Olden and Nordfjorden

The View From My Beer

A half litre of Hansa Pilsener at Yris Cafe is a welcome reward after a long and enjoyable walk in fjord country.

Olden

Olden is a small village of 650 people in Vestland county, Norway. It sits at the mouth of the Oldeelva river on the southern shore of the Nordfjorden. It is known for its dramatic scenery and as a gateway to the Jostedalsbreen glacier, the largest glacier on the European mainland.

Olden was stop number two on my Summer Solstice Cruise.

My Walk

My first fjord walk… A short walk from the cruise port into the small town of Olden, followed by an out and back route along the Oldeelva river to Lake Floen. The total journey was 8.5 km, including a stop in Olden on my return for a beer.

Olden

The village of Olden was a short walk from where the ship docked.

Oldeeva River

I had no real plans for today, I just followed the pathways that zigzagged their way up and down the Oldeeva river. It ultimately turned out to be one of the most scenic walks I had taken.

Lake Floen

Ultimately I found myself close enough to Lake Floen that I decided to make that my ultimate destination. That turned out to be a good decision as the lake was sensational.

The Farewell

When a ship with 3,000 passengers and 1,200 crew arrives in a town of 650 people it has a considerable impact. At the end of the day a few townsfolk arrived to wave goodbye to the ship. This included the adjacent bar which blasted out music such as Rod Stewart’s “We Are Sailing” on its loudspeakers. It was quite touching.