With the possible exception of, say, San Marino, attempting to see a country in 24 hours is a tail order. So it’s pretty impressive how much the Norway in a Nutshell trip manages to squeeze into a single day – a greatest hits of the land’s majestic scenery, Narnia-like in its midwinter cover of ice and snow Striking inland from Bergen or Oslo, it traces the best of the west’s fjords and mountains by boat, bus and train.
Cruising up the Naeroyfjord, travellers pass canyon-steep cliffs etched with frozen waterfalls, handfuls of painted houses huddling at their base; while the Flam Railway twists through the mountains, climbing nearly 1,000 metres in an hour – via 20 tunnels and countless valley-wide views – to the snowy white-out of Myrdal. Another highlight is the Bergen-Oslo railway, ferrying passengers to their base or on across the country (highly recommended) in a film-reel of snowy plateaux, frozen rivers and forest. If you want to linger a bit longer, there are also overnight options and extra activities to try – from a fjord rib safari to husky sledding in the mountain town of Geilo.
