Flåm, Norway

Beautiful Flåm is situated in the innermost part of the Aurlandsfjord, a tributary of the 127 mile-long and up to 4,300 foot-deep Sognefjord. Surrounded by steep mountainsides, roaring waterfalls and deep valleys, Flåm is a paradise for everyone looking for a one-of-a-kind experience with nature.

The name Flåm means “little place between steep mountains,” and at the end of the 1800’s many cruise ships with English and German travelers found their way here to experience Norwegian fjords, mountains and waterfalls. The ships’ passengers laid the foundation for hotel operations and a steady stream of tourists, who were transported in two-wheeled buggies through the spectacular scenery. The Flåm Railway, which passes through the beautiful, narrow Flåm valley, is regarded as a masterpiece of Norwegian engineering. The only thing lacking when the railway line between Oslo and Bergen was opened in 1909, was a branch line to the Sognefjord. In order to assure a transport route to the fjord, work began on the Flåm Railway in 1923. It took over 20 years to complete and came to be known as one of the world’s most fantastic stretches of railroad.

With nature-based activities, many nearby attractions, exciting culture and historic traditions – Flåm has much to offer. From the port of Flåm it is only a short walk to a trip on the famous Flåm Railway.

• Flåm/Myrdal Railway: offers one of the most exciting journeys in Scandinavia, 12 miles long with some 20 tunnels, rising to a height of 2,845 feet; it represents an amazing feat in engineering. The trip to Myrdal takes approximately 40 minutes, slightly longer on the descent, and provides some terrific views.

• Sognefjord: the longest of all Norway’s fjords, Sognefjord thrusts deep into the inner heart of the country, some 110 miles in length. With depths of up to 4,000 feet it is truly the “Father of Fjords” one of Norway’s featured landscapes, left as a relic of ancient Ice Ages when massive movements of thick ice packs inexorably carved out an exit to the sea.