Bergen
Located on Norway's west coast, Bergen is the country's second largest city and Norsebound's base of operations. With direct access to all the major airport hubs in Europe, the so-called fjord capital of Norway is an easily accessible and ideal destination to start your motorcycle tour. The city itself is a UNESCO World Heritage city and exudes year-round appeal. A new airport, due to open in summer 2017, will make Bergen even more accessible.
Norway
Norway is an assault on the senses, offering a veritable smorgasbord of experiences to the traveller or tourist. Not without good reason is the country referred to as one of the most beautiful on Earth. And what better way to experience it than from the back of a motorcycle.
Bergen, as seen from Ulriken (643m ASL)
highlights of riding in norway
Conventional motorcycling wisdom dictates that a trip to Norway must include a visit to the Nordkapp, mainland Europe’s most northerly location. Not only is this a lengthy journey – two weeks would be the absolute minimum for such an endeavour once you've arrived in the country – it is wholly unnecessary. Not everyone of course has the luxury of sacrificing such time for an adventure of this magnitude. But what most people are unaware of is that the majority of the country’s premier sites are far closer to home. From Norsebound's base in Bergen, the Atlantic Highway, Geiranger, Jotunheim National Park and Hardangervidda, to name but a few, are accessible via a dizzying array of perfectly engineered main roads, sublime and often seldom-used back roads and grin-inducing gravel roads. Why travel further north when the best of what this country has to offer is so much closer to home?
geiranger
Geiranger is a small tourist village in the magnificent Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal, home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. It lies at the end of Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. The Seven Sisters waterfall is located west of Geiranger and the small village is sliced through the middle by Road 63, a meandering piece of engineering that will leave you grinning from ear to ear.
jotunheim national park
The “Home of the Giants”, Jotunheim National Park is recognised as one of Norway's premier regions for a myriad outdoor activities. It covers an area of approximately 1,150 km² and is home to high mountains, glaciers, numerous valleys and a plethora of sensational roads. Notable highlights for the motorcyclist are RV55 over Sognefjellet - closed in winter and often still snow-encased in the summer - and Jotunheimvegen, a 45km gravel road through rolling countryside. Galdhøpiggen, the highest mountain in Northern Europe, at 2,469m, is visible from RV55 and can be easily hiked when the weather permits. Approximately 5hrs North-East of Bergen.
HARDANGERVIDDA
Hardangervidda is the largest mountain plateau in Europe with a landscape characterised by barren, treeless moorland interrupted by pools, lakes, rivers and streams. That description may not sound inviting, but don't let it put you off; riding these roads is motorcycling nirvana. The ride alone, from Bergen through Voss and Eidfjord, past the spectacular Vøringsfoss waterfall (right) - which also includes ascending to 700m above sea level via a 360 degree tunnel - and over the Hardangavidda plain to Geilo, will leave you lost for words.
Sognefjorden
Sognefjorden is the largest and most renowned fjord in Norway, and the second longest in the world. Stretching 205 kilometres from the ocean inland, idyllic villages, beautiful bridges and remote farms can be found along its banks. Many more smaller fjords, connected via ferry, branch off the main fjord. Approximately 2hrs north of Bergen.
weather
There is a saying in Norway: "det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær". Roughly translated, it means be prepared. A more literal translation is "there isn't bad weather, just bad clothes"! It was borne from the unpredictable nature of the weather that can be both spectacular and make you curse in equal measures. Dress accordingly, however, and the weather won't adversely effect your trip.
For much of the year, Norway is covered in snow or too cold to ride. Subsequently, the recreational road motorcycling season is short: May to September inclusive. Although riding during this period is the best time to experience the country, you can still expect to experience all the seasons in the same day regardless of when you visit. Good preparation, therefore, and an awareness of what to expect will enhance your riding experience, so pack sensibly. (Norsebound will provide all riders with a comprehensive recommended packing list upon booking in order to help with this process.) Remember, Norway wouldn't be the breathtaking destination it is without a good sprinkling of water every now and then.
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