The Trans-Norwegian Railway

The ultimate train journey must be the Trans-Siberian Railway. Travelling by train for 9,259 kilometres through Russia from Moscow to Vladivistok is one of the longest railway journeys in the world. It crosses through seven time zones and takes nearly a week.

Inspired by Helmut and Oliver's rail trip from Vienna to Pyongyang, I decided to tell about my experiences from the longest railway journey in Norway. It is by no means as interesting as their journey, but it gives you some impressions of Norway. I have nicknamed my trip the Trans-Norwegian Railway, but in reality it consists of three separate train distances taking you from Bergen in the west to Bodø in the north. First off is the Bergen line (Bergensbanen) from Bergen to Oslo. Then it is the Dovre line (Dovrebanen) from Oslo to Trondheim. Last off is the Nordland line (Nordlandsbanen) from Trondheim to Bodø. The whole train journey takes 25 hours, and consists of 1,778 kilometres. Compared to the Trans-Siberian Railway, this is nearly the same length as from Moscow to Yekaterinburg/Sverdlovsk.

Bergen station.

Bergen station - from the inside.

My train journey to Bodø started at the Bergen station at 8 am. Train tickets can be cheap in Norway, and I had managed to get hold of tickets for the whole journey for 199 NOK. That is about 20 GBP, 31 USD or 22 EUR. A great price when it costs 170 NOK taking the airport express train from Oslo to Oslo's airport Gardermoen. These tickets are called Minipris and can be bought on the internet between 1 and 90 days before you travel.

Bergen station. A view to the tracks.

The Bergen line takes you through some of the most beautiful scenary of Norway. The mountains and valleys of Western Norway are spectacular views, and there are many interesting photo opportunities on the way. The highest positioned station on the line is Finse at 1,222 metres. I am lucky when I enter the train. I am seated in the right position and can enjoy my train ride faced front. I also get to sit alone in the double seat all the way to Oslo, so I have plenty of room for my books and luggage.

Voss station. By the way: Voss water is not from Voss. It is
from Iveland in the south of Norway.

Myrdal station. From here you can take the scenic Flåm line (Flåmsbanen)
to Sognefjorden - the world's largest inlet.

A view from the train between Myrdal and Finse.

Finse station.

More snow in June.

This is first of all a beer blog, so I needed to check out the restaurant car. Unfortunately there was no draught beer for sale, but they offered half litre cans of Carlsberg and Ringnes pale lager beer for 60 NOK. That is about 6 GBP, 10 USD or 6.60 EUR. As the Carlsberg beer was brewed in Norway on licence, I chose the Ringnes lager. I am no stranger to Ringnes, as this is the most common lager beer sold in Norway. In the glass it was light golden in colour, had a lot of carbonation and after a few seconds nearly no head. The Ringnes lager is light in taste with some hints of hops. It is not my favourite, as I prefer my lagers with a more hoppy twist. But it was a refreshing lager beer that day.

Ringnes lager as served on the Bergen line.

After Finse it is time for visiting the eastern part of Norway. Geilo is one of Norway's leading skiing resorts, but in June there are no spaces for downhill skiing or slalom. As the train runs through Hallingdalen valley, the scenary changes. The closer you get to Oslo, the flatter the land becomes.

Vestlia - one of the skiing slopes at Geilo.

Hallingdalen.

Nesbyen station.

The train at Oslo Central Station.

At last the train arrives at the central station in Oslo. It is time to get off the train, and I have 90 minutes to spend in the capital of Norway before the next leg of my journey. I spend the time trying to find the Bar & Cigar restaurant to get some Budweiser Budvar lager beer on tap. This is supposedly the only place in Norway to sell draughted Budvar. Unfortunately the place has not opened for the day, and I have to leave without trying it. Instead I walk past the Norwegian Parliament and take a stroll through Oslo's main street Karl Johans Gate back to the central station.

Oslo Central Station.

Karl Johans Gate. At the top of the street, you can find the royal castle.

Stortinget - the Norwegian Parliament.

There it is time for a beer. I enter the Venterommet pub at Østbanehallen. They have Ringnes lager on tap together with Frydenlund bayer. I choose Frydenlund's take on the Bavarian beer style.

Venterommet pub is found to the right at Østbanehallen. The name is very
appropriate, and it translates to Waiting Room in English.

Frydenlund bayer - in a Ringnes glass.

Frydenlund's bayer is copper coloured. It is a sweet and tasty Bavarian beer, and I would really like to compare it to other Norwegian bayer beers. Unfortunately there is no time, so I have to go to catch my train. This time Trondheim is my destination, and on my way to the train I buy myself a latte to go. It is not allowed to drink alcohol in public in Norway, so I do not bring along some bottles or cans to the train ride.

