This is journal entry 10, our 9th day of adventure in Flam Norway with kids. Here we explore nature and heritage in one of the world’s most tucked away and undiscovered places, and it starts with Easter.
My six-year-old son and I have embarked upon a 14-day Eurail trip from Oslo, Norway to Bodo in the Arctic Circle. We started in Oslo for 2 days then to Stavanger where we had a city break and explored Vikings. Then we explored Haugesund, the homeland of the Viking Kings, and then Bergen!
Click the photo to start at the beginning of our adventure!
Managing an Easter Bunny Visit Away from Home
We arrived in Flam Norway by boat the day before. We spent the afternoon snowshoeing in the mountains and seeing some of the most incredible views in the world. Completely charmed by this mountainside village, by morning we were eager to explore every inch of it, but not before a certain Easter Bunny attended his duties.
That’s right, we were spending our Easter in our favorite place in Norway. I mean what better way is there to spend an Easter away from your family than in the world’s most charming village ever. In fact, I wouldn’t even be surprised if the Easter Bunny himself was from Flam.
That said it was time to get to work…
I really wanted the Little to have a memorable Easter experience abroad. In the U.S. it’s very traditional to spend the morning hunting for Easter eggs filled with candies, loose change, and stickers. Children are usually gifted with Easter baskets filled with large chocolates, toys, books, and jelly beans. All by the hand of the never seen, always stealthy, Easter Bunny.
In the afternoon, families gather together over dinner and enjoy one another’s company. Given the holiday is such a big deal back home, I wanted the Little to have a special experience. So, I woke up extra early to tend to my (AKA the Easter Bunny’s) duties.
I had packed a few things in advance and mustered up what chocolate I could from the hotel. The girl at the front desk at the Fretheim Hotel was so nice. She helped me stuff a few eggs with spare change and rounded up a handful of sweets. Then, as any Easter Bunny would, I strategically hid all the eggs in the front garden.
After this, I ran up to the room, slipped on my Easter Bunny ears, then a pair on the Little, and started to wake him up.
“What is that on your head? Oh my, it looks like the Easter Bunny was here, you have ears on your head! And look, there’s an egg on the floor!”
And just like that he was off, scrambling to follow the trail of eggs, bunny ears on and all. And with this, we started our second day of adventure in my favorite place in Norway.
Things to do in Flam Norway with Kids
Don’t let the size of Flam Norway fool you. There’s plenty to do in this tiny village. My recommendation, get on with Fjord Safari Tours, conveniently placed in front of the Fretheim Hotel. Here you can book any of their fun adventure tours.
Travel Tip: This is the kind of place where your kids can run around and just have fun. It’s probably the safest place on earth. Enjoy some time outside and let the kids play with other traveling children at the park just in front of the hotel.
For us, our second day consisted of:
- Fjord Safari’s UNESCO World Heritage Site speed boat tour of the Aurlandsfjord which included a stop at a teenie, tiny village (population 65) where they’ve been making goat cheese since goat cheese was made
- A little jaunt through the shopping and dining spots in their miniature (and charming) town center
- A sightseeing tour on the Flam Norway Railway for even more spectacular landscape views (one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world)
There are of course other activities to do. All of which you can find info on here and here
- Fjord cruises (all year)
- Fjord cruises seasonal
- Explore a glacier (summer)
- Scenic viewpoints from stunning vista spots (all year)
- Multiple boat tours and transport services
- Flam Norway Railway Museum
- Borgund Stave Church
- Fretheim Cultural Park
- The Snow Road – One of the most beautiful in Norway
- Otternes Anno 1700
Our UNESCO World Heritage Site Speed Boat Tour of the Aurlandsfjord
This tour departed at 11:45 am but we got there a few minutes early to suit up in head-to-toe thermal gear. The fjord is freezing and at high speed, it’s even more frosty. Once geared up, we hopped on the boat, and before we knew it, were off on an excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Aurlandsfjord.
Along the fjord, there are charming little villages consisting of what looks like little toy houses next to towering mountains. Our guide took us along the Nærøyfjord where he told us all about the local villages, the local folklore, wildlife, and culture. There’s even a bed and breakfast on a cliff which is only accessible via a steep rock face climb.
Travel Tip: It’s cooooooold. You would be wise to use a pair of wool gloves that open so you can take photos and cover right back up. In the summer months, it’s not as cold but still advised.
Touring Undredal with Fjord Safari
As we returned from the Nærøyfjord we got to stop in Undredal, a small village perched on the shore of the fjord home to 65 locals and 450 goats. Here we were able to explore the tiny village and get an up-close view of just how serene living on the fjord is.
We were even able to sample award-winning goat cheese. The whole experience was so charming and so authentic. I really felt like we were a part of this place like we belonged there. I easily could have spent a night or two in Undredal.
Travel Tip: In the summer there is a guided tour of Undredal’s Stave Church which you can get more info on here. Also, there’s a little village market where you can get your own cheese. Be sure to bring cash!
Exploring the Shopping and Dining
We made it back with plenty of time to take a jaunt around the dining and shopping area. From the Fretheim Hotel to your left there are a few places to eat and a couple of cool gift shops filled with trolls and lovely traditional Norwegian souvenirs. We had a lot of fun just walking around the town window shopping.
Travel Tip: There is a brewery called Aegir Brewery & Pub which is absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend stopping in there. Our hotel also served really good food. We enjoyed breakfast and dinner there and both were lovely.
The Flam Norway Railway
This was the getaway train for us, but if you’re staying in Flam you can take a scenic trip with a return. This is the most scenic rail trip in all of Norway. Anyone wanting to see breathtaking landscapes must take this tour. You can get a ticket in the train station (just outside the Fretheim Hotel). Trains leave regularly.
In Closing
We loved Flam Norway. To date, it’s one of my favorite places on earth and certainly in Norway. Its indescribable beauty, serenity, and distance from the world as we know it made it a very special experience.
I can not wait to get back to this village to see what other adventures await. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll meet the Easter Bunny in his off-season…
Keep Following Our Mom and Son Adventure!
Follow our next day in Norway when we explore a Medieval crypt at the Nidaros Cathedral during our Trondheim city break.
For more information on visiting, check out their tourism site. For trip planning to Norway VisitNorway.com!
Special thanks to Visit Norway USA. While they and the local tourism offices are funding all air, hotels, and meals, this in no way shapes my opinion of my journey through Norway. An additional thank you to VisitFlam for managing our itinerary.
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