The best things to do in Norwegian Fjords in winter

If a nature destination en Europe that arouses the greatest attraction for everyone, that is, without a doubt, the norwegian fjords.

In my history as a traveler fjords They were protagonists of my first big trip, a car route to the North Cape en Norway, in which to climb Sweden y FinlandI returned through the aforementioned fjords.

On the other hand, with the current great boom in Cruise travel, norwegian fjords they have become one of the most attractive cruises you can do in Europe.

The peculiar geological configuration of the fjords, with great depth in their waters, facilitates navigation through the long tongues of sea for large cruise ships that transport thousands of tourists.

The consequence is that in summer there begins to be a certain overcrowding in the various tourist destinations of the fjords, and especially in cities like Bergen, which is also a good access route with flights arriving from all over Europe.

Here you have extensive information about the best places to see on a trip to the norwegian fjords.

Best time of year to visit the Norwegian fjords

At this point we can ask ourselves if the norwegian fjords, a destination so associated with summer vacation trips, are also appropriate to visit at another time of the year, and what are their advantages.

We have just returned from a trip made in the middle of winter season (February), which has allowed us to see first-hand the attractions that the norwegian fjords to visit them outside of the summer season.

Travel to the Norwegian fjords is synonymous with enjoying spectacular landscapes, and different times as in winter, riding a spring or in autumn You find different attractions.

Among the latests Moravia's compositions advantages of traveling to the Norwegian fjords outside of the summer season, you have to avoid the large tourist influx typical of summer, including those who travel on large cruise ships.

This will allow you get to know the most authentic Norway.

I assure you that you will notice during your visit the main tourist places, both nature and cities like Bergen o Alesund, in hotels and restaurants, and even when using the ferries, without car jams.

And of course, another great advantage is that in the hotels you will pay low season prices, which is very appreciated in a country where traveling is so expensive.

What to do in Norwegian fjords in winter

To ask you a trip to the Norwegian fjords in winter Something similar to what happens to me has to happen to you, I love winter landscapes and I never get tired of seeing them.

It is also key to know What is the weather in Norway in winter?, and specifically the one that characterizes this area of ​​the fjords in northern Europe.

In this regard you should know that due to the warm effect of the Gulf Stream, in the Norwegian fjords in winter it is much less cold than you might fear.

Specifically, at this time the temperature, in general, will be around a few degrees above 0, and only on some days it will drop below 0 degrees, but never with the rigor that is usual in the northern norway and in the high areas of the interior.

Enjoy snowy landscapes

The main objective of a trip in the winter season should be to enjoy spectacular nature landscapes, what you can do on a route by car or, above all, with various activities such as Hiking o trekking.

The combination of sea and mountains that distinguishes the landscapes of the fjords of Norway Now it is enriched by guaranteed snow, which on some days even covers the areas located on the seashore.

In your car route through the Norwegian fjords you will go along winding roads on the banks of the fjord and you will cross very long tunnels, even several kilometers long, which cross the mountains and shorten travel time.

These tunnels are so long that in many of them you will find intersections with roundabouts where roads open up that take you to different places.

Also, if you are a fan of photography, I can tell you that you will continually stop in the areas with bus stops on the road to take photos of snowy landscapes.

See frozen waterfalls

One of the most beautiful nature spectacles you will see are the numerous frozen waterfalls that fall down the sides of the fjord mountains, which reach the point of almost covering them.

And a special place to see a big frozen waterfall is to go to eidfjord, in the deepest enclave of the Hardanger Fjord, a place where large cruise ships arrive in summer.

From there, climbing towards the mountain you will reach Voringfossen, the largest and most visited waterfall in Norway, with 145 meters of free fall and 182 meters in total.

In summer you can go trekking of about 45 minutes that allows you to pass by a place from where you will see the water falling from very close up.

Currently, a project is being carried out to rehabilitate this tourist area in summer, whose improvements include the construction of a glass floor bridge, similar in style to Grand Canyon Skywalk.

By the summer of 2019, a new viewpoint to see the waterfall from closer and the bridge is planned for 2020.

Hiking through winter landscapes 

One of the ways to enjoy the winter landscapes of the Norwegian fjords is to do Hiking, for which you have an infinite choice of routes.

