Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sit in the simply decorated interior, or out on the shaded little terrace. Geir
Arne “Gekken” Bale can trace his family's roots back 400 years in Balestrand.
He has filled his walls with fascinating historic photos and paintings, making
his dining hall an art gallery of sorts (light dishes-60-100 kr, daily dinner
plates-100-150 kr, May-Aug daily 12:00-22:00, closed Sept-April, above and
behind the TI from the harbor, tel. 57 69 14 14).
The Viking Ship,
the hot-dog stand facing the harbor, is proudly run by
Carola. A bratwurst missionary from Germany, she claims it took her years
to get Norwegians to accept the tastier bratwurst over their beloved
pølser
weenies. Eat at her picnic tables or across the street on the harbor park (fine
sausages, fish-and-chips, May-Sept daily 11:00-20:00, closed Oct-April).
Picnic:
The delightful waterfront park next to the aquarium has benches
and million-dollar fjord views. The Co-op and Joker
supermarkets
at the
harbor have basic grocery supplies, including bread, meats, cheeses, and
drinks. Co-op is bigger and has a wider selection (both open Mon-Fri
9:00-18:00—until 20:00 in summer, Sat 9:00-15:00, closed Sun).
Mu's
Bakery
heatsupbakedgoodiestruckedhereallthewayfromGermany(Mon-
Sat 9:30-18:00, Sun 9:30-15:00, closed mid-Sept-early May, between Co-op
and Joker supermarkets).
Because Balestrand is separated from the Lustrafjord by the long Fjærlandsf-
jord, most Balestrand connections involve a boat trip.
By Express Passenger Boat
The easiest way to reach Balestrand is on the handy express boat, which con-
nects to
Bergen, Vik
(near Hopperstad Stave Church),
Aurland,
and
Flåm
(see sidebar on next page for schedules). Note that you can also use this boat
to join the Nutshell trip in Flåm. From here, continue on the Nutshell boat
down the Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen, where you'll join the crowd onward
to Voss, then Bergen or Oslo. As you're making schedule and sightseeing
decisions, consider that the Balestrand-Flåm boat skips the Nærøyfjord, the
most dramatic arm of the Sognefjord.
