Visit Flam - your holiday destination!
The small picturesque village Flam, is situated in the innermost part of the Aurlandsfjord, a tributary of the 204 kilometres long and up to 1308 metres deep Sognefjord.
Flam has a population of roughly 400 inhabitants and is situated in Aurland municipality, which consists of Flam, Aurland, Gudvangen and Undredal. In 1980 most of the people in Flam were farmers, today most of the inhabitants work in the tourism industry or with the railway. Today Flam is one of the most popular cruise harbours in Norway.
In the village centre of Flam you will find a food store and different out sales of souvenirs and arts of craft. Here are also cafes, restaurants and Fjord Pass® hotels. The documentation centre for the Flam railway is open all year and the Tourist information is open during the summer.
History of Flam
The origins of the flourishing toursist trade in Flam, dates as far back as the end of the 19th centry, when large numbers of English tourist, also called "salmon lords", came to fish in the Flam river. These travelers laid the foundation for hotel operation and a steady stream of tourists, who were transported in two-wheeled buggies through the spectacular scenery.
After the Bergensbana Railway was opened in 1909 Flam became a crossroad for passengers, mail and freight to and from the trains between Oslo and Bergen in connection with the steamships on the fjord.
A large anchor can also be seen in the little park just beside the ferry quay. It dates back to World War II, when a Polish ship sought refuge in Flam. After a while it was bombed and sank, and the anchor was later salvaged and placed in its present location in Flam.
The Flam Railway
The Flam Railway is one of the worlds steepest railway lines on normal gauge. The twisting tunnels that spiral in and out of the mountain are manifestations of the most daring and skilful engineering in Norwegian railway history. The Flam Railway runs from the mountain station at Myrdal on the Bergen Railway, down to Flam station by the Aurlandsfjord.
The Flam Railway was completed in 1944 after a construction period lasting 20 years. Eighteen of the line's 20 tunnels, wich have a total length of 6 km, were built by hand. Trial operations started in 1940 with small steam locomotives, but the line was not fully electrified until 1944.
Today the Flam Railway is one of Norway's major and most spectacular tourist attractions. The train journey provides some of Norway's wildest and most magnificent scenery. On the 20 km-long train ride you can see rivers that cut through deep ravines, waterfalls cascade down the side of steep, snow-capped mountains and mountain farms cling dizzily to sheer slopes. The Flam Railway makes a photo stop at the beautiful Kjosfossen waterfall.
Stalheimskleiva
Stelheimskleiva is the name of the 1.5 km long strech of road that twists its way up the mountainside from the end of the Naroydalen vally to the top at Stalheim. The steepest gradient is 1 to 5, or 20 per cent, wich makes Stalheimskleiva one of the steepest streches of road in Northern Europe.
On its way to the top, the road winds its way up 13 sharp hairpin bends. The road runs up a ridgge between two cascading waterfalls that can both be easily seen from the road. To the north you can see the Sivlefossen waterfall with its fall of about 140 metres. To the south the Stalheimsfossen waterfall with a fall of 126 metres.
The Stalheimskleiva road was built by manual labour between 1842 and 1846 to improve the post road between Oslo and Bergen.
Fjord Tours offer several vacation packages which include Flam:
Norway in a nutshell®- Norway's most popular round trip
You travel through some of the most beautiful landcapes in Fjord Norway. The organized trip includes the Bergen Railway, the Flam Railway, the Sognefjord, the Naeroyfjord (now included on UNESCOs World Heritage List) and the steep Stalheimskleiva road. More information about Norway in a nutshell®
The Sognefjord in a nutshell
On this organized round trip, you have time to enjoy the Bergen Railway, the Flam Railway and the Sognefjord. New for the 2009 season is our additional tour to the Dalsfjord & the Gaularfjell Mountain. More information about The Sognefjord in a nutshell
Hurtigruten & Norway in a nutshell®
If you would like to experience some of the best that Norway has to offer, combine the Hurtigruten with the Norway in a nutshell® round trip. More information about Hurtigruten Costal Voyage & Norway in a nutshell®.
Geiranger & Norway in a nutshell®
This tour enables you to experience three of Norway's most famous World Heritage areas in one trip; the Geirangerfjord, the Nærøyfjord and the wharfside warehouses at Bryggen in Bergen. Read more about the trip Geiranger & Norway in a nutshell® here...
Lysefjord & Norway in a nutshell®
Experience the magnificent Lysefjord, the Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) mountain plateau, wild and beautiful coastal scenery and three of Norway’s biggest cities: Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. This round trip also includes the well known Norway in a nutshell® between Bergen and Oslo. Read more about the trip Lysefjord & Norway in a nutshell® here...
Fjord Tours vacation packages - The choice is yours!
