Close to the forces of nature

If you travel from Bergen up to Voss and Sogn in the autumn, it's easier to believe that these mountains were once giant trolls that froze to rock when the sun rose. It's also easier to believe the story of the Vikings who sailed from here to England, France and Jerusalem a thousand years ago, the air ringing with their battle cries.

You can also hear visitors cry out in amazement when they see Voss and Sognefjord with their own eyes for the first time. The mighty mountains with snow-capped peaks rise as huge massifs in the distance, and between the mountains you can see the shadows of unfathomable depths when you look out from the viewpoints along the way.

Sogn became an international tourist destination as far back as the 17th century, when wealthy Europeans arrived with their large sailing yachts at Balestrand, Leikanger and Flåm, where stately hotels were built along the fjord. Several of these hotels are still welcoming guests with a sense of history, such as Kviknes Hotel in Balestrand, which dates from 1752, or Walaker Hotel in Luster from 1640. Whether new or old, nature is at its most beautiful and wild in autumn when everything changes to yellow, red and white.

An emission-free journey

If you can manage to get away for four or five days during the autumn months, it’s possible to experience both Voss and the Sognefjord – or at least parts of them. It takes two hours to drive from Bergen Flesland, through the city and to the beautiful scenery to Voss. You will arrive at the foot of Sognefjellet mountain, not far from the villages at the heart of the Sognefjord.

If you would rather travel in a relaxed and sustainable fashion, you can use emission-free public transport throughout your trip. Bergen Light Rail operates a direct service from the airport to Bergen city centre, where you can jump on the first train to Voss station, which is close to activities and accommodation. The route continues on rails – first by train to Myrdal station, from where you can either cycle or take the famous Flåm Railway down to the Aurlandsfjord and Flåm. If you have the time, there are bus and boat services to neighbouring villages along the fjord.

No matter how you choose to travel, the trip is worth every penny, especially since the summer tourists' camper vans and cruise ships are long gone, leaving Voss and Sogn wide open for the most interesting experiences – without long queues or stress.

• Travel green and experience the stunning Stegastein viewpoint on this guided sightseeing tour from Flåm with an electric bus: Electric minibus to Stegastein viewpoint

Cascading rivers, thundering waterfalls and a landscape exploding with autumn colours. Add a touch of fresh breeze and drizzle to wet your face, and you have all the ingredients for an autumn paradise at Voss. The town is world famous for the extreme sports week Ekstremsportveko in summer, where adrenaline-loving athletes from all over the world meet with parachutes and paragliders, or to climb the mountain walls or race down the rapids in kayaks and dinghies.

In the autumn, after the extreme sports fans have left, the water level is high, making the conditions perfect for rafting down the Strandaelva and Raundalselva rivers. Whether you’re hiking or climbing, the mountains are very colourful and fresh.

Owing to the fantastic snow conditions in winter, Voss has a gondola track from the city centre right to the top of Hangursfjellet mountain, 820 metres above sea level. From the top you can enjoy panoramic views, hiking and cycling. Many people have a go at paragliding from the mountaintop. An airy experience is guaranteed, even when the weather is a bit wet for outdoor flying. The wind tunnel at Voss – the first of its kind in Norway – allows the whole family to experience weightlessness, safely floating just above the ground. Once you try it, you'll be hooked.

Read more about Voss here

Incredible recreation

The fresh air from Sognefjell mountain and Vossevangen further down the valley makes Voss the ideal place to take a deep breath and inhale the vitality from Fjord Norway’s magnificent nature. As well as experiencing extreme sports, you can enjoy outstanding traditional local food and stay in excellent places of accommodation.

Voss offers everything from beautifully situated rental cabins to farmhouse-style guesthouses to modern design hotels. Once you find out where you want to stay at Voss, you can use it as a great base for excursions to the surrounding areas – north to the Sognefjord and Flåm, and south to Hardanger and Vøringsfossen waterfall.

Visitors who love history and culture as much as outdoor experiences should pay a visit to Ole Bull Akademiet for folk music and folk dance. Under the motto from ear to ear, from string to string, from throat to throat Ole Bull Akademiet is an excellent place to get to know Norwegian traditions.

