Flam Norway: Unforgettable Experiences Beyond The Railway

This time we're going to explore more  of the stunning scenery around Flåm.   From cave waterfalls to the old Flåm Church  built in 1677, serene, charming villages and   views from high above Aurlandsfjord. Join us  so you don't miss out on these little gems! Most people come to Flåm to ride the iconic  Flåmsbana, the scenic Flåm Railway and we shared   that experience and the history of how they built  this challenging line with you last week.   The area  is packed with so much beauty that it's well worth  adding in other sights to your visit itinerary. You'll arrive in Flåm either by car, bus,  train or on a cruise ship. It's about two   hours from Bergen. The newer part of the village  is centred around the railway station and the port   where you can join boat trips to experience the  towering mountains on either side of the Fjord.   The most popular is from Flåm to Gudvangen or  vice versa. You can take a two-hour one-way   or four-hour return trip and this website will  give you all the details on tickets and times.   We pre-booked to travel from Gudvangen to  Flåm during our stay. This is Gudvangen,   a small port with stunning views of the Fjord.   There is a reconstructed Viking settlement at the  port, where visitors can learn about culture and   traditions. They keep it well hidden from outside  view and we thought the ticket price was high,   so didn't buy one to explore. You can find  out all the details here if you're interested. A cafe and shop allows you to wait for the boat  which was very welcome on this cold morning. Sadly at the last minute, we learned our tour had  been cancelled due to ice buildup on the Fjord.   They rebooked us for the next day but again  the trip was not possible so unfortunately   we cannot share with you the highlights of what  would have been an impressive trip on the Fjord.   Luckily the area has so much to see that we  weren't short of places to visit instead.   Here is the fjord boat arriving back in Flåm on  the day we rode the railway. This eco-friendly   electric vessel looks like it would give great  views. Flåm has a number of shops for souvenirs   cafes and restaurants to eat at and a free museum  to explore to find out more about the railway. If you take a stroll from the centre  towards the fjord shores you can take   in the views at sea level. On a warm day,  it would be a good spot to have a picnic. A small flock of sheep were grazing beside  the picnic area which was nice to see. If you want to get away from the hustle and  bustle of the new centre and waterfront then   the old Flåm village centre is a  lovely 40-minute three-kilometre   walk or a five-minute drive to reach  this tranquil area of the Flåm Valley. You'll discover many charming traditional  wooden houses and the lovely local church   that was built in 1667. Sadly  it wasn't open to look inside. On the site before this one was  an older medieval Stave Church   which became dilapidated with the passage of time. This is an example of a very ornate one we saw  briefly on our travels around Western Norway,   Borgund Stave Church. These grand  carved Christian churches are now   very rare. Norway has a few you can visit. Materials from the original building were used  in the construction of the newer Flåm church,   so parts of it date back to the 1300s. If you have a car then from the old centre  of Flåm you can take a very scenic and at   times hair raising drive along the route  of the Flåm Railway to a cave waterfall. This cave waterfalls are apparently quite a rare sight,   the views back in the direction of  the old village are quite something. If you time it just right, and  we did purely by chance and you   can see the Flåmsbana starting to make  its way up the steep climb to Myrdal. We estimate the train passes this point  about 10 minutes after leaving Flåm   so if you check the timetable you should  be able to be here at the right time. We were quite disappointed to miss our  boat trip on the Fjord and were desperate   to see some of it by other means. A  20-minute drive from Flåm on a lovely   quiet single-track road brings you to the  tiny village of Undredal from which you   can stand and stare at the beautiful  surroundings of the Aurlandsfjord. Driving down to the village we were hoping  to see goat herds grazing but maybe that   was wishful thinking for this time of year.  This tiny village is actually quite famous   for making Undredal white and brown goat cheese.  From May, a shop is open selling the cheese along   with cured goat sausages but it was very  quiet here in the low season. Apparently,   the cheese is readily available all over  Norway and Europe, it's not one I've heard of. The scenery is stunning  and it's so quiet and calm.   Had we made our boat tour we would  have come right past this village. For stunning views of the  Aurlandsfjord, 650 meters above,   then a trip to the Stegestein  Viewpoint is highly recommended.   We'll be taking the amazing hair-raising  drive to the top ourselves but you can buy   a ticket at the Flåm visitor centre and  take a minibus up as well. It takes about   25 minutes to get from Flåm railway station  and the drive takes in some stunning views. About halfway there we passed the village of   Aurlands clinging to the base of the  mountain on the shores of the Fjord. We zigzag up the mountain on what  at times is a single-track road with   drops that fall away feet from the car.  It's an incredible drive up and down. The viewing  platform is a popular stop but in low season  you can pretty much have it to yourselves,   as we did. There are toilet  facilities here but little else,   not that that matters the views  will keep you occupied for hours. Let's look ahead to next time In the last episode of our West Norway trip, we  are back in Bergen for an afternoon walkabout   visiting "Bryggen" the old Wharf of Bergen  with its famous coloured wooden buildings.   We'll find out some of the history and take a  funicular ride for stunning views across the   city, and then we'll take another of Norway's  most scenic rail journeys to the capital Oslo.   This seven-hour ride passes through some stunning  scenery and the highest station in Norway, Finse.   Arriving in Oslo we'll have a few hours to explore  the capital. So join us again next week for more   incredible views and facts about the wonderful  country. Thanks for watching the MemorySeekers.

Channel: MemorySeekers

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Id: tD0o8A42hdc

Length: 14min 13sec (853 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 08 2023