Peer Gynt's Trail

NORWAY

GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS IN Gierangerfjord, Dovrefjell NP, Rondane NP AND Jotunheimen NP

Our Walk begins in one of Europe's best kept secrets – Bergen. It has a gorgeous location directly beside the sea but with towering mountains rising just behind. It has a bustling port and famous fish market and it is well worth spending time here before or after the walk.

We travel west towards the famous fjord country including the romantic Geiranger Fjord. Our walk here takes us past waterfalls and onto an alpine plateau with; superb views towards the most famous fjord in Norway.

We pass the spectacular mountain road, Trollvegen and follow the old King's Road to the tiny Dovrefjell National Park. It was established to protect the dramatic highlands around Mount Snohetta and to provide a suitable habitat for Arctic foxes, wild reindeer, wolverines and musk oxen. In Norway, fossil records show that the musk ox prospered around Dovrefjell during the last Ice Age. Henrik Ibsen's "great hunter" Peer Gynt did not fell a single deer in the entire story, but he brought to Rondane status and a place in international literature.

Following the footsteps of Peer Gynt, we walk in the amazing landscape of the Rondane National Park, surrounded by a ring of mountains. This region, 600 million years old, once rose from a lifeless sea. Through thousands of years this alpine area has provided hunters with a living, and the hunters have left their mark in the form of reindeer traps and burial mounds. Rondane's range of fauna is diverse - from lemmings to reindeers!

The spectacular Jotunheimen National Park is "home of the giants" and the epitome of Norwegian countryside with its high peaks and mountain communities in the valleys. It offers magnificent walking through ravine-like valleys, past plunging waterfalls, deep lakes and glaciers. The view from Besseggen across the two lakes of Bessvatn and Gjende is outstanding.

On our last day we follow the famous Sognefjellet which traverses the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe and then onto the Sognefjorden before returning to the historic town of Bergen. From here it is possible to take one of the world's finest rail journeys, passing between snowy peaks and over the bleak Hardangervidda plateau to Oslo. Don't miss the side trip on the Flam line, which hairpins its way down the Flam valley to Aurlandsfjord, stopping midway at the thundering Kjosfossen waterfall.

OUR HOTELS & CUISINE

Our hotel in Øye is like a fairytale from "La belle époque".; At the end of the 1800's Hotel Union was; the most sought after hotel in Northern Europe – its guest list read like a "Whose Who" of Europe - Queen Willemina of the Netherlands, Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway, and Queen Maud and King Haakon VII of Norway are some of the royalty who enjoyed their stay here. This romantic hotel ;has now been completely renovated and has an; idyllical location amidst beautiful untouched natural scenery, located only a short distance from the Geiranger fjord.

In the Dovrefjell National Park we stay in a small hamlet which has been very tastefully restored. It combines modern comfort with historical authenticity. At night enjoy deliciously prepared dinners as Knut and Ellen introduce us to the gastronomic delights of this region.

Our hotel on the edge of the Rondane N.P. is located just above the tree line and commands excellent views of the National Park. It has very comfortable lounges and also an indoor heated swimming pool and sauna. A culinary adventure is the "koldtbord" - a buffet offering a wonderful selection of fish and seafood specialities, salads, meat dishes, breads, delicious cheeses and various desserts.

Our hotel in the picturesque village of Lom has been in the same family since 1897. It is a stately farm courtyard consisting of the main building and several historic 17th century log houses. The beautiful timber-lined lounges and sitting rooms create a wonderful atmosphere of tradition.

As you relax in this charming establishment you may detect an enticing aroma originating in the kitchen luring you down into the dining room. Acclaimed chef, Kristoffer Hovland, has continued in the ways of his predecessor Arne Brimi who created what he called 'Natures Kitchen" – using the freshest local ingredients and prepared using a long cultural and culinary tradition.

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