The fabled Sognefjord

After two nights staying at Voss, the mighty and fabled Sogn awaits you, where the fjord, waterfalls and mountain are spellbinding.

As you journey on the Flåm Railway from Myrdal station to the Aurlandsfjord, you can experience the colours and contrasts of the mountain peaks and the raging river in the valley floor, before the Aurlandsfjord comes into view with the most amazing scenery in Fjord Norway.

What is said to be Norway's most beautiful train journey reveals a view that is so vast, mountains and fjords that are so beautiful, that many visitors are left stunned. This experience itself makes it worth leaving the car at Voss and taking the train instead of driving through Gudvangen to Flåm.

• Norway in a nutshell® – This legendary tour takes you through Norway’s most breathtaking UNESCO-protected fjord and mountain scenery, as well as a trip on Europe’s top scenic rail journeys, the Flåm Railway and The Bergen Railway.
• Sognefjord in a nutshell™ – A relaxing journey on Norway’s longest and deepest fjord

From fjord to mountain in Flåm

If you decide to go by road from Voss and Flåm, you won’t be disappointed. You will first pass the enormous waterfalls Tvindfossen and Stalheimsfossen, which are among the largest waterfalls in Norway. A long way down in Gudvangen, you can sense the depth of the fjord and the pull of the mountain, which rise as enormous massifs all around. It is home to the Viking village of Njardarheimr and an entire community resurrected from the Viking Age.

The self-proclaimed Viking chief Georg Olafr Reydarson Hansen took 22 years to recreate the environment at Gudvangen from a thousand years ago. So successful was his work that each year, Viking enthusiasts from around the world flock to Njardarheimr.

Continue your journey to Flåm, where you can experience the aforementioned Flåm Railway on a round trip that takes a couple of hours, and stops at the giant Kjosfossen waterfall that plunges under the railway tracks on the side the valley. If the weather’s not too bad, you can rent a bike up at Myrdal station and cycle down the popular Rallarvegen, the Navvies Road, back to the fjord.

On the way down, bikes and their riders can be sent down the Flåm zipline, a nerve-racking, high-altitude but entirely safe experience. Once you’ve arrived, you can enjoy fishing, kayaking or rib safaris on the fjord.

Spectacular walks

If you'd rather walk in the stunning landscapes and find your own picture postcard scenes from the area's many viewpoints, it's not far to Aurlandsvangen, where you’ll find a selection of fantastic hikes up the mountain slopes. Stegastein viewpoint and Prest mountain have excellent hiking trails leading to the top.

The accommodation in Flåm reflects this fantastic tourist destination’s breadth and history. Since the 19th century, English aristocrats have flocked to the village to fish for salmon.

At Fretheim Hotel, you can experience first-hand how they lived on their luxurious travels. You can find modern and comfortable design at Flåmsbrygga, in addition to hotels, cabins and camping to suit all tastes.

• Join in on a spectacular mountain hike up the historic Rimstigen with a fantastic view of the UNESCO-protected Nærøyfjord!

How to get to Voss and the Sognefjord:

It's simple to travel to Voss and the Sognefjord from either Bergen or Oslo.

There are many international services that operate into Bergen Flesland Airport via Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Frankfurt, and there are also many direct flights into the region from a range of European cities. There are numerous domestic routes to and from Bergen, and many daily flights from Oslo. You can find more information about direct routes here: https://avinor.no/en/airport/bergen-airport/

You can travel by ferry from Denmark, where Fjordline's routes operate services directly from Hirtshals.

If you would prefer to travel by train, you can take the Bergen line from Oslo, which calls at Myrdal, where you can change to the Flåm Railway. The Bergen line also calls at Voss.

You can rent a car at Flesland Airport, where you can choose from a wide range of cars, or you can take the train from Bergen to Voss, and then on to Myrdal and Flåm.

There is an express boat service from Bergen that operates until October, and there is a year-round service to Sogndal.
If you would like a more organised trip, check out Fjord Tours' roundtrips that use public transport. It’s not only easy, but also sustainable.

• SIN: https://www.norwaynutshell.com/sognefjord-in-a-nutshell/
• NIN: https://www.norwaynutshell.com/original-tour/