Singing Folk Songs in Norway’s Fjords
Tom, a 45-year-old accountant from Chicago, thought he’d seen nature’s best hits—Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, you name it. But nothing prepared him for Norway’s fjords, where cliffs plunge into glassy waters and the air feels like it’s been scrubbed clean. On his ABrenna Travel trip to Bergen, he met Lars, a guide with a Viking-worthy beard and a knack for making every hike feel like an epic saga. “Those views looked like a painting,” Tom says, still shaking his head. “I didn’t know places like this existed.”
Their first trek was along the Trolltunga trail, a rugged path above the Sognefjord. Lars pointed out wild blueberries and shared tales of Norse myths, his voice as steady as the granite underfoot. Halfway up, with mist curling around them, Lars broke into a Norwegian folk song, his baritone echoing off the cliffs. Tom, who hadn’t sung since high school karaoke, couldn’t resist—he joined in, butchering the melody but grinning like a kid. “It was ridiculous and perfect,” he laughs. That moment, high above the fjord, felt like pure freedom.
Their base was a cozy chalet on Bergen’s outskirts, its wooden walls lined with wool blankets and a fireplace that crackled like a lullaby. Breakfast was a feast: smoked salmon, brown cheese, cloudberry jam, and coffee strong enough to wake a bear. Lars knew secret spots, like a hidden waterfall where they picnicked on rye bread and pickled herring, the spray cooling their faces. One evening, they kayaked in Nærøyfjord, paddling under rainbows formed by mist, the silence broken only by their paddles. Over pints at a harborside pub, Lars shared stories of his grandfather, a fisherman who’d braved these waters decades ago. Tom felt like family, not a tourist.
A highlight was a cable car ride above Tromsø, where the midnight sun painted the sky pink. Another day, they spotted reindeer grazing near a Sami camp, their bells tinkling in the breeze. “Lars made it feel like hiking with an old buddy,” Tom says. His week was raw, real, and alive—every trail, every song, every view a reminder of nature’s power. Wanna chase fjords and maybe sing (badly) under the stars? ABrenna Travel’s got your trail mapped out.
