Walking in Balestrand

Arrive into Voss and enjoy an afternoon or evening in this pretty town. Unlike the other locations on this holiday, Voss is next to a lake not a fjord or the sea - the town is at the eastern end of Vangsvatnet. Voss is a centre for outdoor activities, being a ski resort in the winter and popular for walking together with cycling, fishing, rafting, kayaking, paragliding and other such sports in the summer.

Choose from walks of varying challenge: Bordalsgjelet Gorge 7 KM/ 4.5MI/ 1.5 HRS This is quite a short and easy walk to a nearby gorge, south of the town. There you will find dramatic walkways, with protective fencing, to view the gorge. Very little climbing is involved (unlike most walks in Norway!) and it would be good for a spare couple of hours or if the weather is unsuitable for going higher. Hangur & the Red Cross hut 12 KM/ 7.5 MI/ 4.5 HRS This circuit takes you up the mountain immediately to the north of Voss. First, a short walk leads to the Folk Museum at the top edge of the town, which is worth visiting. Thereafter, you climb up through forest to the top station of the cable car, with great views over Voss. Beyond this, you cross varied and more open terrain, with views in all directions. The Red Cross Hut is located by a mountain lake (Valbergstjorni), a good place for a dip on a hot summer's day. Descend through attractive forest, ending with an easy walk along the hillside back to the folk museum.

Take a bus from Voss to Flam. Flam is undoubtedly a tourist honey pot - but you can get away from the crowds on most of our walks. There is more scope for walking in this area than at our other centres in Norway and the choice of walks we have described reflects this. If you wish to mix your walking with some sight-seeing, there are quite several attractions, many of which our walks do take in.

Choose from walks of varying challenge: Down the Flamsdalen, via the Navvies Road 21 KM/ 13.5 MI/ 4.5 HRS After enjoying a ride up the world-famous Flamsbana railway, from Flam to Myrdal, you can get to know Flamsdalen (the Flam valley) better by walking back down. The most impressive scenery is in the upper half, so you may choose to catch a train back down the lower section. A great alternative to a long walk along roads is to hire a bike at Myrdal station - and let gravity do the work! You just drop the bike off at the station in Flam when you have finished the ride. Aurlandsdalen Canyon 6km / 4 hrs Rocky, steep, muddy and often quite exposed, this is a tough walk which takes you along a dramatic canyon, with massive cliff faces, high waterfalls and magnificent views.

Take a ferry from Flam to Balestrand. Balestrand is a small town on the shore of Sognefjorden, nestling below an excellent walking area. It is located halfway along the 180km long fjord which is 1100m deep at this point. You may see porpoises and otters if you are lucky. You may find Balestrand quite peaceful by comparison to Flam.

Choose from walks of varying challenge: The lower slopes of Raudmelen 8 KM/ 5 MI/ 2HRS OR 11 KM/ 7 MI/ 3 HRS The mountain behind Balestrand, called Raudmelen, is very popular as it provides great walking and wonderful views. This walk explores the lower slopes of Raudmelen and we provide two options. After walking up through the town you enter the forest where there are a number of nature trails. Our easier option then traverses southwards along the hillside to Skasheimsdalen. The route then traverses back at a lower level to the nature trails area and down into Balestrand. A more challenging walk climbs up from the nature trails area to a viewpoint called Orrabenken. Climbing a little further you turn south along the hillside through a more open area to the highpoint, Fjaerestadstolen (altitude 430m), where there is a summer farm and former milking hut. A steep descent takes you back down to join the easier route. Raudmelen and Kallbakk 14 KM/ 9 MI/ 4.5 HRS This circuit above Balestrand is a great walk. You ascend through woods on a well-used path onto the ridge that leads up to the airy summit of Raudmelen. As you go up, the views just get better and better. It's not surprising this is a popular walk. Our route continues on to a col beyond the summit, then drops steeply down to the south via a less used path into a wild valley with the old summer farm of Kallbakk perched at the far end. The route then descends steeply again through forest and finally you have an easy walk along the historic waterfront of Balestrand back to your hotel.

Take a ferry from Balestrand to Bergen. There is some surprisingly good walking close to the city of Bergen which is surrounded by hills with little or no development. You can quickly get into quite wild areas although you are unlikely to be on your own. Apart from the walking there is plenty to occupy a day or two in Bergen. The famous funicular railway runs from very close to the city centre and is popular. A cable car goes to the highest viewpoint in Bergen, the summit of Mt Ulriken, and is a short bus ride away. The old town is very nice to wander around - the jewel in the crown is the area on the east side of the Vagen harbour, called Bryggen - this is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The fish market, in a modern building on the opposite side of this harbour is worth a visit. An easy circuit on Mt Floyen 5 KM/ 3 MI/ 1.5 HRS OR 9 KM/ 6 MI/ 2.5 HRS This is a lovely walk in the woods at the top of the Floibanen funicular, which runs from near the city centre. There are great views over Bergen and beyond. Note you probably wouldn't want to do this walk if you have done or are planning to do the Vidden Plateau walk. If you are up for a slightly more challenging walk, you can go further up past the Brushytten cafe to make a circuit of the rocky hill called Blamanan. Mt Ulriken & the Vidden Plateau 15 KM/ 9.5 MI/ 5 HRS This is a very popular walk and remarkably wild given it is so close to the city centre. For much of the route you have panoramic views, west over Bergen to the North Sea and inland to the north, east and south.

Take a bus or train from your hotel to the airport for your return flight home or choose a couple of extra nights here to enjoy this stunning city.