The wind whirls through the crisp mountain air, you glance at the glaciers, the pristine mountain lakes and the stunning waterfalls, you hear the sound of crushing snow as you lead your bike through the snow drift, or the swooshing sound as you hurtle down the small mountain road.

Rallarvegen is one of Norway’s most scenic bike rides as it goes from Norway's roof right down to the sea – for us this was quite the thrill! It is the best known biking route in Norway and no wonder. For us it was an constant image of rare beauty, offering countless natural experiences. It is also a good choice for you who like biking in the mountains, however doesn’t want any hardcore MTB’ing.

As the name “Rallarvegen” suggests, the one hundred year old trail lies there today as a memory of Norway’s biggest railway project. The name Rallarvegen dates from the time when navvies used it as a road during the construction of the Bergen railway. “Rallar” was actually what they called the foreign people who came here to construct the railway. They were robust people who gave the true face to the name "worker". The trail was built about the turn of the century and on it they transported equipment and provisions. The railroad was proudly opened by King Haakon on the 27th of November 1909.

The now closed down construction road stretches from Haugastøl, in the county Buskerud, to Voss in Hordaland and offers a journey through Norwegian culture, history and nature. It opened as a bike path in 1974, however reached its popularity in the end of 1980s, when a program about it was shown on TV.

Rallarvegen begins, as we said, at Haugastøl and climbs steadily up to Finse, a distance of 27 km. Along the way you bike through several areas with private cottages, so it might be a good idea to show some consideration. Further up, on Finse, at 1,222 metres above sea level, it can be a welcomed pause to go and visit the navvy museum. Here you can discover how navvies lived and which tools they had for the construction of the Bergen railway. Why not stay overnight in Finse, so that you are properly rested for the next day's stretch. (Finse 1222, mountain hotel: +47-56 52 67 11). If you are a member of the Norwegian Trekking Association, you might choose to stay at the big staffed hut about 800 meters from the station. The cost here is the same for non-members as for members, about 45 Euro per night, including a three-course dinner and breakfast. Naturally you can also camp here and all along the bike trail.

If you have plenty of extra time, then Finse has a lot to offer: Hardangerjøkulen, glacier-walking, galleries and untamed countryside. The nature around Finse and the trail further along the way is nothing but amazing.

Biking from Finse you might have to cross over some snow fields, depending on which month you are travelling in. Normally most of the road is totally free for snow in mid July, but still then we had to cross over snow covering some parts of the road.

A short break might be nice at the signalman's cottage Fagernut Vokterbolig. The house, which dates from 1904, is the highest of this type in the country at 1,310 metres above sea level. Here you will find the Rallarcafe and an exhibition about “life as a signalman high in the mountains”. The distance from Finse to Fagernut is 10 km.

After this you come to the highest point of the trail at 1.343 meters above sea level and you will start with the downhill biking. Since you rather gawk at the breathtaking nature, instead of the road, a small warning might be in hand. The stretch between Fagernut and Hallingskeid is often the part with the roughest road conditions after winter's snow has thawed. Don’t bike too fast. At Grjotrust, you cross the old railway and the signalman's house, which was the largest home on the mountain.

Hallingskeid is a small village with possible accommodation. There is a great self-serve hut belonging to the Trekking Association (for membership, see our chapter about trekking), where you can cook food, warm up by the fire place and have a good nights sleep before heading back out on the bike. This hut was earlier a house for the railway crew keeping the track open in wintertime, so it has running water and electrisity. The distance between Fagernut and Hallingskeid is 11 km.

The journey from Hallingskeid to Vatnahalsen (15 km) can be described as the most spectacular and impressive with its sharp downward slope and thundering waterfalls. If any words can do justice for its beauty, then those are dramatic and vigorous. It makes it hard task to keep your eyes on the road. The Kleivagjelet gorge and Kleiven bridge are unforgettable. If you bring kids with you, we recommend that you walk beside the bike as you descend down the gorge.

The distance between Vatnahalsen and Myrdal station is 2 km. Both Vatnahalsen (Vatnahalsen, mountain hotel: +47-57 63 37 22) and Myrdal have options for overnight accommodation. From here you have two alternatives. One option is to take the train from Myrdal through the Raundal (Gravhalsen)tunnel to Upsete and then to continue by bike to Voss (39) km. You will meet cars on the stretch between Mjølfjell and Voss, so be careful.

