The Port of Andalsnes, Norway
ABOUT
The village of Åndalsnes was the administrative centre of the old Grytten Municipality from 1838 until 1964, when Grytten was merged with several other municipalities to form the new Rauma Municipality. Åndalsnes then became the administrative centre of the new municipality of Rauma.
Andalsnes is known today as the mountaineering capital of Norway with access to some of the country’s finest mountains and climbing. It is situated at the mouth of the river Rauma, at the north end of the Romsdalen valley. is an important communications node with a lot of industry and trade. Its spectacular scenery was even used in the filming of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
Size of the city is approximately 0.86 sq m
Population in 2017 was listed as 2403
Currency is the Krone
THINGS TO DO
Visitors can take the Rauma Line scenic railway which goes from Andalsnes to Dombas or Bjorli.
Known as the Golden Train there are various ways to book. Many book direct with their cruise operator, alternatively you can book direct through the Golden Train Website. The other option is to use an operator such as Get Your Guide or Viator.
Or go to view the infamous Trollveggen mountain wall – Europe’s tallest vertical rock face.
Of course, there are plenty of mountaineering options. So if you enjoy the outdoors it is an option. Alternatively just walk the town or take a cable car to a viewpoint.
OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO
OUR FIRST VISIT
Our first sail into Andalsnes was on P&O Cruises Aurora. The sail in to Andalsnes is quite spectacular. We saw it whilst it was snow covered, but even in the summer it would be magnificent. We took a stroll around the town and with all the snow around us who could fail to be impressed. Not being one for heights, Ken was the one who decided to take a trip on the cable car. Unfortunately he only had cash on him and they would only take card payment. So word of warning – Norway is largely a cashless society these days.
OUR SECOND VISIT
Our second sail into Andalsnes was again on P&O Cruises Aurora. How different can two visits be. Despite the fact that we visited at a similar time of year the main thaw had already commenced.
It meant that the sail through Romsdalsfjord looked very different. During our sail in we were able to see much more of the towering RomsdalAlps and the dramatic early morning scenic location.
Our arrival into Andalsnes during daylight hours meant we had a good view of the town itself. From the promenade deck we saw the town laid out before us. In the foreground we could also see the train station for the Golden Train. Adjacent to that is the station for the cable car.
Romsdalen Cable Car
Once again we docked on the edge of the town. It is easy to get off the ship and head into town. This time, with very little snow in the locality, it was even easier.
Following Ken’s disappointment on our previous visit, we headed straight to the Romsdalen Cable Car. Lindsey has a fear of heights and really wasn’t keen to go but she took a deep breath and we joined the ticket queue.
There are two areas where you can by tickets to board the gondola. One is a staffed ticket office and the other is an automated ticket machine. The latter has someone on hand to assist with the ticket machine. You will find a number of ticket options but most visitors from cruise ships will probably require the return ticket. At time of writing this was 560nok per person (just over £40). Another option is to book direct in advance via the cable car website.
Thankfully for Lindsey the trip up the mountain does not take long (long enough for her). When we reached the top we saw amazing views.
We took time to look over the fjord in all its magnificence. With very little snow on the ground it was easy to pick out landmarks and our ship Aurora.
There are various activities that run from here if you are that way inclined. This includes a further hike up steps to reach a spectacular vantage point called Rampestreken. It will truly take you out of your comfort zone.
The weather was extremely windy at the top of the mountain on the day of our visit. We were reluctant to climb any higher but instead took advantage of the Eggen Restaurant. The coffee is good and the hot chocolate even better
The return journey
The trip back down the mountain was uneventful, although Lindsey wouldn’t recommend sitting at the front of the gondola. The temperature difference between the top and bottom of the mountain was quite noticeable. We think that even on a sunny day in the summer it would be adviseable to take a coat.
Whilst it was a trip that Lindsey wouldn’t do again, if you can face it, it does give magnificent views. It is worth giving it a go. But should we go again, we would certainly book a trip on the Golden Train.
Meanwhile the town looked very different on this visit with no piles of snow everywhere. Just a good excuse for some more pictures.
To check out our experiences in Andalsnes just click the videos below – and if you enjoy the content simply ‘Like’ and ‘Subscribe’ to see more (subscription is free).