The favourite haunt of a Kaiser chief
light dusting of snow even at the start of June, the sun burst through the clouds every day and the temperatures soon rose to make fleeces and jackets redundant.
Trails criss-crossed the lower slopes, weaving between small farms with goats grazing in meadows and through forests of pine and birch trees ringing with the sound of cuckoos before the route opened out onto heathland and rockier terrain.
On the more difficult parts of the footpaths Sherpas have been drafted in from Nepal to construct stone bridges or steps but there was nothing more challenging than you would find in the Lake District or Scotland. From the summits, we looked down over the fjords whose ethereal beauty has been attracting visitors since the days of the Victorians.
The Unesco World Heritage Site of Geirangerfjord, which is so deep ocean-going cruise ships can drift along, gets all the attention but I enjoyed the quieter Hjørundfjorden and Gloppenfjord. Here we had glimpses of the largest glacier in Europe, the Jostedalsbreen, which appeared on the horizon like a vast polar wilderness.
Above Gloppenfjord we were also able to look down and admire the skills of the pilots landing at Sandane Airport at Anda which regularly features on the list of the world’s Top Ten Scariest airports.
Norwegians are a blessed bunch and allowed to walk and camp anywhere with a free access policy and instead of owning beach huts, like many Brits do, they have mountain huts which vary from sturdy stone structures with turf on the roof and birch bark insulation to modern wooden cabins fitted with sun porches.
The fanatical nature of the locals towards walking is also revealed on the mountains, where postboxes on the top of peaks contain a record book of who has conquered the hill and how many times they’ve done it. Prizes are even awarded at local village fetes for whoever is judged to be that year’s king or queen of the mountain.
We took a break from stretching our legs when we went to the 3,300ft Mount Hoven and tried out the newly-installed cable car. It may take more than two-and-a-half hours to walk back down but the Loen Skylift whisks you to the summit in just five short minutes.
At the top you can embark on short strolls further into the hills or relax in the modern restaurant, enjoying the views and watching paragliders swoop through the sky.
Our final night ended with a touch of luxury as we stayed at the historic Hotel Union at Øye. Built in 1892, it was a favourite destination for Kaiser Wilhelm on his annual holiday. Several of the rooms boast four-poster beds and some are named after the hotel’s illustrious former guests such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, while others are said to be haunted.
Many believe that room number 7 is frequented by the ghost of a maid who drowned herself after a doomed affair with a member of the Kaiser’s entourage. Linda the maid failed to make an appearance during our stay but had she done she would have felt at home as the hotel has been restored to its former splendour and the staff wear period dress.
We were entertained at breakfast by one of them playing a grand piano and it was easy to imagine the Kaiser holding court in the lounge, planning a daily walk with his staff. His only problem would have been choosing which of the fabulously scenic routes to take.
THE KNOWLEDGE
Headwater (01606 369416/ headwater.com) offers eight nights in Norway from £2,149 (two sharing), full board. Price includes return flights from Heathrow, ground transportation and luggage transfers. Norwegian tourist board: visitnorway.com