Flom, Norway

Description — Flåm, Norway

The small Norwegian town of Flåm, tucked away among picturesque mountain peaks, is located in the Flåmsdalen valley in the area of Aurlandsfjord and Sognefjord. It is one of the most sparsely populated places in Norway. Only about three hundred people live here. The word “Flåm” means a small meadow surrounded by steep slopes. The Flåm valley was formed over millions of years by several glaciers, which now present themselves as majestic valleys.

For a long time, the village of Flåm has become a true tourist Mecca. Passenger ships regularly call at the local port, offering excursion routes through these places, as well as cruise ships heading from Sweden or the Faroe Islands. Every year, Viking festivals are held here, drawing huge crowds of people eager to watch medieval military battles staged by members of historical clubs and communities connected with Norway’s history, culture, and traditions. On such days, the town’s only hotel fills up very quickly with tourists, and in Flåm the period of unrestrained fun begins.

Within the town limits there are several small residential houses, souvenir shops, and stores. Despite the town’s tiny size, Flåm has a special appeal and a fair share of romance, which is why visiting guests so consistently love the extraordinary charm and beauty of these places.

Climate

The coastal areas have a moderate maritime climate (in the far north-subarctic). In the interior regions, especially in mountainous areas, the climate is continental-hotter in summer and colder in winter. January temperatures range from +2 °C in the southwest to −12 °C in the north, and July from +15 °C to +6 °C accordingly, although sometimes the air warms up to +25 °C even in the north. Arctic exoticism: in midwinter, polar nights prevail here, and during the short summer the sun shines even at midnight.

Flom, Norway
Flomska Railway
Flåm Railway Museum
Fretheim Leisure Park
Nærøy Fjord
Otternes Farm
Frame churches
Snowy Road
Stegastein Viewpoint

Location on the map

Sights

Frame churches

Flåm is a great starting point for those who want to visit the most unusual stave churches in Norway. Near Flåm you’ll find the smallest stave church in Undredal and the stave church in Borgund, which has been preserved the best. Among other frequently visited churches are the ones in Vangen, Flåm and Bakke (entry to them is free). If you continue along the beautiful Sognefjord, you’ll see the stave church in Urnes, one of the oldest of the surviving stave churches. The Urnes Stave Church is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Nærøyfjord. One day will be enough to visit all these churches if you take an excursion from Flåm.

Flåm Railway Museum

At the information center, you will be told about the construction of the Flåm Railway, which has one of the steepest gradients, the technical progress, and the people who were responsible for delivering this large-scale project. Among the exhibits in the information center are a real EL-9 locomotive and several draisines. Here, you can find several exhibitions with documents, photographs, audio recordings, and objects. In addition, you can take a trip along the Flåm Railway on a video screen. At the exit from the museum, there is a souvenir shop where you can choose something to take home as a memento of the Flåm Railway.

Fretheim Leisure Park

The amusement park is located in the center of Flåm, behind the Fretheim hotel. Sculptures, magnificent views, entertainment, and benches for relaxing-everyone will find something interesting to do in the park. Here, over a cup of hot coffee, you can enjoy the beauty of nature and take wonderful photos of the fjord landscapes. There is also a playground for both children and adults. Right in the center of the Fretheim Amusement Park you’ll find the art café Bakkastova-a Norwegian-style house where the hotel’s administration and service staff used to live. At Bakkastova, you can order a cup of coffee and enjoy local baked goods.

What to see

Flom Railway

Flåm Railway is a spectacular rail route along the Norwegian fjords, along its entire length offering a multitude of panoramic views of magnificent wild nature. The Flåm Railway line has one of the steepest gradients in the world. Nearly 80% of the entire journey runs on a 5.5% incline. The train passes by the Rallarvegen road, steep mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, and through 20 tunnels. With so many viewpoints along the route, it feels as though you’re traveling both through the mountains and the fjords at the same time. In just one hour, you’ll ride the train from Sognefjord in Flåm, located at sea level, to Mýrdal Station at the top of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau-863 meters above sea level.

Otternes Farm

On a farm built in the early 18th century, there are just 27 houses, arranged in rows close together against the backdrop of a unique cultural landscape. Otternes is a town with a 400-year history. Here you can learn how local farmers lived and what they did. At the farm, you can see the animals, take an excursion, sample local cuisine, or simply enjoy the peace and beautiful scenery.

Snowy Road

The National Tourist Route that runs along the Aurlandsfjord between Aurland and Lærdal is one of the most beautiful mountain roads in Norway. The road from Lærdal rises from the fjord up into the mountains to an altitude of 1306 meters above sea level. At this height, snow lies all year round-hence the name of the route. In early summer, the height of the snowdrifts can reach 10 meters.

Recommended excursions

Walk through the Nærøyfjord

The narrow Neray Fjord gorge with steep mountain slopes up to 1800 meters high, natural waterfalls, and man-made landscapes-such a view takes your breath away. This is one of the two fjords of Western Norway that were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. The length of this unique fjord is 17 kilometers, and its width at the narrowest point is just 250 meters. Imposing mountains rise sharply from the water’s surface, and waterfalls roar down along their slopes. Along the entire coastline of the fjord, there are small farms with no access roads, as a reminder of earlier times when the main transportation route through this area ran along the fjord’s waters. The Neray Fjord is a branch of the famous Sogne Fjord.

Trip to the Stegastein viewpoint

A trip to the Stegastein viewpoint is a popular excursion from Flåm. The bus passes through the municipality of Aurland, along the Aurlandsfjellet road, which is one of Norway’s National Tourist Routes. The Stegastein viewpoint has a rather unusual structure. The 4-meter-wide platform is made of laminated timber and steel. It extends 30 meters from the mountain summit. Thanks to its distinctive design, the viewpoint is known far beyond Norway. The Stegastein viewpoint extends 30 meters from the rock and hangs over the Aurlandsfjord at a height of 650 meters. From the panoramic view of the majestic fjord, you simply can’t catch your breath. Here you will undoubtedly take the best photos of your vacation. And it’s unlikely that there is any place that could surpass the view from Stegastein in beauty.

For a more detailed list of excursions and their prices, you can check after booking your cruise in your “Customer Personal Account”.