Flam Travel Guide

The Sognefjord is Norway's longest and deepest fjord, hailed as the king of fjords; Flåm sits at the end of one of its branches. The fjord reaches over 200 km inland, over 1,000 m deep, grand and vast. Its sides have mountains, villages, branches, varied scenery: grand cliffs and waterfalls, and pretty farmland and orchards. Along it are charming towns like Flåm and Gudvangen, and the World Heritage Nærøyfjord. Cruising here, you see Norway's majestic fjord nature, the core of a fjord trip, grand and unforgettable.

The Flåm Railway is hailed as one of the world's most beautiful railways and a masterpiece of Norwegian engineering. From the fjord-side village of Flåm it climbs to the mountain station of Myrdal at nearly 900 meters, about 20 km, through steep valleys with astonishing gradients. The scenery is spectacular: waterfalls, snow peaks, deep gorges, winding rivers and hillside farms, endlessly varied. The train stops by the famous pretty waterfall for photos. Riding this legendary train through Norway's majestic mountains and gorges is an awe-inspiring visual feast, the essence of a fjord trip, unforgettable.

The Flam Railway Museum (Flamsbana museet) stands beside Flam station, next to the start of the Flam Railway, and is devoted to the history and engineering of this mountain line. About 20 kilometres long, the railway links Flam by the fjord with Myrdal up in the mountains, with a large height gain and steep gradients that make it one of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world; it opened in 1940. Through old photographs, tools, models and film, the museum recreates how the line was carved through the steep valley, and shows how the railway changed transport and tourism in Flam. The museum is small and usually free, well suited to a visit while waiting for or after riding the railway. Being in a fjord village, it can be combined with fjord cruises and viewpoints on the same day.

The Aurlandsfjord (Aurlandsfjorden) is a branch of the Sognefjord, about 29 kilometres long, with steep slopes and high mountains on both sides and calm water, a classic example of western Norway's fjord landscape. The villages of Flam, Aurland and Undredal lie along its shores, and Flam is the starting point for fjord cruises and the Flam Railway, making it relatively easy to reach. Near Flam the fjord branches into the Naeroyfjord, known for being narrow and dramatic, which is inscribed on the World Heritage list. Visitors usually take a cruise through the fjord, looking up at the mountain walls and waterfalls from the water, or use shore viewpoints for the panorama. Weather here is changeable with frequent rain, so bring windproof and waterproof clothing and allow enough time.

The Nærøyfjord is one of the narrowest, most spectacular branches of the Sognefjord, a World Heritage site, famed for its raw, stunning natural scenery. At its narrowest about 250 m, with cliffs over 1,000 m high nearly vertical, the deep, quiet water makes you feel in a masterpiece of nature. Cruising, you look up at silver waterfalls on the cliffs, snow on peaks, and occasional hillside villages and farms, grand and serene. The Nærøyfjord shows the pure, original beauty of the fjords, an unmissable wonder, awe-inspiring.