The storms that rocked our ship last night caused major mudslides in Flåm. As a result, our train/coach excursion described as the “quintessential Norway experience” was cancelled. Ted and I were looking forward to this excursion as one of the highlights of our cruise. The trip is described as one of the most beautiful railway journeys in the world. The route climbs nearly 3,000 feet and passes through 20 tunnels, with photo stops at two noteworthy waterfalls and an open-air museum before reaching the famous Stalheim Hotel. We were supposed to have lunch on the hotel veranda, overlooking the Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The return trip takes the mountain descent known as the Stalheimskleiva, one of the steepest roads in Europe with 13 hairpin turns. It is described as “not a trip for those who fear heights” and can be found on the “dangerous roads” website.
The cruise director did an amazing overnight job of arranging an alternate (complimentary) excursion for those of us who were planning to take the railway/coach trip. (The price of the rail/coach trip was refunded, of course.) The alternate excursion was a three-hour cruise into the Nærøyfjord. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is one of the most beautiful fjords in the world and is largely unspoiled by human development. It was a very satisfactory alternative to the rail/coach trip.
Our day began early. We were told last night that we would enter the fjord at 7:00 am and that it would be well worth getting up early to see the scenery in the fjord along the two-hour approach to Flåm. We’ve been getting up early every day since June 27, so what’s new? We did get up early, and it was worth it. In the early morning, low clouds and fog were hanging over the fjord, creating picturesque views all the way.
Near Flåm on the Nærøyfjord. There is a road on the other side of the water.
Beautiful, just beautiful!
This is described as one of the most spectacular fjord areas in the world, with steep mountains rising to nearly 6,000 feet above the water. Some of the farms along the fjord are inaccessible for up to eight months of the year. You really have to be self-sufficient to survive like that! To communicate with each other, the population on this fjord has had a postal service since the mid-1600s.
You can’t make up this kind of beauty.
This farm has its own ZIP code. (Apologies for the window reflection. There were no outside decks on this boat.)
While I was taking pictures along the fjord, a man sitting nearby told me that if I want beautiful pictures, I can just go to www.fjords.com. I guess I could do that for just about anything I want to see, but why would I want to collect pictures instead of seeing these things for myself? I don’t even want to check out that website!
Waterfalls are everywhere along the fjord. This is one of the larger ones.
We’re happy to be here, even though it’s not yet 8:00 am, it’s 47 degrees, and we’re wearing two jackets each in July.
Flåm is a very small town. That lack of development is part of what makes this fjord special. Because it has such a small harbor, the larger cruise ships cannot dock here, so the town is not overrun with thousands and thousands of people each day. It’s definitely a treat to visit a place this beautiful.
This is the entire town of Flåm. It’s about the size Hingham was when I lived there.
Compare the city map of Flåm on the right to the city map of Stavanger on the left. Definitely fewer streets in Flåm!