Yiiihaaa! Meet two modern-day Vikings who arent just fascinated by Viking culture they are living it! Such valleys are fjords when flooded by the ocean. The steep mountains on either side of the fjord reach heights of 1100 metres (3608 feet) high, which makes for spectacular views. What makes them the best, in our opinion? The fjord is home to many waterfalls, of which, The Seven Sisters (De Syv Sstrene) are the most famous. This fjord was a freshwater lake until 1743 when a flood eroded the river bed and allowed sea water to flow in at high tide. Its simply sure to strike a chord. On some glaciers, you can even go summer skiing. Several times during these ice ages, huge sheets of ice covered both Norway and the surrounding seas. In Danish, the word may even apply to shallow lagoons. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Seasons and climate in Norway | Weather and temperatures Nearest airport to fjord: Troms Airport (113.7km). What Is a Fjord - How the Sognefjord Was Formed Global and Planetary Change, 24(3), 211-231. This is why fjords can be thousands of meters deep. [30], As a loanword from Norwegian,[26] it is one of the few words in the English language to start with the sequence fj. There are many fascinating historical sites for history buffs, ruins of ancient buildings, art and folklore museums, open-air museums, and Viking Era sites. [43] Nordfjordeid is the isthmus with a village between Hornindalsvatnet lake and Nordfjord. [54] Some freshwater fjords such as Slidrefjord are above the marine limit. In the Finnish language, a word vuono is used although there is only one fjord in Finland. Norway | Facts, Points of Interest, Geography, & History J.H. Life in Longyearbyen During the Polar Night, Radisson Blu Troms: A Waterfront Arctic Hotel Review. In the Earth's last ice age, glaciers covered just about everything. Such land between the fjord and the lake is often the best farmland as well as where many villages and towns are located. They are home to several types of fish, plankton and sea anemones. Nicknamed King of the Fjords, Sognefjord is the longest and deepest of all the fjords in Norway. Spatial variability of diapycnal mixing and turbulent dissipation rates in a stagnant fjord basin. We chatted about life in the Norwegian fjords, but also a little about the unique physical characteristics of the fjords. The Geirangerfjord and the Nryfjord are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. [21] The term skerry is derived from the Old Norse sker, which means a rock in the sea.[23]. Since this discovery is fairly new, little research has been done. [2] Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, British Columbia (Canada), Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands (Denmark), Montenegro, Iceland, Ireland, Kamchatka (Russia), the Kerguelen Islands (France), Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada), New Zealand, Norway, Novaya Zemlya (Russia), Nunavut (Canada), Quebec (Canada), Argentina, Russia, South Georgia Island (United Kingdom), Tasmania (Australia), Scotland and the states of Washington, Maine, and Alaska (United States). Nearest airport to fjord: Sogndal Airport (26.3km). We hope its helpful as a resource for planning your fjord road trip. While fjords can be found in many countries, the fjords of Norway are particularly famous, numerous and easily accessible. Often, waterfalls form at or near the outlet of the upper valley. Such deltas offer some of the best ground for farming, enjoy mild climate and were traditional points for transfer between land and sea transport. The Aurlandsfjord is another one of the branches of the larger Sognefjord. Road access is often quickest and easiest through Sweden or Finland. The fjords develop best in mountain ranges against which the prevailing westerly marine winds are orographically lifted over the mountainous regions, resulting in abundant snowfall to feed the glaciers. . Drammensfjorden is one example. Thick forests of spruce and pine predominate in the broad glacial valleys up to 2,800 feet (850 metres) above sea level in eastern Norway and 2,300 feet (700 metres) in the Trondheim region. Take your pick of our adventure holidays in Norway. {{price}} {{:postprice}}{{postprice}}{{/}} Please strive to leave as small a footprint as possible. From the citys port, you can take a cruise up Lyseford, where you see goats grazing on the fjord side, have the opportunity to drink from fresh mountain waterfalls, or just get a different perspective on Preikestolen. Preikestolen (which translates as The Pulpit Rock, and is pictured above) is also in the area. This word has survived only as a suffix in names of some Scandinavian fjords and has in same cases also been transferred to adjacent settlements or surrounding areas for instance Hardanger, Stavanger and Geiranger.[35][36]. Hanging valleys also occur underwater in fjord systems. Why should you go there? "Over a period of 2.5 million years, the U-shaped valleys were carved out of the ground during a succession of glacial cycles. Trolls? Places where time moves at its own pace. The fjords, mountains and waterfalls in Western and Northern Norway attract several hundred thousand foreign tourists each year. This caused the valleys to fill with water and become the fjords we know today. This makes them popular harbors for ships. Stretching 1,581 miles (2,544 km) along the Atlantic coast with a range of altitudes, weather in Norway's fjords can change frequently. With its spellbinding surroundings, broad views, and numerous possibilities for outdoor Its raw, rough, and full of contrasts. The river Nrydalselvi flows down the Nrydalen valley into the fjord, which stretches from Gudvangen to Mount Beitelen and the Aurlandsfjord. The fjords of Fjord Norway, exemplified by the Geirangerfjord and the Nryfjord, were granted World Heritage status by UNESCO in 2005. Powered by Encyclopedic EntryVocabulary A fjordis a long, deep, narrow