It seems every stop on this journey through Norway has lead to another spot equally or seemingly more jaw-droppingly beautiful than the last. This truly is a country of immense scenic beauty and our latest location, Oye, is no different.

We stayed at the Hotel Union Oye, a historic hotel that like our stop in Aurland sits in the heart of a mountain valley near the end of yet another fjord. The hotel was established in 1891 and quickly became a favorite of the rich and famous of day, i.e., European royals like Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II and Norway’s Queen Maud, and famous explorers like Roald Amundsen.

The hotel is still somewhat off the beaten track, but it is open year-round and the narrow road through mountain passes you drive through to reach it is cleared of snow in the winter. Not all such roads are as we understand. It’s not a cheap stay, but Norway as a whole is pretty pricey.

We were driven to the property by one of the employees of our prior lodgings in Kalvag, a lovely gentleman name Per who was happy to discuss local history en route. We made a brief stop at a museum that is home to a replica Viking long ship, and also stopped for coffee.

Each room of the hotel is named after one of those now long-dead guests. We were in the Queen Maud room. The corner room named for Amundsen was larger, maybe because he actually accomplished something beyond being born royal. I will admit that could be an American point of view.

The main activity we had planned for our stay was a hike followed by a visit to the hotel sauna. The sauna sits on a dock in the fjord, with a large window with a fjord view.

How much hill climbing one wants to do here depends, of course, on one’s level of fitness. We like to walk and hike a bit, but we are no means experts and we reside in a relatively flat area. We have rolling hills and some short climbs, but nothing like you can encounter in this country. It’s not the Alps, but unlike those famous peaks, these start at sea level. They can be formidable.

Our guide, Sul, was a lovely young woman who hikes, skis, kayaks, you name it. She lead us on a trek up from the lookout point above the Geiranger fjord to catch views of another deep valley. It was just a stroll for her, but we were gassed at times. I will let the pictures tell this story.

This stop marks the end of the largely “land” portion of our visit to Norway. I say largely because while it is true we have been on a variety of watercraft, we’ve slept on dry land in hotels. Next up is the Havila coastal ferry for five nights. It will take us north, ultimately to the tip of Norway above the Arctic Circle. It has overnight accommodations, a restaurant and bar, but no entertainment or casino. Once again the journey is the point, and the scenery.