Sognefjord

The Sognefjord reaches more than two hundred kilometres inland from the coast, the longest and deepest fjord in Norway, its main channel branching into famous arms like the Naeroyfjord and Fjaerland. Along it run the celebrated Flam railway, old stave churches and villages beneath glaciers, making it the grand trunk of fjord Norway.

Background

The fjord runs 205 kilometres inland through Vestland county, ending at the village of Skjolden in Luster Municipality, and it lends its name to the district of Sogn. The name is linked to the Norwegian súg-, to suck, probably after the pull of tidal currents at the mouth. Its greatest depth, 1308 metres, lies in the central part near Høyanger, and for about 100 kilometres, from Rutledal to Hermansverk, the water is more than 1000 metres deep. Near the mouth the floor climbs steeply to a sill lying about 100 metres below sea level. During the last glaciation the ice here was nearly 3,000 meters thick, and the whole system with its branches holds about 500 km3.

Source: Wikipedia, "Sognefjord"

Highlights

• The Flam railway - the spectacular branch railway climbing from the fjord to the mountains.
• The fjord branches - the Naeroyfjord, Aurlandsfjord and Fjaerland arms.
• Stave churches - medieval wooden churches like Urnes and Borgund near its shores.
• Glacier villages - Fjaerland beneath the Jostedalsbreen ice.

When to go

Late spring and summer for full waterfalls, open roads and running boats; the shoulder seasons are quieter and often clearer. Its length means picking a base and a branch rather than seeing it all.

Things to know

It is vast and diffuse, so there is no single viewpoint - you choose an arm and a base and explore from there. The popular sections around Flam get busy with cruise and rail traffic. It rewards several days and a mix of boat, rail and road rather than a quick look.

Nearby

Flam, the Naeroyfjord, the Urnes stave church and the Jostedalsbreen glacier all lie along or off it.

Key facts