The Bergen Railway is a railway line in Norway. She leads from Oslo above Geilo and Voss to Mountains and crosses the otherwise largely pathless plateau Hardangervidda.
background
The Bergen Railway is considered to be one of the most beautiful railway lines in Norway. From the capital Oslo it leads across the Hardangervidda to the west coast of Bergen. The route runs for a good 100 km in northern Hardangervidda above the tree line. As a traveler, you get a glimpse of the largely inaccessible plateau, which in its center can otherwise only be reached on foot or by bike.
Historically, the railway line, which is not uncomplicated both in its completion and in today's maintenance, especially in winter, goes back to the endeavor to reach the two most important trading cities - Bergen and Stockholm - the then united kingdoms Norway and Sweden connect to. After Norway gained independence from Sweden in 1905, plans were changed to link the two most important cities in Norway. The railway line was opened in 1909, making a relatively fast journey between the two places possible for the first time. In 1941 the branch line to the Sognefjord, the Flåm Railway from Myrdal at 866 m to the 800 m lower Flam opened on Aurlandsfjord. Until then, travelers who had traveled by ship across the Aurlandsfjord had to take the arduous route of the Rallarveg up to the plateau on foot or on horseback.
While the Bergen Railway initially travels through a more densely populated region from Oslo, you can see numerous small train stations on the edge of the route, which have since been discontinued. In the upper Hallingdal it becomes increasingly lonely along the way, even if numerous settlements and places are still passed. From Geilo the route then leads up to the Hardangervidda plateau, where the particularly attractive section of the Bergen Railway begins from a tourist point of view. On the approximately 2-hour drive from Geilo to Voss - which includes the drive through the most pristine and lonely region - travelers should concentrate in particular on the section from Haugastøl to Finse, as here the view is least restricted by tunnels and snow protection galleries get an impression of the vastness and the rough nature in this subpolar region.
preparation
For a trip on the regional trains of the Norwegian State Railways NSB On the Oslo - Bergen route, a seat reservation (free of charge) is compulsory, which is purchased in advance with the ticket. If you spontaneously wish to take a ride, ask the conductor if there is still space, which is usually unproblematic - even if the trains are often fully booked in the tourist high season. Tickets can be booked in advance online or by phone. When booking online, you have the option of choosing your own seat on the basis of a compartment map with the display of the seats that are still available.
The (limited) MiniPris ticket is available 90 days before the date. The price starts at 249 NOK and in some cases increases relatively quickly according to demand. The normal ticket is much more expensive at around NOK 829 (prices as of 4/2014). A standard ticket can be canceled until the train departs, while MiniPris tickets cannot. A trip in the comfort area costs 90 NOK in addition to the ticket price, with the night train the overnight option (sove) to get voted.
Children from 5 to 15 years of age travel free of charge on a parent's standard ticket, while a separate ticket can be purchased for the MiniPris ticket, which may negate the price advantage. Children from 0 to 4 years of age travel free of charge. With small children, it is advisable to book a place in the family compartment when booking.
Bicycles must be booked in advance in the mountain railway, in the tourist high season you should do this with sufficient advance notice, as the bicycle parking spaces are very limited on some trains. A bicycle ticket on the Bergen Railway costs 179 NOK.
getting there
If you want to drive the entire route, the journey begins either in Oslo at Oslo Sentral train station, or in Mountains. Both cities have an international airport for arrival and can be reached via various ferry lines.
Geilo and Voss are also suitable as boarding points for sections of the route, especially if you only cover the route via the Hardangervidda want to drive. The one-way trip between Geilo and Voss takes around 2 hours, the one-way trip on the entire route takes between 6 and 7 hours, depending on the train. Of the 4 - 5 daily connections in both directions, one is usually a night train connection.
