The Beautiful Fjords of Western Norway

Kviknes Hotel

This journey to one of the world’s most delightful destinations is less a holiday and more a souvenir to be treasured for life.

Reindeer

Available Apr to Jun & Aug to Oct 2022 Fly from these airports. Prices from

• Aberdeen £1,369 • Birmingham £1,319 • Bristol £1,319 • Cardiff £1,319 • Edinburgh £1,369 • Gatwick* £999 • Glasgow £1,319 • Humberside £1,319 • Leeds/ Bradford £1,319 • Manchester £1,319 • Newcastle £1,319 • Teesside £1,319 Personalise your holiday

• Jostedal Glacier (full day) – from £73 • Norway in a Nutshell (full day) – from £209 Room for Sole Use from £420

Please note: *Flights from Gatwick are direct. All other flights are via Amsterdam.

Bergen Sognefjord

Jostedal Glacier

Sognefjord

Flåm Balestrand Sweden Bergen Gudvangen

Norway

• Enjoy a stunning stay in a wonderful fjord-side Swiss-style hotel, where you’ll be treated as honoured guests by the welcoming villagers • Enjoy buffet-style meals served in the hotel’s fine restaurant, overlooking the majestic fjord • Journey by express boat from your hotel through breathtaking scenery to

‘fjordland capital’ Bergen, home to a colourful wooden old town • Discover the region on a fascinating

Fjord Life tour • Tour Norway’s pristine interior on the unforgettable ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ optional excursion, which will take you to the awe-inspiring Jostedal Glacier, and then to Myrdal, Flåm and Gudvangen, all nestled in breathtaking locations • Seven nights’ carefully chosen four-star dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation • Return flights to Bergen, with coach travel and transfers throughout • Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Experience a hugely popular holiday that is a marvellous introduction to one of the world’s most beautiful locations, which for centuries has drawn visitors to its unique landscape of sheer mountainsides plunging into the deep, dark waters. Beyond, its unspoiled hinterland of forests, lakes and pristine glaciers is towered over by soaring peaks, the refuges of sea eagle and reindeer. Few places in the world match the spectacle of this breathtaking corner, which charms and captivates at every step.

Øyvind Heen - © Visitnorway.com

Your Hotel

Day One – Fly to Norway Upon arrival in Bergen, meet your tour manager and make the memorably scenic transfer by coach to the idyllic village of Balestrand, on the shores of mighty Sognefjord, and to the warm and welcoming Kviknes Hotel. Relax, unwind and settle in to your room as you acquaint yourself with your beautiful surroundings, before enjoying your first evening in the hotel. Day Two – At leisure in Balestrand Today is free to get to know Balestrand and its welcoming inhabitants, all of whom are keen to act as hosts for your visit, sharing their love of their beautiful location with you. Sognefjord – at 110 miles long, one of the world’s largest and, at 4,265 feet, one of the deepest – has been welcoming guests since the late 19th century, since the first British travellers came in search of clear mountain air and stunning scenery. The village, with its few shops, café, bank, historic wooden English church and neat, white-painted cottages and stylish artists’ villas, is surrounded by orchards. In springtime the valleys are bedecked with blossom, while winter still reigns in the mountains. In the autumn, new snow adorns the peaks, while summer lingers by the fjord, and the forests beyond the fjord-side are ablaze with vibrant colour. Whichever season you visit Balestrand the beauty of the natural setting will live long in the memory, as will the warmth of the welcome you receive virtually everywhere you go. Day Three – Included Bergen cruise excursion The first of the included excursions is an unforgettable day trip, by express boat through the stunning scenery of Western Norway, to historic Bergen, the former Hanseatic trading port that is known as the ‘Gateway to the Fjords’. Join us to explore this city of narrow cobbled streets and medieval houses, with its vibrant harbour area with an open-air fish market. Former residence of medieval kings and queens and seat of a university, Bergen was also the birthplace of composer Edvard Grieg, one of Norway’s most famous sons. Don’t miss the chance to stroll through the ancient Bryggen area with its beautifully preserved wooden warehouses, nor the opportunity to view the city from above, by taking the quaint Fløibanen funicular railway to the summit of ‘Mount’ Fløyen. You’ll return to Balestrand in time for dinner. Day Four – At leisure or optional Jostedal Glacier excursion Today you are free to rest and relax in your idyllic surroundings, perhaps making use of the hotel facilities or exploring the village once again. Alternatively, you might choose to join the optional tour to the breathtaking Jostedal Glacier. This formerly impenetrable east-west barrier – mainland Europe’s largest ice-flow – is a mesmerising natural wonder dominating the northern hinterland of the fjords. A visit to Jostedal Glacier is highly recommended, as much for the awe-inspiring sight of the glacier itself as for spending some time looking around the informative Norwegian Glacier Museum with its fascinating exhibits and displays, housed in a contemporary building with a picturesque mountain backdrop. Day Five – At leisure or optional ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ excursion Enjoy another day in your beautiful surroundings, or take the famous tour, that is one of the world’s most scenic journeys, by coach, boat and train, across the most stunning parts of the region. The day includes the unforgettable experience of the world famous Flåmsbana branch line train ride from Myrdal to Flåm – a truly remarkable 50-minute, 12-mile descent of 2,952 feet down the steep-sided valley – and a two-hour cruise through the pristine waters of spectacular Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord to the tiny port of Gudvangen. Day Six – Included Fjord-Life excursion Join your guide for a day spent exploring beautiful Sognefjord, including the fascinating Sognefjord Boat Museum at Kaupanger, with its fine collection of fishing and ‘ice’ boats reflecting Norway’s age-old interaction with the sea and the fjords. Day Seven – At leisure in Balestrand A final day spent in Balestrand is free to savour and make the very most of this special village and its surroundings, and no doubt to bid farewell to your friendly hosts. This evening, enjoy a final dinner in the hotel, no doubt reflecting on a truly unforgettable week in one of the world’s most beautiful, unspoilt corners. Day Eight – Fly back to the UK Bid goodbye to Balestrand, as you make the scenic way back to Bergen for your return flight to the UK, no doubt armed with a treasure trove of wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Kviknes Hotel, Balestrand HHHH Half-Board

The Kviknes Hotel, which once welcomed the Kaiser and his entourage, is a magnificent, fjord-side, Swiss-style, wooden building, with a modern addition, both set against a breathtaking backdrop of snow-capped peaks. The hotel has fine public areas, including a spacious restaurant overlooking the fjord, large and comfortable lounges and a stylish bar – echoes of a bygone era!

We offer a choice of three room types at Kviknes Hotel. Choose the ‘Standard’ Room and you’ll be allocated a room by the hotelier on the ground floor in the modern building. For a supplement, stay in a room on a ‘Higher Floor’ with a balcony, or in a room with a balcony and truly spectacular ‘fjord view’, both in the modern bedroom addition, which is connected to the reception area of the main building via a lift. All rooms have satellite TV and a telephone.