Guide to Flam
I worked in Flåm this summer and in the last couple of days I had the pleasure of hosting Allan (Codebeck) both in Flåm and in Bergen. We went bicycling down the Flåmsdalen (Flåm's Valley) and I took him on the fjord Cruise. Well its really a ferry ride, but the marketing department has really done a good job in marketing this as a "cruise".
Drinking
There are three main places to take a couple of cold beers in Flåm:
Ægir
Ægir is a new establishment which was built in 2007. The building is built like an old traditional Norwegian house and is a tourist attraction itself.
They brew and serve five different kinds of beers. Two beers are pale pilsen while the other three beers are darker beers which can remind you of Guinnius.
Prices: 65kr to 68kr for a pint.
TIP: Ask for a small sample of each beer to find your favorite. They sell five small samples for the same price of one pint.
Flåm Marina:
Flåm Marina is located on the other side of the bay. Walk across the wodden quay until you see the white building. The bar is decorated with a nautical theme and have free billiard and darts on the 2.nd floor. They also have a big outdoor drinking area which is great for drinking and smoking.
Prices 50kr for a 0.
Fretheim Hotel.
Fretheim Hotel is the traditional place to be in Flåm where everyone gathered before Ægir opened in 2007. Fretheim Hotel is a traditional “Hotel-Pub” with the classic atmosphere. Nowadays its pretty quiet and not really worth going to unless you know someone at the hotel.
70kr for 0.6L beer.
Other establishments like “Furukroa” and “Toget cafè” also sells beers, but they are more like diners and not real pubs.
What do to in Flåm:
The Flåm railway:
The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) is the main thing to do in Flåm.
Flåm Railway was built to have an railway connection to Fjord Norway and the Bergen-Oslo Railway, but todays serves as a tourist attraction which attracts some 600.000 passengers a year.
Fjord Cruise with the Fjord1 ferries:
The tradition Fjord Cruise runs from Flåm to Gudvangen. It’s a two hour journey each way or a four hour journey for a return trip. Its a trip that you shouldn’t miss when youre in Flåm. The ferry stops in Aurland and in Undredal, Dyrdal, and Styvi by request. There are given information several times during the journey in several languages. If you prefer something else than English ask someone working on the ferry to play some other languages.
Prices: One-way 235kr , Return 325kr , Student One way 118kr.
Timetables during peak season:
Departures from Flåm: 9:00 , 11:00 , 13:20 and 15:05. The earlier departures tend to be less crowded than the later departures. Im working on MF Fjærlandsfjord which departs at 11:00 and occasionally 15:05 from Flåm so just say hi if youre in the neighbourhood.
Tip: Make a stopover in Undredal. Undredal has Scandinavias smallest Church. The Church can seat 40 church goers and was built in 1147. Undredal is also famous for its goat cheese.
Economical TIP: Even if youre only going one way it can be a good idea to buy a return ticket and sell the return trip to a tourist on the quay at your destination.
Fjord Cruise with the Fjordsafari. Fjordsafari operates two RIB-speedboats which cruises around in the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord every hour. Expect a shorter, but more action packed experience than the Fjord1 cruise.
Fjord Cruise with other companies is not recommended as the boats are small and does not give the same experience.
Kayaking in the Aurland and Nærøyfjord.
You can rent canoes and Kayaks for excursions ranging from a couple of hours to overnight excursions.
Aurland Panorama Viewpoint:
When the old mountain road from Aurland to Lærdal was categorized as a national tourist route they constructed a panorama platform above Aurland. This gives and excellent overview over the Aurlandsfjord and should not be missed. The Viewpoint is around 10km from Flåm in the direction to Aurland. Renting an ATV to get there might be a good solution. There is also an footpath leading up from Aurland. It circles up to the Prest Mountain (1370meters) above the fjord. Ask in the tourist information for a map.
ATV �" Rental at the Flåm Marina:
You can rent ATV’s to take a drive around Flåm.
Bike Rental at the Trainstation: You can rent bikes for 250kr a day at the trainstation. You should be fit to rent a bike as the surroundings around Flåm is definitely not flat.
Hiking Aurland valley (Aurlandsdalen)
. Aurlandsdalen is one of the most celebrated hikes in Norway and gives you an experience you’ll never forget. Its called Norways Grand canyon and you will encounter goats and other wildlife on the trip. There are marked paths from Finse Train station and down to Aurland. The entire journey takes 4days (5hours hiking a day) and there are services to transport your backpacks to the next cabin. There are several mountain huts along the way which serves traditional food. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Hiking Nærøy valley (Nærøydalen).
Getting there and Away:
Flåmsbana has a connection to Myrdal every 30minutes. From Myrdal you get trains in the direction Oslo or Bergen.
Express-boat to Bergen. Flåm has one daily connection to Bergen (5hours) by express-boat. The ferry leaves every day at 15:30 from the Fjord1 terminal. Also stops at other places in the Sognefjord along the way to Bergen, most importantly Balestrand. There is an service from Flåm to Balestrand at 06:00.
Bus. Express-buses on the way to Sogndal or Bergen(2hours) 5 departures everyday in each direction
Car. There are several a good sights within reach from daytrips from Flåm. A daytrip to Lærdal is recommended for taking the old mountain road (summer only, Opens around June) to Lærdal and the Lærdal Tunnel which is the longest in the world back again to Flåm.
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