Flåm and Myrkdalen have many popular activities to offer
Whether you’re off on holiday with your family or friends, want peace and quiet or a little action, or I’m mostly interested in history, you’ll find something to tempt you from all the delights that Myrkdalen and Flåm have to offer.
Norway’s most spectacular railway journey – the Flåm Railway
Can you really say you’ve been to Flåm if you’ve never travelled on the Flåm Railway? This 80-year-old railway is one of the jewels in the Flåm crown and one of the most popular attractions in Norway. You’ll be impressed, regardless of whether or not you’re a train fan. Because of the incredibly beautiful Flåmsdalen with its steep mountainsides, waterfalls and turquoise streams. Or because of the steep gradient, the tunnel that turns through 180 degrees with views over the valley from both sides, and the fact that 18 of the 20 terminals were made by hand.
Flåm Railway can be experienced as part of the railway journey to or from Flåm, on a return journey from Flåm or just travel up before then cycling, hiking or taking the Flåm Zipline back down.
Fjord Cruise Nærøyfjord – world heritage on our doorstep
The fjord is the other real jewel in the Flåm region’s crown. A fjord cruise between Flåm and Gudvangen will take you through both the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord over a couple of hours. The Nærøyfjord and the surrounding landscape are on the UNESCO World Heritage list on account of their distinctive and unspoiled landscape.
The electric boat Future of the Fjords and the hybrid Vision of the Fjords, which runs on batteries in the Nærøyfjord, can bring you up close to nature with no background noise. Both boats have a modern design, with huge windows so that you can enjoy impressive views even from the indoor lounges.
Turn back time 1000 years in the Viking Village of Njardarheimr
Viking Valley in Gudvangen may not have opened until 2017, but when you walk through the door it really feels like you’re stepping into a different era. You’ll encounter real Vikings – or in any case, people who live like Vikings some or all of the time. They live in the village and use original crafting methods. If you pop your head round the door of the smithy at the edge of the village, you’ll see the smith working on ironwork to be used on the buildings or maybe even a sword, and if you venture a bit further into the village you might see someone dyeing wool using natural ingredients. The storytellers will take you on a journey through the village and history and provide you with great insight into how the Vikings actually lived.
And whatever you do, don’t leave until you’ve tried axe throwing or archery!
Enjoy the view from the Stegastein viewing platform
A trip up Stegastein along Snøvegen between Aurland and Lærdal is another must when you’re in Flåm. 650 metres over the Aurlandsfjord, this viewing platform projects 30 metres out into the air. The old road between Aurland and Lærdal is a National Tourist Route and is popularly known as Snøvegen (the Snow Road) – you can probably guess why.
The actual viewing platform was completed in 2006 and was designed by Todd Saunders and Tommie Wilhelmsen. There are panoramic views over the Aurlandsfjord here, down to Aurlandsvangen and the beautiful fjord landscape with its steep mountainsides. You can get here in your own car, or take a 90-minute audio-guided tour from Flåm.
Combined cycling and hiking
Cycling and hiking are good ways of exploring an area, so what could be better than combining the two? From central Myrkdalen, you can cycle up towards Vikafjell, where there are plenty of high mountain trails to choose from. Two great options are to cycle to the end of Kvassdalen and walk up Grungagjelet and then on to the farms at Vetle Grungen, or you can carry on up the hairpin bends on the Vikafjell Plateau and walk along the five mountain lakes in Sendedalen. Tip! Try an electric bike – that’ll save your energy for hiking.
Pedal away on your own bike, or hire one from Myrkdalen. If you’d like to develop some local knowledge and get to know the area better at the same time, you can book a guided tour of Vetle Grungen.
Take the Myrkdalen Mountain Express
The first uphill section is often the hardest, and who hasn’t longed for a lift that could just transport them up to the top at one time or another? And that’s exactly what Myrkdalen has to offer. The Myrkdalen Express chairlift will take you from the Myrkdalen Hotel to Ondrahaugen, 860 metres above sea level, in just a few minutes! You can head in any direction from there. Head up to the peak at Finnbunuten, hike to Mørkvesstølen or take a nature trail for families down the path from Vetlebotn to Helgatun.
Or maybe you’d prefer just to take the chairlift back down again? That’s definitely quite an experience in itself.
Try your luck fishing in Myrkdalen
Just imagine catching your own dinner on your holiday! Feeling that tug on your fishing line is just wonderful no matter how old you are, and there are lots of streams and mountain lakes where you can try your luck in and around Myrkdalen. Take the whole family on a trip to Sendedalen on Vikafjell, where the path runs along a mountain lake that’s ideal for both fishing and swimming.
If you fancy trying fly fishing, you have a unique opportunity to join in with a course with Ingvild Aurdal, one of Norway’s best fly fisherwomen, in July and August. If you’ve already done some fishing, she also runs weekly courses for experienced fishermen and women in July and August.
Family-friendly mountain biking
Cycling is fun, but it’s even more enjoyable when you’re cycling over rough terrain and various obstacles that you encounter along the way. Myrkdalen is perfect for families who enjoy active holidays. Here, you and the kids just have to set out onto the 850 sq m pumptrack and over the set trails at Myrkdalen Hotel.
Every day throughout the summer, both adults and children can join in with mountain biking courses at both beginner and technical level. For children, the emphasis is on learning to ride and having fun on two wheels, while adults get to learn basic mountain biking techniques.