About Flam, Norway
Flam is a village in Flamsdalen, at the inner end of the
Aurlandsfjorden—a branch of Sognefjorden. The village is located
in the municipality of Aurland in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway.
The fjord village is located in the inner part of the magic Sognefjord
– the scenic Aurlandsfjord branch. From Flam there are fjord cruises to
the UNESCO World heritage, dramatic Naeroyfjord – the narrow fjord, to
the tiny fjord village of Gudvangen. In Flam you can also board the
express steamer to Bergen, taking you through the magic Sognefjord,
with ports of call in fjord villages such as Leikanger, Balestrand and
Vik. Flam is also the start and final station of the famous,
unforgettable Flam Railway.
Plan and Book:
Overview
Flam, meaning “little place with steep mountains,” could not have a
more perfect name. The storybook hamlet, population 450, is nestled on
Aurlandsfjord, the innermost arm of the world’s second longest fjord,
Sognefjord, which stretches halfway to Sweden. With its snow-capped
mountains, waterfalls, river, meadows and picturesque farms, Flam is
beautiful throughout the year, but most popular in the summer when
travelers flock here for the dramatic fjords and outdoor activities.
Flam is also a good starting point for a day trip to Naeroyfjord, an
arm of Sognefjord, and newly designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Flam’s popularity as a tourist destination began in the late 19th
century with the arrival of steam ships carrying English and German
passengers. Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm and Europe’s royals were also
frequent summer visitors – attracted by salmon fishing in the Flam
River. In 1909, the opening of the Bergen Railway established Flam as a
junction for passengers and goods between Oslo and Bergen. Back then,
horse drawn buggies carried vacationers through the spectacular region.
Today, Flam is Norway’s fourth largest cruise port (by number of calls
– fifth largest by number of passengers). Around 175 cruise ships
squeeze through the narrow fjord annually, bringing thousands of
visitors to the tiny town. As terminus for the celebrated Flamsbana,
considered one of the world’s most scenic rail trips, Flam also
receives several hundred thousand train visitors a year. Thousands of
Norwegians come in summer and fall to experience Rallarvegen, a
spectacular cycling route.
Attractions and Activities
Flamsbana – The Flam Railway, is a spectacular train journey that
offers a panoramic view of some of the wildest and most magnificent
nature in the Norwegian fjord landscape. It has one of the steepest
trainlines in the world on normal tracks, where almost 80 percent of
the journey has a gradient of 5.5 percent. The train journey runs
through fantastic nature, past the Rallar road, steep mountains,
breathtaking waterfalls, through 20 tunnels and offers so many
viewpoints that many feel like travelling multiple times between the
mountain and the fjord. In the span of a single hour, the train takes
you from the ocean level at the Sognefjord in Flam, to the mountaintop
at Myrdal mountain station on Hardangervidda, 867 meters over the
ocean. Myrdal is also a station on the Bergen railway, which means that
Flamsbana corresponds with the trains on the Oslo – Bergen line.
The beautiful Flam valley with the Flam river and tiny farm houses,
surrounded by spectacular mountain peaks, is an excellent area for
hiking & biking trips. From Flam you can enjoy beautiful fjord
cruises and adventurous activities such as kayaking trips.
Individual fjord trips can include stays in the fjord village of Flam,
cruises on the narrow Naeroyfjord (a UNESCO World heritage fjord) and
the Aurlandsfjord, the Flam Railway, the Bergen train line, the
breathtaking Stalheimskleiven hairpin road with marvelous views of the
Stalheim canyon.
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