Fjordland Regions Guide - $section

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Fjordland is Norway's most important tourist destination with its breathtaking scenery of high mountains, spectacular fjords and glaciers. These are the alluring images of Norway, a wild and rugged landscape and deep, peaceful waters.

Carved by glacial ice in river valleys, the fjords are diverse in character, each with individual qualities and attractions as they wind their way inland, some with lush green fields alongside and others with steep mountains plunging straight down into the deep water. Geirangerfjorden is a tiny S-shaped fjord with magnificent waterfalls, sheer, rugged sides and striking scenery. Sognefjord is the best known of the fjords, the longest and deepest, with several charming villages such as Balestrand and Flåm ,and old stave churches along its shores. Surrounded by towering mountains is the narrowest and most impressive branch of the Sognefjord, the beautiful Nærøyfjord. To the north lies the Nordfjord, dominated by the vast ice plateau of the Jostedalsbreen glacier that trickles down into the surrounding valleys, giving the water its distinctive blue-green colour.

A highlight of the region's attractions is the Flåm Railway, with the steepest track gradient in the world that took 20 years to build. In a masterful piece of engineering the railway twists and turns its slow way down through numerous tunnels, dropping 2,952 ft (900m) to the valley below and ending at a tiny arm of the Sognefjord. Along the way the train passes magnificent mountain scenery and is regarded as one of the most exciting train rides in all of Europe.

Bergen is the gateway to the Fjords, an attractive city with a delightful natural setting and is a superb base from which to explore the area.