Sognefjorden is a fjord in the county of Sogn og Fjordane in Norway. The district surrounding the fjord is known as Sogn. Sognefjorden is the longest fjord in Europe. Nærøyfjord, a World Heritage Site, is one of the fjords of Sognefjorden.
Understand
The Sognefjord is crossed by the second largest stretch of a powerline in the world. Its span width is 4597 metres !
Do not expect tall pylon at the end of this stretch. They are not required, because of the topography.
Regions
Indre Sogn - literally Inner Sogn. Comprises Aurland, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, and Årdal municipalities.
Ytre Sogn - literally Outer Sogn. Comprises Balestrand, Gulen, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Solund, and Vik municipalities.
Other destinations
Getting there
There are a number of ways to get to the Sognefjord.
By boat - Arguably the most enjoyable way is via a ferry from nearby towns; the most convenient would be one of the high speed catamaran services operated several times each day from Bergen.
By air - The nearest airports are located in Sogndal (IATA : SOG) and Førde(IATA : FDE), although the nearest international airport is located in Bergen (IATA : BGO).
By rail - Reaching the town of Flåm, sitting at the end of a fjord that branches off the Sognefjord, is possible via an incredibly steep railway line. Called Flåmsbana, the railway line is easily accessible from Bergen and Oslo.
By coach - Many of the towns situated along the fjord are also accessible by up to several daily coach services. Long distance coach services connect Sogndal with Lillehammer, Lom, Oslo and Bergen. The outer Sognefjord area is connected by long-distance coaches to Ålesund, Trondheim and Bergen.
Traveling around
There are several local bus lines as well as long-distance coach lines. Companies named and are major operators. There are local high-speed boat services and ferry services. Keep in mind that some routes may have a limited schedule.
Car rental firms are located in Sogndal (three major ones including Avis, Hertz and Europcar), Flåm and Årdalstangen, as well as in Førde which is not located on the Sognefjord.
By boat - The Flåm-Balestrand service is very scenic. Other services is the combined ship sailing between villages on the southern side of the fjord between Ortnevik and Vik. Most villages are without roads. One can also cross the fjord from Ortnevik to Måren and Nordeide.
By ferry - The Sognefjord is crossed at several points by car ferries with frequent departures.
By tourist boat/ferry - There are several summer-only tourist routes, including Fjord1 operated Bergen to Flåm catamaran, the ferries from Flåm and Lærdal to Gudvangen, as well as other trips on the Fjærlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord.
By bus - The larger settlements are served by local buses to rural areas, and long-distance coaches and local buses connect the settlements. The schedules may be very limited, with routes often only operating a couple of times a day, and even a couple of times a week for some sparsely populated areas.
Things to do
The Norwegian Glacier Museum & Ulltveit-Moe Climate Centre in Fjærland offers interactive exhibits and films about the glacier and more. In Fjærland you can also visit the Norwegian Book Town.
Breheimsenteret is information center for glacier national park in the glacier. Enjoy the stunning views of the Nigardsbreen from the restaurant. This is also a centre for outdoor activities. This is located in the Jostedalen valley.
While in Lærdal, The Norwegian Wild Salmon Centre one can explore everything about about salmon and the traditions associated with salmon fisheries. There are interesting exhibits, exciting movies and a salmon observatory.
Through exhibitions, an outdoor museum and a traditional farm with live animals, Sogn Folk Museum / The Heiberg Collections at Kaupanger shows you how life is lived along the Sognefjord.
In the Sognefjord Aquarium in Balestrand you can visit the maritime activity center, where you can observe more than one hundred different species of fish from the Sognefjord.
Eat
In Indre Sogn, the climate is suitable for growing fruits and berries, and alongside Hardanger, it is one of the major areas of fruit production in Norway. A local company named Lerum, located in Kaupanger near Sogndal, makes jam and other fruit and berry products.
The entire county has a strong culinary tradition.
Drink
The tap water is safe to drink, and may be of very good quality. Olden is a bottled water brand from the Jostedalsbreen glacier. There is a brewery in Flåm, called Ægir. Depending on the season, they brew up to eight different types of beer and ale.
Talk
The local dialect, Sognamål (lit. Sogn language) is used to a great extent in Indre Sogn. It is one of the more distinct in Norway.
Safety
The county is one of the safest in Norway.
Towns
Høyanger
Sogndal
Villages
Balestrand
Fjærland -- gateway to Norway's largest glacier
Flåm
Leikanger
Luster
Lærdal
Skjolden -- The innermost town of the fjord
Contact & location
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The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
Sognefjorden is a fjord in the county of Sogn og Fjordane in Norway. The district surrounding the fjord is known as Sogn. Sognefjorden is the longest fjord in Europe. Nærøyfjord, a World Heritage Site, is one of the fjords of Sognefjorden.