Oslo central station.

The Trondheim train's locomotive.

On the train I am seated together with an engineer. We chat for a while, but after Oslo airport he takes a visit to the restaurant car. I read my book and enjoy the views now and then. The parts north of Oslo is not as exciting as the West Norwegian nature, but here and there you can find beautiful nature areas.

The train at Hamar station.

At Hamar the train stops for fifteen minutes. I get the chance to buy myself some pizza at the station before the train continues north. A group of work colleagues are on board. They sit drinking beer and wine in the car, but suddenly the train conductor is there. He tells them to stop drinking and asks them to enter the restaurant car instead.

Lillehammer station. Lillehammer was the home of the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Lake Mjøsa - the largest in Norway.

Ringebu station.

There is also a mountain to cross. This time it is Dovrefjell. Dovre is renowned for having muskox in the area, but I did not see any through the window. Instead it was my turn to visit the restaurant car.

Carlsberg in a plastic cup.

Just like on the Bergen line, beer was only available in cans. Also here it was possible to choose between Carlsberg and Ringnes. The Carlsberg lager made on licence in Norway takes away my thirst, but it is not an exciting lager beer. This is a standard, sweet lager beer, and I would prefer something else. But if you have to choose between Ringnes and Carlsberg, my advice would be that you order Ringnes.

Otta station.

Scenary from Gudbrandsdalen.

Hjerkinn station.

As we get into the evening hours, it is still light outside. In this part of Europe it gets dark very late. Instead it is cold, and at Oppdal there is sleet in the air.

Oppdal station.

Trondheim seen from the train.

As we are getting nearer to Trondheim, it is still light outside. The time is nearly 11 PM as the train reaches Trondheim railway station, and I have finished another leg on my journey. It is 40 minutes to the Bodø train leaves, so I stay at the station. There are wifi possibilities here, so I spend some time reading e-mail before I enter the next train.

The Bodø train is waiting for passengers at Trondheim station.

This is the night train to Bodø. It will take me over the Arctic Circle and into the northern parts of Norway.

The locomotive is ready to leave Trondheim station. Note that the trains
on the Nordland line are diesel trains.

The first part of the train ride goes east. We pass Hell station and Trondheim's airport Wærnes before the trip continues northwards. On the night train there are possibilities. You can buy an upgrade and have a sleeping cabin, or you can have a seat. This time I had a seat, and it was comfortable enough for me.

The seats on the night train to Bodø.

The Trondheim fjord as seen from the train.

Steinkjer station.

Steinkjer by night.

But before I went to sleep, I had to check out the restaurant car. This time around, there was no Carlsberg beer. Instead the waiter made me choose between Ringnes and Nordlandspils.

A can of Nordlandspils on the train to Bodø.

Nordlandspils is a lager beer brewed in Bodø. It is light golden in colour with some carbonation. The little head disappears quickly in the glass. Tastewise, this is the best lager beer I drank during my train journey through Norway. It has a flowery nose, and the first taste is halfbitter and refreshing. The first half litre can is finished quickly, and I take my time to taste another one.

As I travel north through the Namdalen valley, the time is nearly 0130 AM. It is really light outside, and it is nice looking out of the window enjoying a good lager beer. But suddenly it is time for sleep. I leave the restaurant car and find my seat.

The diesel locomotive at Bodø station.

Just past 9AM the train arrives at Bodø. I have had an excellent night's sleep in the train. And I am ready to take a look at a new town. And of course: To try Nordlandspils as a draught beer.

Bodø station.

Bodø harbour seen from the breakwater.

Revisited

Bergen again. Spring is still here, and the weather has been fine the last few days. Tomorrow is the national day, and here in Bergen everybody is ready for the parades and games. The weather forecast is also excellent, so it looks like it will be a nice day.

Right now Naboen can offer seven beers from draught.

It is time to revisit some of the bars I have been to here in Bergen. First off is Naboen. Compared to January, there has been a change in draught beers. These days there is no Christmas beer, but Naboen's Bayer is joined by Aass lager, Old Speckeled Hen and two draught beers from Nøgne Ø. Right now they sell Nøgne Ø's Blond and Imperial Stout, and that means that there are now two bars in Bergen selling beers from the Arendal cult brewery.

