Travel Report Norway Jotunheimen | Eurohike HikingBlog

A great mix of unique accommodation

I was always well looked after and stayed in exceptional accommodation. Two nights in the highlands by the lake, one night in an idyllic hut village, one night in an old sawmill by the fjord, which was only accessible via the water, and one night at a mountain farm amidst steep Rocky Mountains. Each place is an experience in itself!

The Besseggen Ridge

The first day involved a hearty breakfast and the ascent of the breathtaking Besseggen Ridge. I was spoiled with the Nordic sun and a fantastic view of the mountain lakes and glaciers in all their colours. After 7 hours of climbing, I was definitely ready for a bit of relaxation at the end of the day.

It was a fantastically long day!

Panoramablick auf den Bergsee in Jotunheimen

Snow-white adornments on a boat journey and tours to the glacier

On the second day, I was amazed when, looking out the window, a white layer of snow had draped the landscape. During a big snowflake dance I took the boat across the lake and began an adventurous climb up to the glaciers. Equipped with an ice axe and climbing harness, I climbed over the Moraine Hills to the blue and white surfaces of the eternal ice…even some ice-cold mountain streams were conquered by daring to ’hop from stone to stone’.

The reward was fantastic trout and handmade Norwegian beer in a luxurious hut village in the evening.

Shower from above and a bath in the Fjord

The third day was largely spent in the rain, but a visit to an ancient church with a thick tar coating, smoky scent and interesting carvings from Norse mythology quickly made me forget about the weather. In the afternoon I arrived at Norway’s deepest fjord (up to 1000m deep!) and took in the historic yacht Tya over to Indre Offredal, a remarkable tiny hamlet that can only be reached by the water (or through an extremely steep tunnel). Harald and Björg received me with fresh pancakes and coffee in the cosy dining room.

A (very short) swim in the ice-cold fjord water was a wonderful refreshment before a rustic meal in the boathouse.

First paddling then hiking

Fortunately, to get back to civilization, I didn’t have to swim the next day, but got a bright yellow kayak! Wrapped up warm in the thick dry suit and life jacket, I paddled along the edge of the fjord next to steep rock faces in friendly but autumnal cool weather. I learned interesting things about paddling and the best technical tricks from Torunn, a kayak instructor and enthusiastic fjord expert, who then helped me to pull the boat out of the water and over the steep rocks to the shore.
After a snack of salmon bread, we went to Utladalen, where the highest waterfall in Norway is located and where rushing streams and bubbling waterfalls pour from the mountain slopes and swinging suspension bridge lead over torrents. After the strenuous ascent, there was a sweet surprise: delicious cinnamon rolls the Norwegian way! This time I was able to spend the night in a former mountain farm called Vetti Gard, where I was spoiled with fresh soup, traditional meatballs and caramel pudding with self-pickled blueberries.

Bergbauernhof Vetti Gard im Jotunheimen Nationalpark

Back into the valley

The next morning I set off at 7am to catch the public bus to take me back to the airport in Oslo. It was a wild ride through tunnels, highlands and the beautiful northern lake landscape. All in all, it was a fantastic tour! Many thanks to the two young and enthusiastic tour guides Annette and Guro, who brought me closer to their beautiful homeland so authentically.

My highlights

The breakfast was especially great, in Norway, in addition to sweet porridge and sour milk, it also included fish, smoked salmon, all kinds of egg dishes and the unusually sweet brown cheese. Every day you can pack a huge ‘matpakke’ (packed lunch) and eat it at the most fantastic snack spots. Norwegian hospitality and deliciously strong filter coffee with fresh pancakes will stay in my memory, as well as the endless expanse of the mountainous landscape, the steep waterfalls on the fjords, grazing reindeer next to the hiking trail and the light blue glacial lakes.

My conclusion

I will definitely visit the Jotunheimen National Park again, maybe with snowshoes…it is one of the most impressive areas that I have seen so far!

I can warmly recommend a hiking holiday in Norway: the new hiking tour in Jotunheimen is really wonderful! It doesn’t always have to be the south, the north also has a very special charm!