Norway was the very first Nordic country I visited, and where I had the immense good fortune to see my first northern lights! Six years later, I discovered the Norwegian summer, and it’s fair to say that I still love this sweet country just as much, if not more! Following a last-minute change of plans, and seeing that the weather forecast was more than perfect, we decided to spend 5 days (June 25 to 29, 2024) in a cottage on the edge of a small lake, the ideal place to rest.
After a short flight, we quickly picked up the electric car (see below for practical information) and got out of the airport with ease. It’s so nice to have small airports where you can move around stress-free! I immediately rediscovered the special charm of the Nordic countries that I love so much, the beauty of the landscapes, the wild expanses, the calm, the gentle way of life…
As the aim of our stay was to relax, I had chosen accommodation not far from the airport (about 40 minutes away) and just a few minutes from the small towns of Grua and Roa. We arrived without difficulty at our wonderful chalet, truly the home of our dreams! Isolated in the woods on the edge of a magnificent little lake, Kalven Lake, with its pontoon and rowboat, and a beautiful garden with dozens of sumptuous, photogenic lupines, which kept me very busy during our stay ;)!
The icing on the cake was that we were in a pastoral area, so we had the lovely faces of the sheep or cows nearby, and the pleasant sound of their bells. During our stay, we explored the countryside around the chalet and the surrounding area on foot (no more than half an hour’s drive away), took a dip in the lake and enjoyed the jacuzzi in the evening ;).
The day after our arrival,
I was too impatient to go sailing on the lake, so we took the boat and after a bit of a struggle (a lot on my side ;)) to get it moving, we finally docked on the other side.
We moored it up and set off on a trail I’d spotted on Alltrails. Following the app’s map, we created our own loop hike.
We crossed a beautiful forest, discovered a charming little lake and returned along our lake where the boat was waiting for us. I loved starting and finishing the hike in the boat, it’s really fun and original!
In total, 2.5 hours, 4.3 miles, 750 feet of elevation gain, a few strawberries eaten and 0 people crossed.
In the evening, after a good nap ;), we went for another hike, starting near the magnificent Lake Mylla, less than a 10-minute drive from the chalet, with paid parking (see below for practical information).
A good climb through forest, muddy in places, to the summit(Bislingflaka), a beautiful plateau covered with cottongrass at 2,034 feet altitude, with a magnificent 180-degree view.
Faster descent along a forest track.
In total, 2 hours, 2.5 miles, 656 feet of elevation gain, a shy song thrush, and 0 people crossed.
In the evening we discovered that there was no “real” night. I’ve always wanted to see the midnight sun, and we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of it. In southern Norway, there’s no midnight sun like in the north, but the nights are very, very short. It’s so disorienting, this sunset light that goes on forever!
The second day,
we went a little further north of Grua and did a wonderful hike that was a real highlight! I’d spotted some recharging points near the start parking lot, so we plugged in the car and let’s go!
The trail starts near a pretty lake, then climbs gently, first skirting a campsite with beautiful typical houses, then entering an enchanting world, little wooden footbridges amidst cottongrass and orchids!
The scenery is varied, first a beautiful forest, then we cross a meadow with one of my favorite vegetations, the tundra with its beautiful red moss. Finally comes the last climb, a little steep but short in the forest, to reach the summit at over 0.5 miles.
At the summit(Lushaugtarnet), there’s a pretty little hut open to all, and a 39 feet wooden tower offering fantastic views of the entire Norwegian countryside. After a picnic, return by the same route.
In total, 4 hours, 6.2 miles, 1,312 feet of elevation gain, huge bones (remains of an unfortunate deer or elk?), 2 people crossed and a recharged car. .
On the way back, we made a small detour to visit the charming little village of Granavollen, famous for its two magnificent churches. There’s a real sense of peace and contentment in this village, where you can stroll, take a break and enjoy the various local artists.
We finished the day with a swim in the water of “our” lake, which was a little cool, but what a joy to swim in the middle of nature, and what’s more, in a lake in Norway! That’s what life’s all about, as my 4-year-old nephew would say (well, he does when he’s eating ice cream in a deckchair ;))!
For this third day,
this time we went south into Nordmarka to, suspense, … hike ;). We parked in a parking lot packed with cute sheep and took a path up to a lovely viewpoint, Ringkolltoppen.
