The West Coast Fjord Country - Norway - page 321

1996. It is one of the best-maintained hotels in this fjord and glacier country,
with renovations every winter. There are two types of units, either standard or
superior. The standard rooms are medium in size and are well furnished, offer-
ing good comfort. The superior rooms have more style and are larger, with a sit-
ting area included. These are allergen-free. The superior rooms contain
bathrooms with a tub and shower, the standard units come with a shower only.
The hotel is one of the liveliest in the area at night, with live piano music. The
on-site restaurant serves one of the best and largest buffet dinners in the area for
325NOK ($46).
N-6788 Olden. & 57-87-04-00. Fax [phone] units. 1,200NOK-1,400NOK ($170-$199) double. Chil-
dren under 3 stay free in parent's room. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed mid-Sept
to May. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting. In room: TV, coffeemaker (some units), hair dryer.
Visnes Hotel Two classical buildings from 1850 and 1896 were blended
to form this unique hotel. The building from 1896 was originally a hotel, then
a school, and was later used for various other purposes before it was restored and
reopened as a hotel unit in 1999. It retains much of the aura of an alpine hotel
in Austria, lying a 5-minute walk from the heart of Stryn. Ask for a bedroom
with a balcony opening onto a view of the fjord. Many of the rooms maintain a
classic style from the 1930s, and all come equipped with tidily kept bathrooms
with showers. The on-site restaurant is the best in town, serving a three-course
dinner for 310NOK ($44) with both Norwegian and French specialties.
Prestegen 1, N-6781 Stryn. & 57-87-10-87. Fax [phone]. www.visnes.no. 15 units. 650NOK-1,450NOK
($92-$206) double; 1,450NOK ($206) suite. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed
Sept-May. Amenities: Restaurant; nonsmoking rooms. In room: No phone.
12 Geirangerfjord: Norway's Most Spectacular Fjord £
85km (53 miles) SW of Åndalsnes; 413km (256 miles) NE of Bergen; 455km (282 miles) NW of Oslo
Most Norwegians consider Geirangerfjord, a favorite body of water for cruises,
their most majestic—and we agree. The fjord stretches out for 16km (10 miles)
and is 292m (960 ft.) deep. The village of Geiranger, one of the most famous
resorts in the fjord country, is set at the very head of this narrow fjord.
Perched on rocky ledges, high above the fjord, are a number of small farm-
steads. Waterfalls, such as the celebrated Seven Sisters (Syr Søstre), the Wooer,
and the Bridal Veil, send their shimmering veils cascading down the rock face.
Almost daily in summer, large cruising liners anchor in the Geirangerfjord, as
they have done since 1869. Occasionally some of the world's best-known vessels
are moored here at the same time.
The fjord is so deep that the old behemoth Queen Elizabeth 2 has sailed safely
this far inland. Such depth was created by the Ice Age, when mammoth masses
of ice widened and deepened existing valleys. When the ice melted, former val-
leys became fjords. The Geirangerfjord is hemmed in by mountain walls rising
to a height of 1,600m (5,249 ft.).
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Geiranger is linked by regular ferry service to the old
Viking port of Hellesylt. The Møre og Romsdal Fylkesbåtar ferry costs
35NOK ($4.95) per passenger or 110NOK ($16) per day, and is the most mag-
nificent ferry route in all of Norway. Take the ride even if you don't need to get
to the other side. Depending on the season, fjord ferries run from May 1 to Sep-
tember 25 at the rate of 4 to even 10 a day; the latter run only in the peak sea-
son of July. For information and schedules, call & 71-21-95-00.