nearby National Park, lots of interesting lakes, waterfalls, etc.

 

You can see more on some of these great ports from a few of my pictures below, plus added details and visuals on this live/blog connected below

 

As the seat of Norway’s medieval kingdom of Norway for six centuries, [b']Bergen is a former Viking stronghold encircled by deep fjords, towering mountains, and sweeping glaciers.[/b] Today's Bergen has much of the medieval flavor remaining around Bergen's harbor. We explored the cobblestone streets, saw its pastel-color wooden houses, bargained in some of the many artisans' workshops and visited the famous and always-entertaining Fish Market. You can watch the locals haggling over today's catch and enjoy a quayside lunch of freshly caught salmon or fish and chips.

 

Rated by Frommers as more scenic than Oslo, Bergen was the base of the medieval Hanseatic merchants. Those historic timbered houses are set around Bryggen or The Wharf, a center for crafts and workshops. Its prime row is mostly reconstructed 14th-century structures, some of which were originally destroyed by fire. Det Hansseatiske Museum depicts commercial life on the wharf in the early 18th century and is highly rates with well-preserved wooden structure. Its art museums are highly-rated with religious icons, local art, etc.

 

In the afternoon, after some of the big crowds had lessened, we took the Floibanen funicular railway to the top of a 1050-foot high peak for scenic views. This cable car has been operating for over 80 years and was refurbished in 2002. The Funicular Lower Station is situated 150 meters from the Fish Market. At the top of the Mount Floyen, there are hiking trails and places for lunch or dinner. The trip takes seven minutes and both cars are on the same cable going up and down. Mariakirken or St. Mary’s Church is the most outstanding Romanesque church in Norway. Bergen is Norway’s largest port and has a population of 252,000. Scenic Bergen completed our voyage with its dramatic backdrop of seven rounded mountains and cobble-stoned streets. It entices you to take memories and photos cherishing the land of the Norsemen.

 

Their good and helpful Tourism Office can be accessed on the web at: http://www.visitbergen.com/en

 

We docked at the fairly handy Skoltegrunskaien Pier. This put us within about a 10-15 minute walk of the main attractions at the market and warehouse area.

 

Alesund’s architecture is characterized by its turrets, spires, medieval-romantic frontages . and other whimsical touches that give this town its distinctive style. It is like something from a fairytale. On the night of January 23, 1904, the town, built largely of wood, was totally destroyed at night by gale-aided flames. Only one person died, but more than 10,000 people were left without shelter. Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm vacationed nearby and sent four warships with materials to build temporary shelters. The town was rebuilt in stone, brick and mortar in Jugendstil or Art Nouveau, the architectural style of the time. This design reflects a “romance with the past” and highlights Nordic mythology along its winding streets. To honor Wilhelm, one of the most frequented streets of the city is named after him. The town has an unusually consistent architecture, most of the buildings having been built between 1904 and 1907.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 77,690 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Here’s a close look at these historic Bergen Hanseatic merchant warehouse building fronts, people taking pictures, etc. :

 

 

 

Right near the Hanseatic merchant warehouse area is the Bergen Fish Market with lots of options to buy food to eat on site or just watch, enjoying the “show” as people ask questions and buy the various fresh fish items.:

 

 

 

This picture shows the Bergen Floibanen funicular railway coming up the steep hill with the harbor, fish market, etc. in the background. On the top, somewhat right, the Silver Cloud and Costa ships can be seen in the harbor, plus nearby scenic areas, etc.

 

 

 

Here is a different view as you are sailing from Geiranger and approaching the famed “Seven Sisters”. This is the view from the top of the ship as we are turning in this narrow fjord and first seeing some of this famous waterfall. Great majesty from nature in an amazing setting. This is the 39th tallest waterfall in Norway. The waterfall consists of seven separate streams, and it is located four miles west of Geiranger. The tallest of the seven has a free fall that measures 820’. The total height above the water from the top is 1,350'. The legend is that the seven sisters dance playfully down the mountain, while a single waterfall opposite, the Suitor, a male onlooker, flirts playfully from across the fjord.:

 

 

 

This is the dramatic overview of Alesund from the Aksla vantage point along the western coast of Norway. This spot allows a nearly 360-degree view of this setting for this island city and the surrounding mountains and islands. It is at a 597’ height overlooking the five islands making up the scenic town.:

 

 

 

At a lower, street-level part of Alesund, here are some of the buildings along the central waterway, plus a nice statue.:

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for all the info ...

