The Flåmsbana

We’ve covered the first half of our cruise already, can you believe it? From our day at sea, to the breathtaking islands of Ålesund, to the jaw-dropping scenery in Geirangerfjord, the days flew by as the fun continued. 

While cruising through our second fjord of the trip, Sognefjorden, I couldn’t get over how many small mountain towns were located throughout the fjord. We battled rain clouds and wind throughout most of our cruise that morning but I still managed to get quite a few waterfall shots; there are so many that you begin to take them for granted.

It remained cold and rainy when we left the ship (umbrellas in hand) in Flåm, Norway. Mist filled the small valley and fog covered the tall mountain peaks. Regardless of the weather we were ready for our adventure that day: Riding the Flåmsbana.

Considered one of the most beautiful rail lines in the world, we knew that we couldn’t miss this excursion while we were in Flåm. The railway is one of the steepest in the world and goes through 20 tunnels on the way to Mydral–18 of the 20 tunnels were carved by hand.

After the cattle drive walk to the train platform and an involuntary foot race to the train (I’m only kidding…slightly) we were able to board the Flåmsbana. Lucky for us, we were able to get one of the few spots on the train where the window drops down for better photo opportunities. 

The railway hugs the incredibly high cliffs and maneuvers through 180 degree bends on this hour-long journey inland. We passed waterfall after waterfall on our way to Vatnahalsen Station, the waterfalls are becoming a trend on this trip, aren’t they.

The biggest and most famous waterfall on this journey is the breathtaking Kjosfossen Waterfall. The water was raging that day and was definitely a sight to behold. Legend has it that a few mythical creatures dance near the water’s edge and we were informed that these “creatures” symbolize the trolls that are so prevalent in Norwegian folklore. Standing in the overwhelming mist from Kjosfossen we snapped a few pictures and then excitedly caught a glimpse of these mythical creatures.

After arriving at the Vatnahalsen Station we walked over to the Vatnahalsen Hotel. A family run hotel for over 25 years, this hotel is the last stop on the Flåm Railway and next to Lake Reinungavatnet (say that five times fast)–which is frozen for most of the year. We sampled the homemade waffles and jam and warmed up with some Norwegian coffee; I’m typically not a coffee drinker but with the time difference and the cold it was the perfect remedy.

Overall I enjoyed our day on the Flåmsbana. While there may have been a few too many people on the excursion, the views were spectacular and riding one of the world’s steepest railways was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Here are a few more photos from that day:

Where is the smallest town you’ve visited?