Norwegian Fjord Presents Awe-Inspiring Scenery

By Park Si-soo

Korea Times Correspondent

FLAM, Norway ― A cluster of modest red and white cottages nestled on a green hillside sloping toward Flam harbor projected a sense of rural peace. The blare of the horn from a majestic white cruise ship made as a sign of departure sporadically shattered the bucolic tranquility.

The ship slipped out of a small port located deep inside the snow-capped Flamsdalen Valley and navigated toward its northern destination, about a two-hour sail away.

The sounds of seagulls soaring over the ship and waves slapping down the hull accompanied the voyage, along with the sight of crystal-blue water, gigantic and stiff snow-capped fjords and waterfalls cascading down the mountainside ― a major tourist attraction of this country that draws millions of tourists from around the world each year.

All of a sudden, a strong and, even worse, freezing gust of wind whipped off the baseball caps of some travelers on the open top deck, leading many of them to flee for cover.

But it couldn't budge a young Canadian woman and a middle-aged couple from Ireland.

"Words are not enough to describe the scenery," said the Canadian who introduced herself as a student of physiology in Austria. Canada is also well known as its scenic mountainous region. But she said the Norwegian fjords were ``incomparably beautiful and spectacular.''

The Flamsdalen valley is typical of the West Norwegian fjords that cut their way into ancient mountains. Through many glacial stages and millions of years, melted ice, stone and gravel from glaciers have shaped both the valley and the Aurlands fjord into today's landscape.

Great differences in altitude and short distances between the sea and mountaintops have created Norway's unique and diverse beauty.

Glimpse of Norwegian Beauty

Flam used to be a rather isolated area due to its geographical location. That's not the case today. Tens of thousands of travelers, particularly in summer, are carried to the rural village with only hundreds of inhabitants by a 20-kilometer mountain railway, which opened in 1940.

The railway is not just a means of transportation to reach Flam. Riding the train itself offers an opportunity to catch a glimpse of magnificent mountain scenery Norway has hidden deep inside its pockets ― sparsely-populated villages with a shifting panorama of towering mountains and impressive waterfalls.

Mixture of Modern and Old

Oslo is the capital city of the country where the Royal Palace, parliament and other major government buildings are located. But don't expect to see the hustle and bustle of a big city like in Seoul ― slow, relaxing and comfortable may be appropriate words to describe its atmosphere.

Sightseeing downtown Oslo on foot is strongly recommended. Three or four hours are enough to look around the major tourist attractions.

If you walk down Karl Johans Gate, the main drag of central Oslo, a tree lined promenade bordered by restaurants, cafes, upscale stores and the antique national theater, you will finally find yourself face-to-face with the Royal Palace, the mammoth, cream-colored home of the Norwegian royal family. The Nobel Peace Center (www.nobelprize.org) and Vigeland Sculpture Park, a large green area about 10 minutes by subway from the city center, are must-sees.

If you are an English speaker, there is no linguistic difficulty in shopping and getting directions. Most Norwegians are fluent in English. But few signboards are written in English even at up-scale restaurants. The only downside is it's expensive ― $6 for a bottle of water and $10 or more for a lunch set at McDonald's.