Imperial Stout from Nøgne Ø is a strong beer at 9 % alcohol. At Naboen it is served in 0.35 litre glasses and costs 69 NOK. In the glass this is a black beer with a little, nearly tannish head. There is as good as no carbonation. The Imperial Stout tastes bitter with a lot of coffee notes. This is a nice beer, but I would prefer Naboen's Bayer at my next visit. If Nøgne Ø's Blond still is available then, I will also check out that beer.

A good selection in beers is available at Henrik.

Around the block from Naboen, Henrik is found. There was no Budweiser Budvar this time around, but Henrik has a lot of other beers on offer from both tap, bottles and cans. As always there is draughted Nøgne Ø, and right now they still sell the Easter beer God Påske.


I was ready for something new and ended up with Harviestoun's Schiehallion lager beer from Scotland. The label says that this is a crisp, dry and airy beer, and I can confirm that. Schiehallion is nearly amber in colour with some cloudyness. It is a very drinkable beer with notes of citrus. There is also a hoppyness to it, and in all this is a very enjoyable lager beer with a different twist. I will gladly seek Schiehallion out later, but then I hope that it will be cheaper than 94 NOK for a half litre bottle.

Nice place, but no draughted beer

There are many places in Bergen where it is worth sitting down enjoying a beer. One of them can be found not far from the wharf. On the hillside above the Maria church and Bergenhus castle you can find Bar Barista. This is a combination of a neighbourhood pub and an ordinary taproom in a cosy environment.

Unfotunately Bar Barista does not sell beer from draught. Every beer inside is available only in bottles and cans. The reason for this is that the bar is somewhat new, and that the owners so far have not made draught beers available. By the way, the beers are accompanied by a good selection in wines and spirits.

Once upon a time the Øvregaten street was the mainstreet of Bergen. Just below you could find the harbour where salesmen traded with fishermen and hanseatic travellers. These days this is the outskirts of the city centre, but for tourists Øvregaten is easy to find as it is in a short distance from the cruise liners' harbour.


Bar Barista can be found in the street above Øvregaten. After a short walk the bar is easily located in the Stølegaten street. It is like a hole in the wall in its street. The local 7-Eleven takes up a lot of room around the bar and can unfortunately outshine it in its neighbourhood.

Inside, Bar Barista is a cosy place. Coffee lovers will find a lot of coffee variations, and cake lovers can have a good time eating themselves through the sweet offers. But I am here to drink beer, and an old favourite is available in bottles. Good, old Newcastle Brown Ale is sold here, and it is the same half-sweet ale. Not the best British ale, but still a good offering. The local Hansa version of Brown Ale is also to be found, but compared to the Newcastle Brown Ale this is a half good variation with less taste.

Hansa Bayer is a nice offering at Bar Barista, and the Baviarian style beer is both tasty and very drinkable. So is also the Hansa draught beer (fatøl) from cans, but its sugary tones makes it a number 2 beer compared to the Bayer.

Bar Barista is a nice place to have a beer or five. The lack of draughted beers makes the bar less interesting than it ought to be, but an excellent interior and fine paintings on the wall make a good effort. You could do worse in Bergen than visiting Bar Barista, but in the meantime this is a great place for some local Hansa beers - even though only from bottles and cans.

Easter Theatre

Bergen again. The second largest city of Norway is a beautiful sight with its lovely harbour and nice sights. Spring has arrived. The weather has been nice this week, and the usual Bergener rain has been nowhere to be seen.

The theatre of Bergen, Den Nationale Scene.

Near the theatre, you can find several interesting cafés and pubs. I have written about Naboen earlier, but this time it is time to visit Henrik. Henrik is just opposite the theatre. Between Henrik and the theatre is a tiny park where pidgeons and seagulls roam. If you want to feed the birds, get ready to see some fighting. The pidgeons have more or less no chance against the seagulls, so people try to feed the pidgeons exclusively. Usually the seagulls get there in no time, so the pidgeons need to flee.

Henrik is above the local 7-Eleven competitor, Deli de Luca.

Henrik is on the first floor across the street. There is only a small door, and then up the stairs you go. On your way you pass several pictures and paintings of the Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen.
Ibsen was based in Bergen for some time in the 19th century, and it is therefore natural to use the Henrik name for a pub near the theatre.

The inside of Henrik is a large room with a decent bar. Beer bottle lovers will find many beers and beer styles represented. From tap Norwegian lagers Ringnes and Frydenlund lead on together with Carlsberg lager. Stout is represented by Guinness, and Kilkenny is also to be found. But this is not why I visited Henrik this time. They also sell draughted beer from the Norwegian cult brewer Nøgne Ø, and it is rumoured that this is the only place in Bergen to do so.