The other option is to bike down the 21 twists serpentine road from Vatnahalsen through the beautiful Flåm valley to Flåm (17 km). In some places the road is good and you can speed down in 40-50 km/h. Though in the upper parts, the rain have destroyed the road and when you approach such an area in 50 km/h it is just to pray, close your eyes and hope for the best. Some parts of the road is really steep and you have to be able to trust your biking skills and the breaks of your bike. If not, walk down this part. After the serpentine biking you enter a fairy-tale dale, that probably hasn't changed much in centuries. There are small farms and don’t be surprised if you have to stop because of a herd of about 100 goats have to pass. There are several gates to be opened and closed (please do the farmers the favour of doing the last). Coming further down into the dale the road becomes better and it is an eufouric marvellous feeling to roll all the way down to Flåm. Watch out for the cars though.

Flåm is a cute little town that the past few years has become quite the tourist attraction. The main eye catcher is of course “Flåmbana”, which is the steepest railway line in northern Europew with an elevation on 1:18. It takes you steep up the mountain hill passing the road you just biked, waterfalls, doing a 180 turn within a tunnel. You get a better view from your bike, yet it is a very beautiful train ride to take.

You will find all the facilities you need in Flåm and it’s also a possible place to stay over night. Two alternatives are; Heimly Pensjonat, Flåm: +47-57 63 23 00 or Fretheim hotel. However if you want to continue biking, you can take Flåmbanan up to Myrdal again and from there the train through the Raundal tunnel to Upsete and then to continue by bike to Voss.

If you want to stay over night on this last part down to Voss, then we truly recommend the Mjølfjell Inn & Y.H. The hotel is different from most other accommodation in Norway by its location, the splendid nature and the fairly low prices. It is situated close to the Bergen Railway, at the uppermost point of the Raundalen Valley. From here you have the gateway to a mountain area which is really fantastic for both summer and winter activities. You can stay in the youth hostel or at the Inn, you can take a dip in the outdoor pool in a warm and sunny day, or soak down into the outdoor tub holding 38 degrees on a cold winter day. Mjølfjell Inn & Y.H is easily accessible from Voss or coming down from Rallarleden, yet it feels remote located at the end of the passable part of a mountain road.

When it is raining in the mountains the water is trying to find its way back to the ocean. Starting with the tiniest brooks forces are soon gathered in bigger rivers which gives us wonderful possibilities for having fun riding them. Rafting is possible in many Norwegian rivers, but three places have a Summer season rafting centre with a more consistant program.

Picture from Voss Rafting

Norwegian Wildlife and Rafting Centre (NWR) is the oldest rafting centre in Norway. It is situated in Vaagaamo, about 300 km north northwest of Oslo, on the way to Trondheim. You can either follow E6 by car till you see the sign "Sjoa" or you can come by train to Otta or Vaagaa. You can also fly to the local airport at Fagernes and take the bus further up the valley.

In addition to regular white water rafting, NWR also offers river boarding, grotting, glacier walks, rock climbing and various guided trekking trips and elk safari.

Not far from NWR you find Sjoa Rafting. It is situated in the same river as NWR. As NWR, they offer rafting degree 2 - 4+ and their progam includes canoing, river kayaking, horseback riding, grotting and waterfall rapelling.

Voss Rafting is situated at Voss, an hour from Bergen, on the westcoast. Train from Bergen or Oslo is the easiest way to get here, and Voss has its own chapter under "Bergen and the westcoast" further down. Voss is an allround-outdoor eldorado, and if you want to combine rafting with a wide spectre of activities, you should go here.

If you want access to more Norwegian rafting operators, you can click here.

Ocean Discovery, which is a company running sailing and kayaking trips in Alaska, on the British Isles and in Scandinavia, sometimes has a 2 week kayaking expedition on the west coast of Norway, starting in Bergen.

Crossing Latitudes

Arctic Sea Kayak

Contact Norwegian Canoe and Kayak Association if you want to find out more about the possibilities of go ocean kayaking in Norway.