The Oslo-Bergen Railway
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Norway promotes the rail link between Oslo and Bergen as “the most beautiful train journey in the world.” Traveling across Norway from east to west, the train ascends to 1,200 m above sea level before arriving in Bergen, a port on the west coast. The scenery ranges from bucolic farms to spectacular mountains. Best of all, huge picture windows mean you can actually see the scenery from within the car. (In China, train windows are often grimy, and even when they are not, your neighbors are likely to close the curtains to better facilitate day-long catnaps.)
On our way to Bergen last week, we got off the main Oslo-Bergen line at Myrdal and transferred to the Flamsbana. The train to Flam is one of the steepest train lines in Europe, descending from an elevation of 865 m to sea level with just 20 km of track. It is also the third-biggest tourist attraction in Norway. This means that the village of Flam (population 500) receives 500,000 tourists per year. (Weird!) The train to Flam stops at a spectacular waterfall, replete with a woman singing and dancing in the spray. (Weirder!) The tourists take this trip for a reason, though — it is excruciatingly beautiful.
This is the latest in a series of weekly slideshows spotlighting places I’ve been on my travels, in China and beyond. You can also view this album, along with more photos, at To China and Beyond’s Picasa page.
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