home Perch Li fjord. The incredibly beautiful fjords of Norway

Li fjord. The incredibly beautiful fjords of Norway

Fjord- a narrow and winding bay with rocky shores. Most fjords have tectonic origin and arose as a result of the movement of plates. Many of them were formed due to the melting of the glacier. Usually, the length of the fjord is many times its width. Today fjords can be seen in countries such as: Greenland, Norway, Russia, USA, New Zealand... Most of the fjords are located in Norway. Norway is a land of fjords, here you can travel through fjords such as: Sognefjord, Hardangerfjord, Trondheimsfjord and Nordfjord. I will tell you about my journey through one of the fjords - the Sognefjord.

The Sognefjord is the second largest fjord in the world and the first in Europe. Its length reaches 204 km, and its depth is 1308 meters. This is one of the most picturesque fjords. You can get to it in several ways, I started my journey from the city of Bergen. On the site http://www.fjordtours.no/ there are several options for fjord tours. All of them are carefully organized, and the routes are planned in such a way that the road is comfortable for tourists. It is worth noting that the tour ticket is not cheap. The tour can be booked in advance by paying for it online, or you can purchase it at the ticket office at the station before departure. I chose the first method, as I prefer to do everything in advance, and I was not mistaken. Before the departure of the tour, there was a decent line of people at the box office. Despite this, they all managed to buy tickets and went on a trip with us.

For my trip, I chose the tour "Norway in a nutshell" The tour is a road to the Sognefjord to which you get first by train, then by the legendary Flåm railway, after that you change to the ferry, and final stage A bus picks you up and takes you to the train station, from where you return to Bergen again by train. The entire tour takes a full day and runs from 8 am to 7 pm. It should be said right away that this tour differs from the usual excursion in our understanding: there are no guides here, no one will wait and guide you. When buying a tour, you will receive a set of tickets for all types of transport that you will use during your trip.

The path starts from the train station.

From here, tourists take the train to the Myrdl mountain station. It should be noted that there is no separate train for tourists. The train is a regular passenger train and runs to Oslo (with all stops), so listen carefully to the announcements of stops so as not to pass your own. The train is very comfortable, somewhat reminiscent of Russian Sapsans. This is where our journey begins. The road passes by picturesque landscapes. Due to the complexity of the landscape, many sections of the railway line are laid along cliffs. Looking out of the window, you can observe a steep cliff below you. Small villages separate from major cities near turbulent rivers, impress tourists with their unusual location. You won't find this in Russia! The train goes through long tunnels. All the way to Myrdl takes about 2 hours, but this time flies by very quickly.

Lonely houses on the way to Myrdle Station

Myrdl is a mountain interchange station. There is a small town here, which is 867 meters above sea level. The famous Flåm railway starts from here. What is she famous for? I'll tell you further.

Once you get off the train, you will have a few minutes to take pictures of the views and continue your journey. Usually, another train will already be waiting for you at the station, which will carry you further. There are no fixed seats in the carriage of the Flåm Railroad, so sit down so that you can see everything. Entering the train, you are immediately amazed at its inner appearance. It resembles trains from the distant past: simple seats, large windows, a red interior. Without unnecessary amenities, but very comfortable.

The Flåm Railway is considered the most scenic road in Europe. Her route runs over mountains, villages and waterfalls. This railroad built for 20 years. Its length is more than 20 km and runs through 20 tunnels. The entire road runs along steep cliffs and rises 863 meters up. This is the art of engineering. All tunnels are cut by hand here.

During the trip, the train stops at the Shesfossen waterfall. Here you can go out and admire the beautiful view.

Also, the train's route runs past another waterfall - Rjaanderfossen, which is 140 meters high and past the Flåm Church, built in 1667.

The trail ends in the Flåm valley on the banks of the Aurladsfjord, from where we will sail along the Sagnanfjord by ferry. Here, tourists are given several hours to walk around the surroundings, admire the views, go to the available shops and have a snack.

Flåm Valley cabins

Great "land" in the Flåm Valley

In the valley there is a small village of several houses, a grocery store, a souvenir shop, several hotels with restaurants and the Flåm Railway Museum, which is free. The museum itself is small, but worth a visit.

Flåm Railway Museum

After a while, all tourists are invited to board the ferry, which is operated by two seasoned sailors of venerable age.

The ferry on which tourists travel along the fjord

The ferry begins its movement along the Aurladsfjord fjord, which then goes to Nareyfjord. These two fjords are offshoots of the famous Sognanfjord. On both sides you can see huge cliffs covered with lush vegetation. Many rocks are cut by mountain streams, falling down with great speed and noise.

