The third leg of our European holiday was a 17 day Great Rail Journeys Grand Scandinavian rail tour to the Arctic Circle and the west coast of Norway ending in Oslo. Our tour began with a guided tour of Stockholm’s Gamla Stan or Old Town. We then toured the Swedish Royal Palace on our own. Our rail journey began the next day with a train to Ostersund from Stockholm Central Station. Our group had its own section of the long distance coach with clean rest rooms and good wi-fi. It was a rainy day but let up enough for us to enjoy a great pizza at a beautiful Italian restaurant in Ostersund which had applied to host the Winter Olympics but lacked required infrastructure.

Our next couple days we visited Arjeplog and Jokkmokk crossing the Arctic Circle where we had a little ceremony and got certificates. We were then in Lapland or Sami country. The Sami are one of the indigenous people who have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years. They have suffered the usual degradation but now have better support in education and health. We enjoyed meeting a Sami family and tasted their dried reindeer, salted pike and tea. They are the only people allowed to herd and harvest reindeer.

Narvik is a small Norwegian city above the Arctic Circle.  It was our first stop in Norway after a long bus ride.  We were supposed to travel the Ofoten railroad but a derailment damaged the route and passenger service was suspended. Those things happen.  Narvik is famously known as the site of Hitler’s first defeat.  In 1940 British  French, Polish and Norwegian forces pushed the mighty Germans out of Narvik where the Wehrmacht was obtaining 95% of their iron ore mined in nearby Swedish mines.  The defeat was temporary however when without notice the allies withdrew and the Luftwaffe returned destroying the city.  Narvik has a great museum about these times.  Netflix has been showing a Norwegian made movie “Narvik” about this story.

The next day we traveled by bus, ferry and the Nordlandsbanen train to Verdal, site of the great battleof Stiklestad in which the Norwegian leader St. Olaf died yet assured Norway’s Christian tradition. Olaf was very persuasive, adopt Christianity or lose your head! We had a great guided tour of the historic church, cemetery and a Viking long house. The hotel here was very unique and food really good.

Trondheim is a beautiful small city and university town. Founded in 997, its the oldest town in Norway and was the capital until 1217. Our hotel was right on the harbor and close to everything. Our local tour guide gave us a great overview which made our free time more enjoyable. More to see so we would love to revisit someday.

Rauma Railway was one of the featured trains of the tour. This was the beginning of countless scenic views.

Geiranger fjord is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its spectacular pristine scenery. The village of Geiranger sits at the end of the fjord. We were fortunate to have a balcony hotel room overlooking the harbor. This is the 3rd busiest cruise port in Norway and daily sees thousands of tourists. This is scheduled to change in 2026 when Norway will prohibit fossil fuel powered cruise ships from its most popular fjords.

Hopperstad stave church was a fascinating stop on our journey from Geiranger to Flam. The entirely wood church built in 1130 reflects many Viking influences. The dark color is a result of traditional preservation with pine tar and ashes.

Flam is another village at the end of a fjord. It features the historic Flamsbana Railway to the mountain town of Myrdal. We stayed at the venerable Fretheim Hotel built in 1870. Our seafood buffet here was extensive, creative and absolutely delicious. The railway has a nice little museum explaining the construction of the line. As with almost everything in Norway the exhibits were in English. The railway is called the 20 line because it took 20 years to build, is 20km long and has 20 tunnels. It climbs at a steep 5.5% grade. The highlight for most is the stop for the Kjerfossen Waterfall which is accompanied by a haunting Norwegian folk song and a dancing Huldra. While getting out of the rain we noticed World War II bunkers which the Nazis built to deter any allied approach. We also had a scenic fjord cruise aboard a carbon fiber electric ferry. The boat may be a glimpse into the future of tourism in Norway’s fjords. The scenery was again spectacular.

Bergen featured a guided walking tour with plenty of free time to explore this beautiful and historic city. We ventured up the Floibanen funicular to spectacular views. Also we saw the Bergenhus Fortress at the entrance to the harbor. This was a very busy city. Its also important to Norway’s salmon and oil industries. Our tour ended with an all day rail trip over Norway’s mountains to the capital of Oslo. Unfortunately we arrived late and left for the airport very early the next morning so we didn’t see much of this vibrant thriving city.

Overall this was a great tour of Sweden and Norway. Norway has some of the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen. For a great rail journey however there were too many long days on buses. Even our tour manager agreed. We later learned this was a new itinerary for Great Rail Journeys and we think they need to refine the offering. Stockholm, Lapland, the Sami people, Narvik, Stiklestad, Trondheim, Geiranger, Flam and Bergen were all memorable places to visit. Norway is a small country, only 5 million people. It is also one of the wealthiest countries and very expensive. However, we always find a way to enjoy on a budget.