It takes about 0.62 miles to get to the top, with 591 feet of elevation gain. At the finish, there’s a lovely 180-degree view with a nice little hut where you can build a fire. Just so you know, we’ve seen that there are several hiking trails from the parking lot, and there’s also a pretty chapel just across the road.
Afterwards, we improvised a little hike by looking, once again, at the trail tracks on Alltrails. In the end, we loved this short walk (1.3 miles). We found ourselves in a beautiful forest with magnificent chalets, a first small idyllic lake and then a second, larger(Store Rostjern) but equally beautiful lake.
The road to Ringkolltoppen is chargeable, but in the same way as the parking lots. Personally, I hadn’t paid any attention to the sign (at the little gatehouse on the road) indicating that you had to pay!
In the evening, we wanted to take advantage of the special atmosphere of a never-ending day, so we went for a 1-hour stroll until midnight in the incredible light.
The last day, sniff,
we once again took a pleasant 1.9 miles loop hike from the chalet.
I was a bit, a lot, nostalgic, so I took all my time and it turned into a “hiking-photos”, where I photograph (even more than usual, that’s to say ;)) everything that passes in front of me: flowers, insects, etc.
Before we left, we took one last trip in the boat and to finish things off in style, I dropped the oar holder, which sank straight into the lake! We were right in the middle of it, so the return trip was particularly comical ;)!
How was your trip?
We really loved this little trip, and just like in Finland and Sweden, we felt right at home. So it was really hard to leave this little corner of paradise, especially as we had incredible weather. We were overheated at night and came back all tanned! I think Norway is the new destination for “sunny” vacations 😉 !! I often read that people in Nordic countries are cold, but on the little glimpse we got, we didn’t feel that way. In fact, I found a great book in Oslo airport that humorously explains the Norwegian way of life and character, and I can see why, as introverts, we feel so at home there!
To my great regret, we didn’t see much wildlife during our stay, “only” two deer and then of course the little birdies (I’m not counting our adorable sheep). We were very reluctant to go and see the musk oxen in the Dovrejfell massif, which has been a dream of mine for a long time, but it was a 5-hour drive from our cottage. So we considered taking the train, which would have been a nice experience, but on a short stay of a few days, we preferred to settle down and postpone it! Not an easy decision when you’re so “close” to realizing a dream, but it gave me an idea for a next trip ;). A road-trip in a van through this beautiful country, with the main objective of seeing the magnificent musk oxen!
Practical information
FLIGHT
Booked 1 week before departure with Air France. Flight with stopover, Bordeaux-Paris-Oslo, 689 USD for 2 without checked baggage. In the end, due to a delay of over 3 hours on the return flight from Paris to Bordeaux, we were reimbursed 265 USD/person. You may not be aware of this, but there are additional compensation schemes for flights within Europe in the event of delay or cancellation. Please take a look at the conditions here.
ACCOMMODATION
Reservation via AirBnb 210 USD/night. A super chalet, very beautiful with its green roof, large and comfortable. The location is great, very quiet and close to two small towns (10 minutes by car). What’s more, Hege, the hostess, is really nice. We didn’t see her, as the arrival is autonomous, but we had a good exchange of messages.
CAR RENTAL
Reservation via CarigamiThis is the site I use most often, as it is clear about the options chosen (insurance, etc.) and is easy to cancel. There were only electric cars available, which surprised and worried me a little. But on arrival, the young lady at reception gave us a very good explanation of how the car worked, and we learned that Norway is THE country for electric cars, so there are charging stations everywhere!
The car was advertised with a range of 250 miles, but we only recharged it once for a total of 137 miles covered. Recharging was easy, at a charging point, via an app with online payment. The battery was at 60% and we paid around 20 USD to charge it further.
The rental company asked us to return the car with a minimum 70% charge, but we managed to arrive at the airport with a 74% charge ;). If not, there’s a recharging station nearby.
TOLL ROADS
There are quite a few tolls in Norway. On the short distances we covered, we must have been flashed 5 times. It’s automatic, no need to stop or slow down. We were charged on the way back (about 25 USD) on the card we’d used to pay the car deposit.
PARKING
Parking lots are also often fee-paying, even small gravel ones at the start of hikes. The license plate is read automatically and then you just have to go to the app and pay within 48 hours. We paid for 2 parking lots, each with about 3 hours on site, 8 USD for one and 5 USD for the other.
Takk takk (Norwegian thank you) for this beautiful journey ❤️!