Christmas and New Year in Flåm

Christmas activities

To put you in the right Christmas mood, we have decorated the whole of Flåm with winter lights both inside and outside. Stop by our Visitor Center to admire our Gingerbread town, maybe you can recognize some of the buildings? In December you also get to taste gingerbread cookies and the traditional Norwegian “gløgg”, an alcohol-free mulled wine, here.

Also make sure to join our Christmas Calendar in the Visitor Center everyday between 1st – 24th December.

Fretheim Hotel

The historical Fretheim Hotel and its restaurant Arven is open every day throughout the season. For a proper Norwegian winter experience, gather around the bon fire in the garden after a day out. On Christmas Eve guests are invited to aperitif, storytelling, and handing out of Christmas gifts in the Lobby bar before the Christmas buffet is served.

Food & Drink

Food and drink are an important part of all travels, and maybe even more so during the Christmas time which is the perfect time to try some traditional favourites. Restaurant Arven at Fretheim Hotel is open every evening from 19:00. Try the daily 3-course meal or choose from the a la carte menu, a buffet is served between 20 December and 1 January. A full Christmas buffet is served on 3rd, 4th, and 11th December as well as 24th December. New Year’s Eve buffet is served on 31 December.

For lunch, drop by Flåm Bakery for homemade sandwiches and pastries. The bakery is open every day.

If you are in Flåm on the day of Christmas Eve, make sure to drop by Fretheim Hotel’s Lobby bar at 14:00 to try the designated Christmas Eve lunch for families all across Norway: rice porridge. It is made of rice and milk, served with cinnamon and sugar, and traditionally there is an almond hidden in the pot. The finder of the almond usually wins either a marzipan pig or seasonal chocolate.

Join Santa Claus on the Flåm Railway

Sunday 12th December will be a day filled with fun and good food for the whole family. First you can join Santa Claus on a journey with the Flåm Railway return trip from Flåm to Myrdal. Rumours has it that Santa got a small surprise waiting as well.

After the train ride, Fretheim Hotel invites to a family-oriented Christmas buffet in Restaurant Arven. Pre-booking is necessary. There will not only be a special buffet for children, but also a Christmas workshop. Maybe Santa will drop by with a small surprise here too? 

White Christmas in Myrkdalen

We must be honest and admit that Flåm is not the most snow-rich place in Norway. 45 minutes’ drive away, on the other hand, you find Myrkdalen – one of the country’s most snow sure destinations. Here you find the largest ski resort in Western Norway with slopes suitable for all levels, cross country trails, and a fantastic off-piste terrain. Myrkdalen Hotel and the cafés throughout the resort offer delicious food. If skiing is not your thing, you can join other activities such as horse sleigh rides. On selected days you can even experience dog sledding! Every afternoon throughout the season the ski school organize sledging with snowracers from the top of the chair lift – a lovely and adrenalin filled way to end the day.

The Fjords & Mountain bus have two daily departures between Flåm and Myrkdalen in weekends and Christmas holiday.

Daily activities

Most of the activities you can enjoy in in Flåm are open daily throughout the winter. Experience magnificent engineering and spectacular nature on the Flåm Railway; reload your batteries with blue winter light and crisp air on a Fjord Cruise Nærøyfjord between Flåm and Gudvangen; and go on a tour to Stegastein Viewpoint to admire the view of the Aurlandsfjord and the UNESCO world heritage listed landscape. 

Shopping

Do you need to do some Christmas shopping? Or maybe you just want a unique souvenir to bring home? Drop by Flåm Store and the Flåm Railway Museum while in Flåm. Here you find a wide variety of Norwegian and Scandinavian brands, as well as locally made handicrafts, and our own Memories from Norway-collections.

No time to go shopping in Flåm? Check out our new online store Memories from Norway, where we offer worldwide shipping.

New Year's Eve Cruise

Start the new year on board the award-winning, fully electrical Future of The Fjords, surrounded by the UNESCO world heritage landscape on the Nærøyfjord. The modern vessel has large panoramic windows allowing you great views to the firework even if you want to stay inside one of the warm lounges, and its full universal design make it possible for everyone to join.

The New Year's Eve Cruise live music and a welcome drink and a New Year’s toast on the boat.