body of water that reaches far inland. Examples include: Some Norwegian freshwater lakes that have formed in long glacially carved valleys with sill thresholds, ice front deltas or terminal moraines blocking the outlet follow the Norwegian naming convention; they are frequently named fjords. {{/}} Start off with a fjord cruise, an easyhike or relaxing walk by the fjord, or take a guided tourto viewing points of the fjords, mountains, and waterfalls. Distance from Bergen: Around 300km; 6 hours by car and ferry. https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Fjords_of_Norway&oldid=4686637, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Trondheimsfjord runs from the large Hitra island to the interior town of, The Oslofjord is key to the geography of lowlands and flatlands around. It's an inlet off the Raftsundet strait and one of the narrowest of all the fjords, with a width of just just 100 metres (330 feet) at its mouth. Itll leave you floored. See our selection of companies that work hard to make you happy all through yourtrip. Nryfjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They truly are one of natures remarkable creations. Let us know! Arguably Norway's most iconic and recognisable sight is the Norwegian fjords. With thesetrips you will get plenty of fjordviews, fabulous hikes and tasty treats. Your Guide to the Ultimate Norway Cruise | Cruise Critic Watch on Sognefjorden, a fjord in Norway, is more than 160 kilometers (nearly 100 miles) long.Fjords were created by glaciers. The opening toward the sea is called the mouth of the fjord, and is often shallow. [31] The word was for a long time normally spelled fiord,[32] a spelling preserved in place names such as Grise Fiord. Most of the Scandinavian coastline is cut into thousands of little blocks of land. In eastern Norway, the term is also applied to long narrow freshwater lakes (Randsfjorden and Tyrifjorden) and sometimes even to rivers (for instance in Fl in Hallingdal, the Hallingdal river is referred to as fjorden). Guided tours are offered in many places, and are an effective and rewarding wayto explore the landscape. This list of Norwegian fjords shows many of the fjords in Norway. Geirangerfjord is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful fjords in all of Norway. [18], The Gaupnefjorden branch of Sognefjorden is strongly affected by freshwater as a glacial river flows in. Nearly half of the inhabitants of the country live in the far south, in the region around Oslo, the capital. Awinter journey from Bergen to Flmis strongly recommended. Where the major rivers of these valleys flow into the deep fjords characteristic deltas are created. But relax. Enjoy! Fjord facts The fjords were created when the weight of huge glaciers carved out valleys over time. 2022 Travel Media Awards Finalist: 'Young Travel Writer of the Year', 'Sustainability Feature of the Year'. Words of Norway tells the stories of Norway to the world, and helps Norwegian companies do the same. Many freshwater lakes in the interior are called fjords, for instance Randsfjorden and Tyrifjorden, even lake Mjsa is called "the fjord" by locals. Kayak is a fine and peaceful mode of transport, but mostly for sightseeing on shorter stretches, kayakers should be cautious at steep cliffs as rocks may plunge to the fjord. For other uses, see, Other glaciated or formerly glaciated regions. On foot: The fjord region offers a great opportunity for a hiking holiday. In Faroese fjrur is used both about inlets and about broader sounds, whereas a narrower sound is called sund. Used to have endless fun doing the little bits in the fjords. The Norwegian fjords and surrounding settlements inspired Disney's movie Frozen. Before or in the early phase of Old Norse angr was another common noun for fjords and other inlets of the ocean. 37, 129-144, Arneborg, L., Janzen, C., Liljebladh, B., Rippeth, T., Simpson, J. H. & Stigebrandt, A. Traditionally the fjords were the highways of large parts of Norway, because overland transport was often difficult, slow or virtually impossible. What fun were having. We joined the train driver and crew at work on the beautiful Flm Railway. This is one of my all time favorite Norway itineraries, but you'll need at least two weeks for this - it will be even better with three weeks. Mostraumen fjord cruise. The mountains are 50 million years old. The nearly vegetation-free . More than anything, the fjord landscapes evoke images of Norway in the past: A time when people lived as farmers in impossibly steep and rocky surroundings (in certain places they still do). Unesco World Heritage sites include Bryggen in Bergen, Urnes Stave Church, the fjords of Nryfjord and Geirangerfjord, and the surrounding landscapes. Flight, hotel and rental car, Strmma - Norwegian city sightseeing with bus and boat, Book Nordics Nordic Adventures Your Way, Go Fjords - Tours and activities all over Norway, Brim Explorer Silent fjord tours by electric catamaran, Book camping all across Norway with Campcation, Rauland Skiing holidays in stunning mountain scenery, My Nordic Travel - Do It Yourself, make your own itinerary. With the many slender waterfalls, woodlands, glacial lakes, and rugged mountains, its hard to disagree! Distance from Bergen: Around 250km; four and a half hours by car with a ferry crossing. Based in Trondheim, we are Norway's English language publishing company. But now the wares havechanged. Book Nordics - hundreds of activities, tours and day cruises in Norway. 5 of the best fjord cruises from Bergen - Routes North At the end of the fjord sits the picturesque Geiranger, a small village with a population of just 250. [22], In some places near the seaward margins of areas with fjords, the ice-scoured channels are so numerous and varied in direction that the rocky coast is divided into thousands of island blocks, some large and mountainous while others are merely rocky points or rock reefs, menacing navigation.