Understand
The Sognefjord is crossed by the second largest stretch of a powerline in the world. Its span width is 4597 metres ! Do not expect tall pylon at the end of this stretch. They are not required, because of the topography.
Regions
Indre Sogn - literally Inner Sogn. Comprises Aurland, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, and Årdal municipalities.
Ytre Sogn - literally Outer Sogn. Comprises Balestrand, Gulen, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Solund, and Vik municipalities.
Other destinations
Getting there
There are a number of ways to get to the Sognefjord.
By boat - Arguably the most enjoyable way is via a ferry from nearby towns; the most convenient would be one of the high speed catamaran services operated several times each day from Bergen.
By air - The nearest airports are located in Sogndal (IATA : SOG) and Førde(IATA : FDE), although the nearest international airport is located in Bergen (IATA : BGO).
By rail - Reaching the town of Flåm, sitting at the end of a fjord that branches off the Sognefjord, is possible via an incredibly steep railway line. Called Flåmsbana, the railway line is easily accessible from Bergen and Oslo.
By coach - Many of the towns situated along the fjord are also accessible by up to several daily coach services. Long distance coach services connect Sogndal with Lillehammer, Lom, Oslo and Bergen. The outer Sognefjord area is connected by long-distance coaches to Ålesund, Trondheim and Bergen.
Traveling around
There are several local bus lines as well as long-distance coach lines. Companies named and are major operators. There are local high-speed boat services and ferry services. Keep in mind that some routes may have a limited schedule.
Car rental firms are located in Sogndal (three major ones including Avis, Hertz and Europcar), Flåm and Årdalstangen, as well as in Førde which is not located on the Sognefjord.
By boat - The Flåm-Balestrand service is very scenic. Other services is the combined ship sailing between villages on the southern side of the fjord between Ortnevik and Vik. Most villages are without roads. One can also cross the fjord from Ortnevik to Måren and Nordeide.
By ferry - The Sognefjord is crossed at several points by car ferries with frequent departures.
By tourist boat/ferry - There are several summer-only tourist routes, including Fjord1 operated Bergen to Flåm catamaran, the ferries from Flåm and Lærdal to Gudvangen, as well as other trips on the Fjærlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord.
By bus - The larger settlements are served by local buses to rural areas, and long-distance coaches and local buses connect the settlements. The schedules may be very limited, with routes often only operating a couple of times a day, and even a couple of times a week for some sparsely populated areas.
Things to do
The Norwegian Glacier Museum & Ulltveit-Moe Climate Centre in Fjærland offers interactive exhibits and films about the glacier and more. In Fjærland you can also visit the Norwegian Book Town.
Breheimsenteret is information center for glacier national park in the glacier. Enjoy the stunning views of the Nigardsbreen from the restaurant. This is also a centre for outdoor activities. This is located in the Jostedalen valley.
While in Lærdal, The Norwegian Wild Salmon Centre one can explore everything about about salmon and the traditions associated with salmon fisheries. There are interesting exhibits, exciting movies and a salmon observatory.
Through exhibitions, an outdoor museum and a traditional farm with live animals, Sogn Folk Museum / The Heiberg Collections at Kaupanger shows you how life is lived along the Sognefjord.
In the Sognefjord Aquarium in Balestrand you can visit the maritime activity center, where you can observe more than one hundred different species of fish from the Sognefjord.
Eat
In Indre Sogn, the climate is suitable for growing fruits and berries, and alongside Hardanger, it is one of the major areas of fruit production in Norway. A local company named Lerum, located in Kaupanger near Sogndal, makes jam and other fruit and berry products. The entire county has a strong culinary tradition.
Drink
The tap water is safe to drink, and may be of very good quality. Olden is a bottled water brand from the Jostedalsbreen glacier. There is a brewery in Flåm, called Ægir. Depending on the season, they brew up to eight different types of beer and ale.
Talk
The local dialect, Sognamål (lit. Sogn language) is used to a great extent in Indre Sogn. It is one of the more distinct in Norway.
Safety
The county is one of the safest in Norway.
Towns
Høyanger
Sogndal
Villages
Balestrand
Fjærland -- gateway to Norway's largest glacier
Flåm
Leikanger
Luster
Lærdal
Skjolden -- The innermost town of the fjord
Contact & location
Be the first one to add a review
The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
name_3023, name_24381, name_3660, name_24393
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Claus Hansen, Jani Patokallio, Stacy Hall and Niels Elgaard Larsen, Aqwis, Jelse, Jonboy, Nils and Pdwerryhouse
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at
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