The Aurlandsfjord located in Norway.
places
- Aurlandsvangen is the name of the main town in the municipality of Aurland, located on the eastern bank of the fjord just a few kilometers from its end near Flåm. From high above the Aurlandsfjord Stegastein, a lookout point about 6 km outside the village, you have a wide view of the fjord.
- Flam is certainly the most famous place on the Aurlandsfjord, the small place is the destination of numerous cruise ships and above all the starting point for the Flåm Railway, one of the most spectacular railway lines in Europe, which covers a height difference of more than 800 m over a distance of almost 20 km.
- Undredal is the smallest town on the Aurlandsfjord with the smallest stave church in Norway and a nationally renowned cheese production. Undredal has only been accessible by road through the tunnels between Flåm and Gudvangen via a small junction since the 1990s. For centuries, the place was only accessible via the fjord.
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background
The Aurlandfjord is a branch of the Sognefjords in western Norway. Despite its relative remoteness - ships first have to cover 150 km on the Sognefjord before they can "turn" into the Aurlandsfjord - it is a popular destination for cruise ships, round trips and individual travelers due to the special features of the region. The fjord is 29 km long, after 11 km its famous branch, the Nærøyfjord, who has been working with the Geirangerfjord part of UNESCO World Heritage Site is.
After the places on the fjord were almost only accessible from the water for centuries and the existing roads could only be used in the short summer, the completion of the Flåm Railway In the 40s and the tunnel construction in the 80s and 90s of the last century, the Aurlandsfjord opened up for tourism all year round.
getting there
The Aurlandsfjord is accessible by road from the three locations on its shore: Aurland (from direction Lærdal), Flåm and Undredal (from direction Gudvangen or. Voss).
You go out by train Oslo or. Mountains coming with the Bergen Railway to the train station Myrdal on the northwestern edge of the Hardangervidda and change here to the Flåm Railway down to Flåm, which takes travelers from the plateau down to the Aurlandsfjord in 50 minutes.
There is a daily speedboat connection from Bergen, otherwise there are regular connections from Gudvangen to Aurland and Flåm. Those who come with their own boat will find berths in these two places.
mobility
The E16 is the only road along the banks of the fjord on the short route between Flåm and Aurland. Otherwise the fjord banks are not accessible by car.
If you want the greatest possible mobility on the Aurlandsfjord, this means that you have to use ship or boat.
Tourist Attractions
- The Beitelen is the vertically rising rock that marks the transition from the Nærøyfjord to the Aurlandsfjord.
- The courtyard Stigen lies at 300 m above the Aurlandsfjord on the slope between Undredal and the mouth of the Nærøyfjord. The farm is only accessible via a narrow, steep path from the small pier by the fjord. In the meantime, the steepest sections have been softened by a rock blast; in the past you actually had to climb up here using a ladder ("stigen"). After the farm was abandoned in the 70s of the last century, it is now again used for both agricultural and tourist purposes in the summer months.
- Otternes Bygdetun open-air museum, Nyheim, 5745 Aurland (Located halfway between Flåm and Aurland above the E16 at around 110 m above sea level.). Tel.: 47 57 63 11 32, Email: [email protected]. The old courtyard consists of 27 buildings, some of which date from the 17th century. First traces of settlement from around 300 AD. can be found there, which show that the region around the Aurlandsfjord, which was inaccessible at the time, was populated early on. In the museum village, old handicraft techniques such as spinning, weaving, yarn dyeing and old baking traditions are kept alive. Restaurant with regional products.Open: 01 June -15. Sept., daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.Price: Entry NOK 50, with a guided tour NOK 80.
activities
You can explore the fjord either with a regular ferry ride, with a trip on one of the tourist excursion boats, on an organized tour on speed boats or on your own with a canoe - you can take advantage of all the offers from Aurland as well as from Flåm.
kitchen
All three places offer gastronomic offers directly at the ferry docks, which, however, can be overcrowded right after the excursion ships dock. In Aurland and Flåm the selection is larger than in Undredal, but you should definitely not try the local goat cheese specialties in the latter (geitost) miss.
Another special feature is the restaurant in the Otterness open-air museum, which offers dishes made from local products, some of which are produced in-house.
- Otternes Bygdetun, Nyheim, 5745 Aurland. Tel.: 47 57 63 11 32, Email: [email protected]. Open: 01 June -15. Sept., daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.Price: 2-course menu from NOK 250.