As I visited this week, the Nøgne Ø Easter beer God Påske was available as a draught beer. As always, Norwegian beer prices are high, and that is also typical of Nøgne Ø. At Henrik I had to pay 76 NOK for 0.35 litre of God Påske.

God Påske is copper coloured. In the glass there is nearly no head, but there is some carbonation. Actually, there is more carbonation than I expected, and it is nice to have a glass of Nøgne Ø without sediments. The first taste is typical of several other Nøgne Ø beers. Here there be hops! But there is more to it. Together with a fruity scent and some yeast notes, this is a very enjoyable beer. I have tasted several offerings from Nøgne Ø, but this is the best one. After one glass I am very tempted to taste another, but then I see something on the shelf.

Henrik sells Budweiser Budvar lager! OK, it is only available in 0.33 litre bottles, but for a Budvar fan like me it is nice to see a beer I have not seen in Norway for years. Sorry, Nøgne Ø, but curiosity kills the cat. I need to have a bottle of Budvar. From the bottle label, I can see that this is a beer bottled for Norway and imported by the Norwegian importers Interbev. The price at Henrik is 67 NOK.

This is Budvar's lezak, as it has 4.5% alcohol. I have had both the vycepni and the lezak from tap in the Czech Republic, and they are great lager beers. The bottled Budvar is also very nice, and pours with a large head into the glass. There is more carbonation than in the Nøgne Ø God Påske, but still very little. The colour is light amber with a nice contrast to the white head. This is a tasty beer with some hops and a nice bitterness. This is a good session beer, and I hope that we can find it in shops very soon. It is rumoured to be found in the Norwegian ICA supermarkets in May. I hope that also other chains will sell it and that it will be a success. Myself, I would prefer Budvar to the leading Norwegian lager beers like Ringnes and Hansa any day.

Czeched out at home

After several visits to Prague and the Czech Republic, I feel that Czech lager beers are among the best in the world. Sitting at home and thinking of delicious Kout na Sumave lagers or fresh Budvar or unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell brings back great memories. Some of those memories can be revived at home, as a few of the Czech beers are also available here in Norway.

Various beers at a Coop Mega supermarket in Norway. Among the international brands, you can see Czech lager beers like Starobrno and Pilsner Urquell.

The first time I tasted a Czech beer, was in England in 1990. A pub in Scarborough sold Pilsner Urquell from bottles. I liked the lager beer and had several bottles that evening. Later I found Pilsner Urquell now and then at the stately Norwegian Vinmonopolet outlet. Later Urquell also was available outside Vinmonopolet in ordinary shops, and at times I also found Budweiser Budvar here and there.

Pilsner Urquell is sold in both half litre cans and 0.33 litre bottles in Norway.

These days it is easy to get hold of some Czech lagers here in Norway. Pilsner Urquell is sold in many supermarket chains, and in my opinions this is one of the best lager beers. I really enjoy that hoppy taste. Urquell is a tasty lager beer and fortunately it lacks the sugary distinctions that I did not like with the Spanish lagers I had in Tenerife. Poured in a glass, Pilsner Urquell has a golden colour, a large head and little carbonation.

Gambrinus is only sold in half litre bottles in Norway.

Urquell's beer colleague from Plzen, Gambrinus, is sold in the Rema 1000 shops together with Bernard lager. Gambrinus lacks the bitterness and hoppyness of Pilsner Urquell, but it has nearly the same golden colour. Just like Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus has little carbonation and a large head.

Bernard lager in green bottles - but without the trademark swing tops
as found in the Czech Republic.

Bernard is the odd one out. This is a lager beer that I thought I would never find in Norway's largest supermarket chain. But it is there! This is a malty lager with as good as no visible carbonation. In the glass it is presented with a large head and a brownish character in the colour. The beer is unpasteurized, which is quite uncommon among beers sold in Norwegian supermarkets. I like Bernard, and together with Pilsner Urquell, these are the lager beers I usually buy these days.

Starobrno is called "Czech traditional lager" on the bottle label.

Here and there I can also find Starobrno in 0.33 liter bottles. In a glass the colour is somewhat pale. The Starobrno lager is sweeter than the other Czech lager beers sold in Norway, but some hops and bitterness makes it a nice alternative. My wife likes this beer better than Bernard and Pilsner Urquell, but she prefers Gambrinus to Starobrno.

Dark lager from Staropramen.

Staropramen is the big brewery from Prague. Here in Norway Staropramen's pale lager beer is not available, but I can find their dark lager in some shops. Staropramen cerny is nearly black and it tastes fresh with some caramel notes. In my opinion this is much better than Staropramen's pale lagers, but I have tasted Czech dark lagers that are better than this. Kout na Sumave comes immediately to mind.

