Norway rail trips: The Bergen Line

Experience the Bergen Railway by Tore Bjorback Amblie, NSB

The scenic Bergen Line

is a mountain railway connecting Norway’s two largest cities; Oslo and Bergen. It is the highest mainline railway in Northern Europe, crossing the Hardangervidda mountain plateau at 1300 m above sea level. The line is some 500 km long, and Finse is the highest station with an altitude of 1222 m above sea level.
Click here to watch a YouTube video from the Bergen Line

Flam Railway to Myrdal by Sverre Hjornevik, Flam AS

View from Flam Railway

Travel tips for the Bergen Line:

The Bergen Line is an ideal starting point for a trip to the Norwegian fjords. You can start in Oslo and take it across to Myrdal, then change to the spectacular Flam Railway, taking you down to the Sognefjord and the village of Flam. There are boat and ferry trips from Flam, both to the Naeroyfjord and to the main Sognefjord all the way to Bergen, with calls at tiny fjord villages en route.

Hardangervidda Mountain Plateau by Pixabay

Hardangervidda National Park

Fjord Cruise packages with Bergen Line & Flam Railway:

A taste of Sognefjord & Hardangerfjord, 7 nights
Sognefjord Cruise & Balestrand Village, 6 nights
Geirangerfjord & Norway in a Nutshell, 7 nights
Norway in a Nutshell, 5 nights
The Grand Tour of the Fjords, 8 nights
Lofoten Islands, Helgeland & Sognefjord, 12 nights
Norway in a Nutshell Winter tour, 5 nights

Hallingdal valley

The Bergen Line takes you through beautiful scenery, through the Hallingdal valley, across the Hardangervidda National Park with views of mountain peaks and the Hardangerjokulen glacier at Finse. The mountain areas are covered with snow between October/November and April. During these months the locomotives often carry a snow plow at the front.

Experience Geilo village by Terje Rakke, Visit Norway

Geilo Mountain village

The Bergen Line offers both transport from villages along the line, as well as travel between Oslo and Bergen. The entire journey takes approx. 7 hours. Several parts of the line visit stations without road access, such as Finse and Myrdal. The famous Flam Railway is a side branch line, starting at the Myrdal mountain station, descending through the Flam Valley to Flam village by the Sognefjord at sea level.

Finse train station in winter

Enjoying the view from the Bergen Line

Geilo mountain village is a popular winter ski resort, both for alpine and cross-country skiing, as well as other kinds of winter activities like dog sledding & horse sleigh. Geilo is located approximately midway between Oslo and Bergen, and due to its easy access by train lots of inhabitants of both cities have their second homes/mountain chalets in the area. Most Norwegians love skiing!

Finse, being the highest station, is also the most windy and a popular paragliding area. During the winter months snow storms are quite frequent, with heavy snowfall.

Voss village hosts the annual Extreme Sports Festival, with all kinds of sports like rafting, hang-gliding, paragliding, skydiving. Voss has excellent alpine skiing facilities.

Pictures from the Bergen Line:

Myrdal train station in winter by Tore Bjorback Amblie, NSB

Meeting Flam Railway at Myrdal station

Bergen Line mountain scenery

Bergen Line close to Finse by Tore Bjorback Amblie, NSB

Bergen Line close to Finse station

Bergen Line crossing a river by Oivind Haug, NSB

Spectacular nature

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