Route Oslo - Bergen
Oslo - Geilo
- Oslo
- Dramming
- Hønefoss
- Flå
- Nesbyen
- Gol
- Ål
- Geilo: Central place in the region and large ski area
- Ustaoset on the southern edge of the Hallingskarvet mountain range
Haugastøl - Myrdal
The stretch from Haugastøl to Myrdal is the most spectacular section of the Bergen Railway across the north Hardangervidda. Here you usually have a better view of the landscape on the left side in the direction of Myrdal.
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- From Haugastøl the railway leaves the Rv7, which has mostly been accompanying it so far, and finally goes into the plateau, where heavy snowfalls and, above all, snowdrifts can significantly hinder the journey in winter. If you drive in summer, you can see the numerous safety measures, which consist of wooden walls to deflect avalanches or snowdrifts, and numerous galleries, i.e. half or complete sheathing of the railway line made of wood and aluminum. This section offers the best views of the slopes and mountain peaks, which are mostly covered with snow all year round, and the lakes and rivers that run through the area. In summer you can also follow the course of the Rallarvegen and the numerous cyclists there. In this section, the cycle path usually runs right next to or at least within sight of the Bergen Railway.
- To Finse the route leads through the 10 km long Finsetunnel, so that one sees nothing of the dramatic landscape around the Fagernuten and the Fagervatnet. Half of the 12-minute drive to Hallingskeid is spent in the tunnel, and on the further section you usually don't see much because of the many snow protection galleries.
- Even after Hallingskeid, some avalanche protection galleries block the unrestricted view, but you still have beautiful and spectacular views of the Nedre Grøndalsvatnet and the Klevavatnet below the railway line, accompanied by the Rallarvegen, just before Myrdal you can see the Reinungavatnet deep below.
- Myrdal: In the small train station, travelers with a destination can Flam, Aurlandsfjord or the region around the Sognefjord change to the Flåm Railwaywhich overcomes an altitude difference of 860 m on the route of only 20 km down through Flåmsdal.
Upsete - Voss
- Upsete: On the journey from Myrdal to Upsete, the Gravhalstunnel is crossed, the only tunnel on the Hardangervidda for which there is no bypass for cyclists and hikers on Rallarvegen, so that they have to change to the train for one station.
- Mjølfjell
- Voss
Dale - mountains
security
trips
From Myrdal: With the Flåm Railway down through the Flåmsdal to Flåm, there with the Speedboat along the Aurlandsfjord and the entire Sognefjord to Bergen. As the speedboat leaves Flåm at 3:30 p.m., you may need to plan an overnight stay in Flåm.
From Bergen: From a touristic point of view, the continuation of the journey from Bergen with a ship of the Hurtigruten, the Norwegian mail ships, a particularly exciting opportunity. Who just a shorter one Round trip wants to do, books a passage with the Hurtigrute to Trondheim and then takes the train on the no less interesting and attractive line of the Dovre Railway of Trondheim to Oslo back to the starting point of the trip. Travel plan together with an arrival and departure with the Colorline (Kiel - Oslo): Day 1: Arrival from Kiel with Colorline. Day 2: Arrival in Oslo at 10 a.m., ride on the Bergen Railway to Bergen, departure from Hurtigrute at 10.30 p.m. Day 3: On board the Hurtigrute. Day 4: Arrival in Trondheim at 6 a.m., return trip with the Dovrebahn to Oslo, during the day (additional overnight stay in Oslo required) or by night train (then day stay in Trondheim and morning in Oslo. Day 5: Morning in Oslo, departure Colorline 14 Day 6: Arrival in Kiel at 10 a.m.
There by bike, back by train: Become Rallarvegenwho wants to cycle the old workers' path from the time the Bergen Railway was built, can get off at Haugastøl, cycle the 80 km route to Myrdal and take the train back from Myrdal. A challenging extension is the descent into Flåmsdal and the subsequent return trip with the Flåms Railway up to the plateau to Myrdal, where you can change back to the Bergen Railway, which however, depending on the connection dates, requires an overnight stay in Myrdal or Flåm.
literature
Web links
- Video over a complete journey with the Bergen Railway, almost 7.5 hours in winter (Norwegian)
