Fjærlandsfjord

Fjærlandsfjorden is a fjord arm that branches north off the Sognefjord in Sogndal Municipality, Vestland county, running 25 km (16 mi), or 27 km by another account, from the village of Fjærland south to the Sognefjord near Balestrand. Its mouth lies between Veganeset at Dragsvik in the west and Hella in the east, linked by ferry, and about 4 km in, the Vetlefjorden branches off to the north while the main fjord bends north-east; the Esefjorden is another small arm. About 1.5 km (0.9 mi) wide, the fjord is walled by steep mountains and much of it has no road along its shores; the only habitable land is at its head, a flat river valley stretching north, and the inner fjord and Fjærland can be reached only by boat or through long road tunnels. Road 5 meets the eastern shore between the 6.7 km (4.2 mi) Frudal Tunnel and the 2.6 km (1.6 mi) Berg Tunnel, which leads on to the head of the fjord, where the Norwegian Glacier Museum stands, with the Supphelledalen valley and the Jostedalsbreen glacier 7 km (4.3 mi) further north; Mundal, the centre of Fjærland, lies on the west side 2 km from the head, and in summer a ferry runs up the fjord from Balestrand.

Background

Fjærlandsfjorden is an arm of the Sognefjord in Sogndal Municipality, Vestland county, branching north from the main fjord. Some 25 km long, it reaches from the village of Fjærland south to the Sognefjord near Balestrand, and the small Esefjorden and Vetlefjorden open off it. About 1.5 km wide, it lies between steep mountains, and only its head, a flat river valley running north, is habitable; the inner fjord around Fjærland can be reached only by boat or through long road tunnels, and the western portal of the Frudal Tunnel stands close to the shore.

Source: Wikipedia, "Fjærlandsfjorden"

Highlights

• The steep walls - mountains rising on both sides of a fjord about 1.5 km wide.
• The summer ferry - boats up the fjord from Balestrand in summer.
• The fjord head - the only habitable land, a flat river valley running north.
• The Glacier Museum - the Norwegian Glacier Museum at the head of the fjord, 7 km south of the Jostedalsbreen.

When to go

May to September; in summer a ferry runs up the fjord from Balestrand.

Things to know

Much of the fjord has no road along its shores, and the inner part around Fjærland can be reached only by boat or through long road tunnels.

Nearby

From the middle of the fjord, Fjærland is about 11 km and the Norwegian Glacier Museum about 14 km to the north-north-east, Balestrand about 13 km to the south-west, Vangsnes about 15 km to the south and Sogndal about 24 km to the east-south-east, in a straight line.

Key facts