At the foot of the fjord, there are small villages and detached houses, and numerous flocks of sheep graze on gentle slopes. It is worth noting that here you immediately remember that sheep are a traditional occupation of the Norwegians. They make warm clothes from sheep's wool, use milk to make cheeses, and eat meat.

Small villages located right on the fjords

From the windows local residents mountain views

An absolutely magnificent view opens around each new turn: green peaks are replaced by white ones, covered with snow. At such moments, you begin to understand how high these mountains are compared to humans!

Many Norwegians travel along this route by boat.

After a two-hour walk along the fjord, the ferry brings us to a small village - Gudvingen. From here our journey will continue by bus. Tourists have a little time to explore the village and visit local shops. Interestingly, the entire village is made in the form of a Viking village: small houses with green roofs, cafes with carved chairs.

There are many reminders of the Vikings in the village.

In the village, in addition to the store, there is also a small hotel with 5-6 rooms. In the rooms you will find a large bed covered with animal skins. In the village, except for the tourists and local residents who arrived on the ferry, who serve all the buildings, there is no one else. There is peace and quiet here. It is in this corner that you can feel the unity with nature.

After little rest We are picked up by a comfortable bus that takes tourists up a serpentine road to the railway station of the village of Voss, from where the train departs for Bergen. The bus journey takes no more than half an hour and runs along the local villages.

The last leg of the journey is by train. You come back again on railway station Bergen, from where they began their journey.

The trip leaves a lot of impressions. I visited the fjords at the end of October, the weather was cool, I had to wear a thick jacket, jacket and hat. In autumn, the fjords are even more beautiful: a riot of yellow, red, green colors creates the feeling of a fairy tale.

The sun is a rare guest here

With the purchase of a complex ticket, you will no longer need to pay for travel along the entire journey. Of course, you can purchase all tickets separately, there are ticket offices on each leg of the journey, where you can buy the necessary ticket, for example, for a ferry or a bus. But it is much more convenient to purchase all tickets at once and not worry about it anymore. There were no problems with transfers, all routes ended where another segment of the route immediately began. It is extremely difficult to get lost with such an organization.

There are many routes to the fjords. For example, large catamarans to the fjords depart daily from Bergen. These catamarans sail through the night and take a longer route. However, you will not be able to visit the Flåm railway and admire its views. But I think you will get no less impressions.

It seems that there is a dead end ahead. But around the bend, new views open up

When visiting Norway, you should definitely set aside one day to see the magnificent and picturesque fjords!

Every fjord, no matter where it is in the world, is beautiful in its own way. But one can single out the most breathtaking landscapes that will not leave anyone indifferent.

Golden autumn in Hørundfjord

Hørundfjord is located among mountain peaks and is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in the world. In the autumn months, when you can admire a real golden fall, swim up to the shores cruise ships who make a voyage called "The most beautiful in the world."

It is at this time that the bay is especially beautiful. The Hørundfjord is primarily a classic of the Norwegian landscape. In addition, it left a mark on history as the place where German Emperor Wilhelm II landed on a visit to Norway.

Silent Fjord Milford Sound

One of the most beautiful is located in. Its banks are so steep that any settlement of people in this place is simply impossible. For this reason, no human has ever set foot in the bay and it is here that you can enjoy the real pristine beauty of nature. The ringing silence is sometimes disturbed only by the sounds of waterfalls reaching 300 meters in height.

In the bay of the Milford Sound fjord, sea and lake waters mix, which creates a unique ecosystem inhabited by unusual representatives of the fauna. Studying underwater world bay, you can see unique black corals. The changing weather illumination gives this place a magical beauty: the rays of the sun quickly replace the clouds, the falling rain - a bright rainbow. The Milford Sound Fjord is a UNESCO Natural Wonder of the World.

Scandinavian giant Scorsby fjord

The longest and deepest fjord in the world is located in Greenland. It is named after the Scottish whalers who discovered it in 1822. The Scandinavian giant has a gloomy atmosphere created by rough gray rocks. But at the same time, they are set off by snow-white glaciers and icebergs, which form bizarre arches and turrets.

Crystal clear ice breaks off from the main glacier and sets off on a long voyage. All this creates an incredible mesmerizing view. The fjord has a rich fauna, the waters are teeming with fish, and huge colonies of birds stop on the shores of the bay every year.

Non-freezing Kola Bay

The most famous fjord in the Kola Bay is undoubtedly. Steep cliffs form descents to the water, similar to steps or a kind of terraces. The fjord has a peculiarity - the water in the bay almost never freezes even at low temperatures.

