Fjord Norway – Sognefjord

This September we had the great opportunity to go and discover Fjord Norway! This beautiful region in Norway is well known for its fjords, mountains, glaciers and many outdoor activities. During our road trip we’ve visited different places around two of the main fjords in the area: the Hardangerfjord and the Sognefjord. This blogpost is about places to go around the Sognefjord!

Read more about places to go around the Hardangerfjord here!

Sognefjord

The Sognefjord is the longest fjord in Norway. It’s 205 km long and reaches all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the small village Skjolden. The Sognefjord runs through many villages from where you can have spectacular views and enjoy some great outdoor activities. We will list some places to go around the Sognefjord we would definitely recommend!

Flåm

Flåm is a little village in the Aurlandsfjord – a branch of the Sognefjord. Here you can find lots of outdoor activities and boat trips across the beautiful fjords. Flåm has become quite touristic but we believe it is still worth a visit, mainly because of two great activities: the amazing Fjordsafari and the Flamsbana trainride combined with a mountainbike descent.

Fjordsafari

The Fjordsafari was one of our favorite activities during our stay around the Sognefjord. During the Fjord Safari you’ll get into a Zodiac and cross through the Aurlandsfjord deep into the spectacular Nærøfjord. The Nærøfjord is a branch of the Sognefjord and it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This beautiful fjord is 18 kilometer long and is only 500m wide in some parts. During the way the guide stopped multiple times for some beautiful sights, seals or talks about the Norwegian legends. It’s really great to experience the enthusiasm and love the guides have for their fjords. The Nærøfjord is breathtaking and amazingly beautiful when seen from sea-level perspective. The Fjordsafari takes about 2 hours and is highly recommended!

Flamsbana – Mountainbike

Flamsbana – The Flåm railway is a train journey with some spectacular panoramic views over the Flåm valley. We took the train up to Myrdal and put our rented mountainbikes on the train so we could bike back down to Flåm. The journey with the train was beautiful, we started in the fog but ended up above the cloads in the bright sun. Biking down towards Flåm was great! We cycled down hairpins and passed many waterfalls and beautiful houses. We also came across a herd of goats that was blocking the road. 🙂 We definitely recommend you to rent a bike in Flåm, take it on the train and bike down from Myrdal!

Balestrand

Balestrand is a little village alongside the fjord. During our stay we slept in the historic Kviknes Hotel. This grand hotel along the fjord is quite impressive! A 30 minute drive from Balestrand you can find a viewpoint called Utsikten. There is a special platform build from where you can see the hair pinned road and a stunning view of the mountains.

Aurlandsfjellet Road

The Aurlandsfjellet Road is a spectacular mountain road we would definitely recommend you to drive! It starts around Aurland and ends at the village Lærdal. (If you search for a hotel in Aurland take a look at the beautiful Vangsgaarden Hotel!) On the way you’ll find desert like landscapes, lakes and high mountains. Keep in mind we drove here in September, this road is called ‘the Snow Road’ in Winter. On the way you’ll pass Stegastein, a viewpoint 650 meters above the fjord. Here you’ll have a fantastic view over the fjords. When we departed from Aurland there was lots of fog and just at 600 m above the fjord we passed the fog and had this spectacular view of the fjords filled with clouds!

Lærdal

Lærdal is located on the south side of the Sognefjord. It’s a small village alongside the Lærdal river. Here you’ll find beautiful wooden houses dated from the mid 18th century. Next to these authentic houses you can visit the Norse Villakssenter: a Norwegian Wild salmon Centre. Here you’ll find everything you can and want to know about salmon! You can even observe wild salmon and sea-trout in the observatory build in the well-known salmon river: Lærdalselvi.

Vikjafellet Road

Another beautiful mountain road we passed was Vikjafellet Road. It’s situated between Vik and Voss and only open outside of winter. Lots of Norwegians have summer houses here, so you’ll find a lot of cozy Norwegian houses among the beautiful landscapes.

 

We hope you’ll have enough inspiration for places to go when traveling to Norway! We definitely think the Fjords in Norway are something special, and different from all other places we have been. Please feel free to ask us any questions about our trip or the places we went!

PS: Have you ever thought about hiking the 22km of Trolltunga? Check our photo guide here and see what you can expect.

This post was made in partnership with Visit Norway and Fjord Norway who sponsored our trip to the fjords. All our opinions and photos are our own.