The Adventure

With just one day left on my summer rail pass, and a strong desire to not let it go to waste, I embarked on a day-trip from Malmö, Sweden, to Halden, Norway. This trip was both very short and very long. I woke up early to take the train, but because the journey was so long, and I had to make a return trip in the evening, my time spent in Halden was regrettably very short.

The first thing I remember as I entered Norway was the natural landscape by the water. There was a noticeable change in environment from the start to the end of my journey. The nature that I saw in the north of Sweden and when I entered Norway reminded me of the time I’ve spent in more northern areas of Canada, with unique shapes of trees spanning as far as the eye can see. The town itself was on a fjord, and I enjoyed sitting by the water while I ate.

Before that, though, I set my eyes on Fredriksten Fortress: a 17th-century castle that stands out in the small town. It’s placement on top of a hill made it hard not to notice, and upon disembarking at the train station, I immediately headed in that direction. It was a shorter walk than I expected, but I wasn’t able to complete my journey up the hill. What appeared to be some construction work prevented me from getting up close and visiting the castle. I tried a few times to get in from different sides but in the end, decided that if I couldn’t get in from the main path, I probably wouldn’t be able to get in at all. I guess I turned up on the wrong day, but luckily I was still able to enjoy the rest of my day around Halden, and the castle was still a beautiful sight from a distance.

The town is very small, so I was able to cover a lot of ground, even in my short time. I ended up by the water several times, and even ended up wandering through a residential area. At one point, I was also wandering towards some industrial-looking sector by the water, then decided on the way that there wouldn’t be much to see there. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful houses and streets, all built on the beautiful Norwegian landscape of fjords, hills, and forests.

Highlight

The highlight was definitely the Norwegian nature. Because of the country’s northern position, it has a relatively small population. I think many tourists visit the country for its nature rather than its cities. This isn’t by any means a diss on Norwegian cities; I haven’t really explored those beyond Halden, but in my experience, even before I had gotten to Halden, I was mesmerized by the landscape I saw through the window. Even in this not-so-touristy area of the country, it was a beautiful location worth visiting.

Concluding Thoughts

Personally, I would not return to Halden, Norway. This does not mean I didn’t enjoy my time, but rather that I feel I have seen all there is to see there. I would still definitely recommend visiting or stopping by, but in my future travels, I would prefer to see more of what Norway and the world have to offer.