Over the past 100 years, the bay has frozen over only five times. This is due to the presence of a warm underwater current. The bay forms several bends around which many islands are scattered. The Kola Fjord is all broken up by bays and bays, one of which has an ice-free military port.

The vibrant colors of the Misty Fjords

The bays of the Foggy Fjords are so narrow that you can only sail along them by motor boats or admire them from the air. In a remote corner of southeastern Alaska, eternal fogs lie, which, however, does not interfere with admiring this untouched corner of nature.

Mysterious, silent bays seem to be painted with watercolors in the deep green color of rain forests with white brushstrokes in the form of fog. Misty fjords are covered with thick carpet in the Tongass National Forest. Crystal clear lakes and waterfalls give the landscape an extraordinarily breathtaking view.

Hospitable Lysefjord

Lysefjord is one of the most attractive tourist destinations due to its accessibility. Unlike most similar natural objects, it has on its territory settlements where you can stop and get the necessary route information.

Lysefjord has a huge number of interesting objects. There is a 400-meter waterfall in the bay, under the jets of which ships swim up. The 640-meter suspension bridge is also a local landmark. From certain points of the fjord, you can admire the flocks of seals. In addition, thousands of tourists annually climb the fjord with the help of equipment to stand on the huge Kjøragbolt cobblestone, stuck between two rocks.

With rocky shores. The length of the fjord is several (usually tens) times greater than the width. The shores of the fjord are in most cases formed by rocks up to 1000 meters high.

Most often, fjords are of tectonic origin and arose with a sharp and sudden change in the direction of movement of tectonic plates from opposite to opposite. As a result, numerous cracks and faults are formed at the edges of the plates, already compressed by the preliminary oncoming motion, which are filled with seawater. In this case, the fjord can have a significant depth, up to 800 meters. In some cases, the formation of fjords is the result of glaciers (in the era of Quaternary glaciation) of river valleys and tectonic depressions, followed by their flooding with water.

The world's most famous four fjord regions, located on west coasts Norway, Chile, the South Island of New Zealand and North America from Puget Sound (Washington State) to Alaska. Fjords are also found on the shores of Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Labrador Peninsula, Maine (USA) and on some Arctic islands.

Due to their beauty and picturesqueness - rocks rising straight from the water, mountains covered with dense vegetation, snowy peaks - fjords enjoy a well-deserved interest among tourists from all over the world.

Hardangerfjord, Norway

Some fjords

Name	Location	Length (km)	Width (km)	Depth (m)
Sognefjord	Norway	219	6	1308
Hardanger fjord	Norway	183	10	750
Trondheims fjord	Norway	137	24	600
Nordfjord	Norway	113	5	565
Kola Bay	Russia	57	7	300
Milford	New Zealand	19	3	390
Portland Canal	Alaska (USA)	145	3	385
Loch Morar	Scotland (UK)	19	3	310
Saguenay	Quebec (Canada)	120	5	30

Which fjords are worth visiting?

There are thousands of fjords in Norway, they dot the entire western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. But mostly a dozen of the most famous and most accessible are visited, among which everyone knows the Sognefjord, Hardangerfjord and Lysefjord. Of course, the infrastructure around the bays is well developed. It is easy to reach them by transport from the nearest cities; there are comfortable hotels and restaurants in the fishing villages on the shores. If a tourist wants to see all this beauty from the water, then ferries, pleasure ships and even cruise liners are at his service. On land equipped observation platforms where the highways lead.

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Fjord tours and excursions

Organized fjord tours in Norway in most cases start from Oslo. The programs of the agencies are different, but most often they involve inspecting the bays both from water and from land. The cost of travel for 6-7 days is from 1000 EUR per person (excluding the road to Oslo, plane tickets are paid for independently). This amount also includes breakfast. If you go by ferry from St. Petersburg, it will be cheaper - from 300 EUR per person. But this is a fee only for accommodation in 2-3 local cabins, transfers between cities / towns by buses and basic excursion services.

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Self visit

Independent travelers will have to use by public transport... This almost always involves multiple transfers. For example, to see the Preikestolen rock and get to the Lysefjord, you first need to arrive in Stavanger from Bergen by bus, then take a ferry to Tau, where you change to a bus going to the foot of the mountain. Many people prefer to rent a car - the roads in Norway are incredibly scenic. There are even so-called "national tourist roads" along the shores of the bays, but some of them are paid. For example - the passage of the Lysebotn - Lauvvik (Lysefjord) section of 40 km costs 650 NOK. It is along these highways that observation decks, equipped recreation areas, and information centers are located.

Popular Norwegian fjords