Budweiser Budvar is returning to Norwegian shops later this year!

Unfortunately Budweiser Budvar is not available in Norwegian shops these days, but that will change. According to a friend who has contacted the importers, the Norwegian ICA supermarkets will start selling Budvar in May. Hopefully more Czech lagers will follow. I would love to be able to buy Kout na Sumave's lagers now and then, and I would also appreciate some of the Svijany beers as well. And why not some offerings from for instance Primator?

Let us have Svijany in Norway, please!

Czech beers are very nice. If you have not tasted them, my recommendation is that you do it. And remember: Czech beers taste even better in the Czech Republic!

The Session: Smoked beers

It is time for another edition of The Session, and this time the theme is smoked beers. I have very little experience in smoked beers, so I took a visit to the nearest Vinomopolet outlet. There I found Ächt Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen - a German smoked beer from Bamberg.

Poured into the glass, the Schlenkerla märzen is dark brown with no visible carbonation. It has a solid, large head, and it smells like smoke with distinct notes of smoked mackerel.

The first taste tells me that the smoked fish is still there, but now it is accompanied with smoked bacon. Afterwards the smoky feeling stays in the mouth. The crisps on my plate taste less, and the Danish gräddost cheese is more or less tasteless.

I feel that this smoked beer is an acquired taste. I will not say no if I am offered it by a friend, but I will not actively seek it out. But I will absolutely have a lager beer or two and some smoked ham later tonight.

Lagers in Spain

Two months has passed since I left Lanzarote, so a report on Spanish beers is long overdue. These days Spring is in the air here in Norway, and the bliss of warm weather and beach life is a memory. So are also Spanish beers, although I can find San Miguel in several supermarkets here at home in Norway. The stronger version, San Miguel Especial, is sold at the stately alcohol outlet Vinmonopolet, and Estrella Damm can be found here and there in shops.

Beers in a Lanzarote supermarket. Here are Spanish beers and international brands.

I did not try (nor find) any Spanish craft beers, so I drank mostly Spanish lagers. They were found more or less everywhere. In Lanzarote the Canarian brands Tropical and Dorada seem to have a large share of the market. Mainland beers where also common, but according to local people the Canarians prefer their own beers to the mainland brands.

Local Canarian lager Tropical from draught.

My favourite Spanish lager was Tropical. It is brewed on Gran Canaria and is commonly found everywhere in Lanzarote. Many restaurants sell this beer from draught, and in shops it can be found in bottles and cans. Tropical is s a pale lager with some malty taste. It is a little bit fizzy, but normally without a big head. This is a great thirst quencher, and I enjoyed it both by the pool, on the beach and on the terrace of my hotel room.

Dorada from tap.

Dorada is also a Canarian brand, but it hails from Tenerife. It is even lighter than Tropical in colour and very watery in taste.

Dorada from can.

There is also little carbonation in this beer, which falls through compared to Tropical. So does also Reina Ora from Gran Canaria. It is more tasty than Dorada with a more malty twist, but all in all both Reina Ora and Dorada are worse alternatives than Tropical.

A half litre of San Miguel as bought in a Chinese restaurant.

Mainland beers were easy to find in Lanzarote. San Miguel is available in several versions. From draught this was a light coloured lager with some carbonation and little head. It was more sugary than the Canarian lagers, and the San Miguel Especial version from bottle and can had an even more sugary feel. San Miguel Especial is stronger in alcohol than its Canarian cousins, and it has an alcohol taste in it as well. My favourite is the San Miguel version with less alcohol. It is tastier, but compared to Tropical the Canarian lager is my favourite.

This glass of Cruzcampo was bought in the mountains of Lanzarote.

Cruzcampo lacked most of the sugary nature of San Miguel. Otherwise this was a pale lager with little taste and medium carbonation. This is a nice beer for warm Summer days, but it fells through compared with other Spanish beers.

Estrella Damm has more in common with San Miguel Especial than the Canarian beers. The sugary tones are very accentuated but it lacks some of the alcohol scents of its mainland relative. Estrella Damm is also maltier, but the combination of tastes in the less alcohol version of San Miguel makes for a better offer.

What to drink, then? And when? On cold Winter nights, I would rather have San Miguel Especial of all these beers. In warm Summer days Tropical is to be preferred. It is Ok from bottles and cans and best from tap. In Lanzarote it costs about 1 Euro from supermarkets. In bars you pay around 2 Euros for a half litre. This is a good price compared to Stella Artois and Carling, which can cost 3 to 5 Euros.