Travel in the wake of fishing boats and merchant ships. Most of the landscape in Fjord Norway has changed little since Viking longboats set sail for distant shores.
Photo: Jarle Wæhler / Statens vegvesen
Sognefjord
Stretching 204 km into the foot of the national parks Jotunheimen and Jostedalsbreen, the Sognefjord is Norway's longest and deepest, and the world's second longest fjord. It is 1 308 m at its deepest. Sognefjord has been an important transport source from ancient times and has made it possible to transport agricultural products, fruits, berries and fish between the villages in Sogn and Bergen. In 2004, Lewis Gordon Pugh, was the first to swim the Sognefjord lengthwise.
Sognefjord is located south of Sogn and Fjordane County.
Geiranger Fjord
The fjord is 15 km long and is on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list since 2005. It attracts travellers to its pristine beauty. Along the fjord you will see farms situated far up in the mountains, where it is hard to believe that anyone could live. Today they are abandoned, but accessible by trail and boat. Geirangerfjord is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Western Norway. At the head of the fjord, Geiranger is located. Midway through, you will find "The seven sisters" - a waterfall with an approximate fall height of 300 meters. The name arose because the falls, at a distance, resemble the hair of seven women. On the opposite side of the fjord is the waterfall "Friaren" (suitor). With its bottle-shaped appearance, apparently an unfortunate suitor, (and therefore addicted to the bottle), as he waited for a response to his proposal to the sisters.
Geiranger Fjord is situated in Møre og Romsdal county.
Nærøyfjord
The Nærøyfjord is 19 km long and constitutes an arm of the Aurland Fjord, which in turn is an arm of the Sognefjord. Extends to the little place Gudvangen. This is the narrowest fjord in the world. Only 250 meters at its narrowest point. The mountains in the area are stretching the entire 1 800 meters above sea level. Here, too, abandoned farms can be seen high up in the mountains. Nærøyfjord was in 2005 inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
Nærøyfjord situated in Sogn and Fjordane county.
Hardangerfjord
179 km long, Norway's second longest fjord, and the third longest in the world. On the deepest it is more than 800 meters. Hardangerfjord is famous for its flowering fruit trees. The glacier Folgefonni is located on the south side. Density of fish farms for salmon, makes the Hardangerfjord one of four major farming regions in the world. Please note that It is illegal to fish for salmon without a permit in the fjord.
Hardangerfjord is located in Hordaland County in the Hardanger area.
Hjørundfjorden
33 km long. Considered by many as one of the most beautiful fjords in the world, because of the sharp-pointed peaks on both sides. These are the core area of Sunnmørsalpene. Furthest north the fjord is 2.5 kilometers wide, and narrows down towards the bottom of the fjord. At its deepest Hjørundfjord is 441 meters. The name might come from "sword" (hjorr), since the fjord's shape can be compared with a sword. Around the fjord there are about 70 small lakes. One of these is Tusse Lake, which has given name to the power company Tussa.
Hjørundfjorden is situated in Møre og Romsdal county.
Lysefjord
42 km long and almost 500 meters at its deepest. Plateaus known as Pulpit Rock and Kjerag is situated along the fjord. Because of high mountains and large lakes on the plateaus, the Lysefjord is used for hydropower generation. One of the plants has a fall of 740 meters. The mountains are, at their highest, 1 000 meters above sea level.
Lysefjord is located in Ryfylke.
See the list over more fjords in Fjord Norway.