[Cruze4Ever]

Just returned from a HAL cruise to Norway that stopped at the above mentioned places. The price of HAL excursions was more that ridiculous so we did everything ourselves and ended up with an excursion bill of nothing...

 

Eidfjord

This is a pretty small village at the end of a fjord that is quite unspoilt and all the better for it. The tourist office is immediately outside of the pier and we got hold of a free walking map of the area. There were two walks - red and yellow, and we did the yellow walk that followed a river (lots of white water) up to a lake and then over a small hill to return via a lane through fields and small farming hamlets. Along the way you pass by Viking graves and a nice viewpoint that overlooks the fjord. The walk took about 90 minutes and was an excellent introduction to the Norwegian countryside. Returning to Eidfjord we had a look round the village centre (two supermarkets and a couple of souvenir shops) and then back on board.

 

There is also a tourist train that runs from the tourist office along with minibus tours to the big waterfall - all for much less than HAL tours.

 

Alesund

The ship docked immediately outside of the old town. It looked very nice from the 11th deck - a bit like Talinn in Estonia with turrets and the like. We left the ship and were given a map of the town at the terminal, but to be honest it was no better than what we were given on board. We walked around the old town which was nice - not only similar to Talinn but also it had a touch of Cornish fishing village to it. Very nice harbourside views and quaint little side streets. To be honest though it did look more impressive from the 11th deck. After that we went to climb up the hill (418 steps) to a viewpoint, but Mrs dav964 doesn't get on too well with heights so we didn't make the top. Still got a good view from where we managed to get to though. Looked round a few shops and then back on board.

 

Geiranger

I had read from previous reviews that there wasn't much to do here but that wasn't what we found. This was a very nice stop indeed, but we were lucky with the weather - it might have been different in the rain. There were 5 cruise ships here and the village only has about 300 folks so it was a bit overrun. Immediately after the tender pier there a several tourist shops and a supermarket and we walked up the hill to a waterfall (10 minutes) and then onto the church (another 5 minutes). Came back down again and walked through a camp site and around the fjord for a couple of miles. Very nice indeed. Walked back to the tender pier stopping at several of the shops on the way back.

 

To show how expensive HAL tours are, there is a "Sky to fjord" tour where you're taken by bus some distance from the pier and then issued with a bike and helmet and you find your own way back to the ship (17km downhill easy ride). HAL price is 150 USD. Local price is 259 NOK. That's £100 versus £27 so you can see the mark up...

 

There is also a hop on hop off bus that runs from the pier to a couple of view points.

 

Bergen

An excellent stop. We moored right next to Bryggen - the interesting area. Walked passed the Rosenkrantz tower (nothing interesting here) and then onto the Hanseatic warehouses. This area is about 300m by 100m and is comprised of old wooden warehouses - all tumbling around each other and now converted to shops. Well worth a look. Just opposite is the harbour and fish market where the fishermen cook the catch and sell it to locals/tourists. Lots of interest and we did try some crab (£17!).

 

We walked up to the funicular railway but the queue was long so Mrs dav964 suggested we walk up. Surprised me, but we managed it after about 75 minutes walking up a sloping path. There were plenty of others doing this including a couple of mums pushing baby buggies so it's a good walk but doable if you're reasonably mobile (we're both 57). At the top I had a reward of 0.4 litres of beer which worked out at just over £9 for less than a pint. Good grief. After that we walked down to the harbour (50 minutes) and then back on board. I would suggest that the walk down would be in most people's reach.

 

So that's what we did. Four stops, four good experiences and lots of money saved that can usefully be put towards our next cruise. Hope this info helps...

 

Such a wonderful post! Thanks so much for the excellent advice!