If you are in an area where there has been a recent snow storm, the Hiking You will have to do it on the banks of the fjord because if not, as soon as you start to climb a hill you may find the roads impassable due to snow or ice.

In the case of our recent trip, in the aforementioned town of eidfjord we made a trekking that took us to see the vestiges of the Hæreid Viking Cemetery, in addition to enjoying beautiful panoramic views of the fjord.

On another day we did another trekking, this time in the surroundings of Sundal, another of the enclaves of the aforementioned Hardanger Fjord.

On this occasion it was a trekking to Lake Bondhus which in this winter season was frozen, and which is located just 190 meters above sea level, at the base of the great Bondhusbreen glacier.

Visit Bergen without tourists

As I have already mentioned, one of the attractions of traveling to the Norwegian fjords Out of tourist season is getting to know its cities without tourists.

And the best exponent is Bergen, perhaps the most emblematic city of this natural region of Norway.

I can assure you that visiting it in winter, as was the case on my recent trip, reveals the most authentic side of this beautiful Norwegian city.

And this is not an impediment for you to also enjoy Bergen on a splendid sunny day, as you can see in the photos that illustrate this article.

Walk through its famous Hanseatic district of Bryggen in the city's port, visit one of its museums or even take the funicular up Mount Fløyen.

Si tu Bergen visit It coincides with one of the days in which the city is covered in snow, I assure you that you will have spectacular panoramic views.

Outside of the tourist season you can also participate in various active tourism excursions that depart from Bergen, like a fjord speed boat tour.

This is what we did on our winter trip, and don't be afraid of the possible cold because the clothing they provide you ensures that it will be a very pleasant excursion.

This excursion Fjord Safari took us to sail at full speed between the small islets at the entrance to the Bergen fjord, and after disembarking in one of them, we were able to enjoy a delicious picnic with large mussels and red crabs.

Kayaking through a fjord

One of the activities you can sign up for throughout the year is kayaking through a fjord, which you can also do even in winter.

One place to do this is Odda, a beautiful town located at the end of one of the deepest branches of the aforementioned Hardanger Fjord.

With Trolltunga Active you can make a kayak tour with a professional guide, which lasts up to five hours.

This active tourism company carries out a wide variety of activities throughout the year, including trekking for climb the big rock Trolltunga and specific excursions in winter.

Skiing in the Norwegian fjords

As you can imagine, Norway It is a country where you can also ski, and this may be one of the reasons for travel to the fjords in winter.

This way you can combine your love of ski practice with the enjoyment of the precious fjord landscapes with winter atmosphere.

Just as we were able to enjoy on our trip, a good place to skiing in the Norwegian fjords it's at the station Myrkdalen, which is found two hours from Bergen, south of Sogne Fjord, near the town of Voss.

With a large amount of snow in winter, in Myrkdalen You have 40 kilometers of tracks and 20 tows, and in addition to the Alpine ski, you can also practice the Nordic Ski.

And if for any reason you don't want to ski, you can do other activities like snowshoe walk or descent with snow sled.

Cultural tourism in the Norwegian fjords

Finally, the cultural tourism also has a place in a trip to the fjords at any time of the year.

From my point of view, one of the great attractions is being able to see the wooden churches that are still preserved in Norway, one of whose great exponents is Vik, a place that you find on the banks of the aforementioned Sogne Fjord.

La Hopperstad stave church in Vik It was built in 1130 and is declared Heritage.

You can also see other medieval churches such as Kvinnherad of Rosendal, built in 1250, one of the most important in the fjord region.

And, of course, cultural tourism also includes visiting museums, something that you can do all year round on your trip to the fjords.

For example, visit the KODE museum in Bergen, whose collection is displayed in seven different buildings. one of the most important art centers in the Nordic countries, and where a section dedicated to the great Norwegian artist could not be missing. Edvard Munch.

In the fjords there are others museums that you can visit more linked to the nature or manners of the region, which are open for visits from the season of eastern.

This is the case Norwegian Nature Center, which you can visit in the aforementioned town of eidfjord, where on a journey through time you can see what the evolution of nature has been in this region so far north of Europe.

Or the Hardanger Folk Museum, which you find in the town of Utne, where 20 buildings of the country architecture of the region, and where you can deepen your knowledge of local culture and customs.