[Switzerland - Norway] Everyone knows about the beauty of Norway and Sweden. However, most people only stay in the warmer south or fly to the top north like the Lofoten. We wanted to change that and discover the Middle part of these two huge countries. And we weren’t disappointed: from glaciers, mountains, fjords and wildlife. This trip had all the beauty that Scandinavia has to offer, while at the same time, being way less crowded than other areas in the region.
Rondane National Park
After starting in Switzerland, we reached Rondane National Park, which is located slightly north of Lillehammer, after around two days. The Park offers great hiking possibilities, waterfalls to swim (if you’re brave enough, it’s quite cold) and stunning scenery.
Make use of the “Allemansrätten” – the right to camp wherever you want to, gives you the possibility to choose the first thing you see in the morning
The hikes are not really difficult and if you’re lucky you can even see some reindeers (we weren’t).
Fjords & Glaciers in Norway
We continued our way to the Norwegian coast, crossing the Jotunheimen National Park (one of the most beautiful pass streets I’ve ever seen with glaciers and stunning views) and reaching the Lustrafjord.
Even though wild camping is great, you might want to go for a shower on a real camping ground, every few nights. Filling up your water tank, however, can be done for free at every gas station
The next day, continued to Nordfjordeid, where we went Horseriding a small trail with a great view over the fjord (can definitely recommend that, even when you’re a beginner as I am).
Then, we continued to see the famous Geirangerfjord (which is as blue as a tropical Ocean) and the Atlanterhasveien (which you might know from the James Bond “No time to die”).
Middle Sweden
After leaving Trondheim behind us, we drove eastwards over the Swedish border into the direction of Östersund. While the town itself is nothing special, it is a super remote and quiet region with many lakes to camp on and forests to hike.
Be prepared for some bad weather. Even in the summer it can get quite cold and wet.
During these days, we also finally saw a reindeer, which was just crossing the street as we drove by.
South Sweden
We drove further South and reached the Fulufjället National Park – another possibility for a nice hike with nice waterfalls. In these regions you notice that the area is more touristy than before, but still nothing too bad.
Days are very long during the Scandinavian summer – the locals use the day to the fullest. Many will start a small hike even in the evening, because the sun is still out.
Our next stops were the town of Mora and Falun, both famous for their history in the coal and iron ore business and but located next to lakes where you can easily camp. After these days, we began to move southwards into the direction of Denmark.
Johannes Driessen, St. Gallen (CH)
Hey! :) If you have any questions regarding the trip do not hesitate to drop me a message on johannes.driessen@bluewin.ch