Page 233 - WDT MAGAZINE PORTUGAL

walk through the souvenir shop and outside to see the train
museum before boarding the Flamsbana, one of the great
railway rides in the world, ranked third among Norway's
tourist attractions. It's only 13 miles long -- but wait until
you see the terrain covered in that ride.
Boarding an older coach, again with few aboard, our
electric-powered train began to climb on tracks carved out
of the mountains. This is the steepest standard-gauge
railway in Europe, with a maximum gradient of 5.5 percent.
And the screeching wheels let us know that. We would
climb from sea level to 2,833 feet on the twisty route. Along
the way are 20 tunnels, the longest at 4,400 feet, and a
horseshoe curve. Toward the top of the line are snow sheds
that keep the drifts away from the tracks in winter.
While all that engineering work may sound impressive,
the highlight of the trip was a five-minute stop at the edge
of the Kjosfossen waterfall, where a platform overlooks the
thunderous torrent. Selfie-takers watch out!
Slowly, the train then worked its way up to Myrdal, the
top of the line, where it joins the Bergen-Oslo railway,
another feat of engineering. From there, "nutshellers" make
a connection with trains either back to Oslo or west to
Bergen.
With the final tickets in hand, we waited just under an
hour for our train back to Bergen, leaving Myrdal on the
two-hour trip at 8:25 p.m.
That was enough time to look through our photos and
remark on the journey we'd just taken. Others take
expensive cruises just to see this portion of the world. We
had sampled much of what those folks see. And, with time a
precious commodity, we were able to make the trip in a
long, memorable day.
Indeed, I had "saved the best for last." But the good
thing about bucket lists is that you can always add one
more adventure.
That is, until time runs out.

IF YOU GO

Many variations are available, including overnight
excursions exploring the fjord country. The basic trip can be
taken daily from either Oslo or Bergen. Check on weather
conditions. Limited food offered along the way; pack your
own. Norwaynutshell.com
Hotels:
Bergen: Grand Hotel Terminus (next to train station);
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (on the waterfront)
Oslo: Thon Hotel Opera (next to the central train station);
Radisson Blu Oslo Gardemon (no cab or bus needed to this
airport hotel that is a quick walk from the terminal.
Frequent rail to Oslo Central station)
232 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2019