A RIDE TO REMEMBER
TRAIN FROM OLSO TO BERGEN
NORWAY
There are moments that are forever ingrained in your mind. Holidays away from your family, your first heartbreak, where you were when the McRib was first announced. They’re all chiseled into your psyche with such memorable sentiment that it’s easy to go back in time and relive them over and over. You remember exactly what you were wearing, where you were standing, and the smell in the air; every detail is so vivid, no matter how much time has passed. The train ride from Oslo to Bergen is one of those moments. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that cements these memories so firmly in your brain. Maybe it’s some bookmarking system in your brain from a time when sensory memory was crucial. Whatever it is, chances are, if you take this train ride, you’re going to remember every bit of it for the rest of your life.
Save the hyperbole, this journey unveils the vastly diverse nature of the Nordic region. Offering scenery that runs from lush Christmas Tree forests to stark horizons that resemble something closer to the surface of the moon than anything you’ve seen on earth, the shifting landscapes between Norway’s two biggest cities help you understand its reserved beauty. It’s no wonder why this ride is considered to be one of the most stunning journeys you can take by train. I can still remember so much of the 7-hour passage—the smell of crisp mountain air, the pattern of the seats we sat in, the first sip of beer in the drink car as we snaked our way along the Nordic fjords. It’s an adventure not likely to be forgotten.
Take a quick look at the map and realize the route from Oslo to Bergen looks like the scribbles of a drunk toddler, but the Scandinavian country deems this approach necessary. What the map doesn’t hint at is the variation of forests, fjords, rivers, and various topographical features that combine to create a natural kaleidoscope unique only to this part of the world. But words, as they often do, fail to properly describe the gobsmacking scenery that is laid out before you throughout the 7 hour ride. So consider this my best description. Now that any shortcomings have been attributed to the magnitude of the journey and not to my own personal failings, let's get back to it.
The train ride begins in Oslo, where the metropolitan scenery is immediately swept away in favor of massive swaths of pine trees dotted along the climbing Norwegian elevations. One could say it looks like the world’s biggest Christmas tree farm, but one would have to set aside his intense bias towards everything Christmas to remember that the most common tree in the country, the Norway spruce, is named that for a reason. Bright fields of green, wildlife within close proximity, the occasional farmhouse with its compulsory and almost too perfect-looking red barn alongside it—the whole scene is picked right out of an idyllic Disney cartoon.
As the train climbs, the Nordic countryside begins to shift. Lush green forests fade into mountain sides marked with the grey fjords, streams of neon blue ice water, and rock formations that look as if they’ve been slowly carved out by some artistically gifted colossus. The whole scene isn’t something you’ve ever witnessed in real life, but is closer to a desolate setting for a "we had to leave earth, and this place was the closest match" type of film. Funny enough, when you reach the midpoint of your ride and the train stops for a moment, be sure to hop off and take in the crisp, cool mountain air. That breathe? It’s the same breath Luke Skywalker took before a Wampa knocked him off his Taun Taun. It’s the very same location they used when shooting the Hoth scenes in Empire Strikes Back. To the layperson, it’s the snowy planet from that movie where the tall, dark robot guy says, "NO, I’M YOUR FATHER!" Tangents aside, the town’s called Finse, and it’s been used as a training ground for skiers, expeditions, and other cold weather enthusiasts since the days of Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton—the only way in or out is by train.
Take in the sights while you can, once the train begins to make its slow descent, the stark grey peaks, bright blue lakes of ice, and green moss fields, give way to sharp mountainside passages that give you a full view of the icy run-off from higher elevations. The landscape is repopulated with a dense collection of Christmas trees, er, sorry, pine trees. As the train trails alongside yet another breathtaking fjord, you’re greeted to yet another so-adorable-you-want-to-scream Norwegian town, with people sitting in fishing boats WAVING AT THE TRAIN! It’s all too much. The whole ride, you’re treated to sights that leave you with that strange feeling—the feeling that serves as a psychic timestamp, as if your brain is making a note to preserve everything you just experienced. You reach Bergen, and you step off the train as a different person. I know, hyperbole is getting the best of me once more, but it’s the truth. It’s an experience I’ll never forget. Long from now, when my mind starts to dull, when it has pushed off the finer details of memories made, I know this train ride will be one of the last moments to fade. What I’m trying to say is that if you’re ever in Oslo, give this train ride a go. You won’t forget it.
Some key essentials for a better ride. Be sure to book your journey from Oslo to Bergen, not the other way around. If you can, book a first-class ticket; the extra space makes it easy to get a full view of the landscape. When booking your ticket, be sure to book a seat on the left side of the train, since that’s the side with the best views. The summer months (June-August) offer the best weather for this kind of ride; the winter ride is stunning but you don’t get as much variation in the scenery, so it's best to save that one for the second time around. Oh, and be sure to book a ride for during the daytime, lest you enjoy viewing these stunning vistas in the dead of night.
Book your tickets below.
https://www.raileurope.com/train-tickets/journeys/article/oslo-bergen
