Sogn og Fjordane Fylke

Briksdalsbreen (English: the Briksdal glacier) is one of the most accessible and best known arms of the Jostedalsbreen glacier. Briksdalsbreen is located in the municipality of Stryn in Vestland county, Norway. The glacier lies on the north side of the Jostedalsbreen, in Briksdalen (the Briks valley) which is located at the end of the Oldedalen valley, about south of the village of Olden. It is located inside Jostedalsbreen National Park. Briksdalsbreen terminates in a small glacial lake, Br…

Borgund Stave Church (Norwegian: Borgund stavkyrkje) is a former parish church of the Church of Norway in Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It was built around the year 1200 as the village church of Borgund, and belonged to Lærdal parish (part of the Sogn prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin) until 1868, when its religious functions were transferred to a "new" Borgund Church, which was built nearby. The old church was restored, conserved and turned into a museum. It is funde…

Jostedal Glacier or is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It is in Vestland county in Western Norway. Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Sogndal, Sunnfjord, and Stryn. The highest peak in the area is Lodalskåpa at a height of . History In 1906, work was being done on footpaths that could accommodate tourists. Geography The Jostedal Glacier has a total area of . The highest point is Høgste Breakulen at above mean sea level. Branches of the glacier reach down into the…

Aurlandsdalen (or the Aurlandsdal) is a glacially-formed Norwegian valley that is about in length (Geiteryggen-Vassbygdi). The valley is situated in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, to the south of the Sognefjorden. One of the best-known tourist tracks in Norway follows the valley from Geiteryggen just across the border of Hol Municipality and north east to Aurlandsvangen at the Aurlandsfjorden in Sogn. The valley narrows and becomes a tight, dramatic Western Norway valley. It combine…

The Flåm Line (Norwegian: Flåmsbana) is a long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland Municipality, in Vestland county, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is ; it has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18). Because of its steep gradient and picturesque nature, the Flåm Line is now almost exclusively a tourist service…

The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (Norwegian: [ˈsɔ̂ŋnəˌfjuːɳ], English: Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords (Norwegian: Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the small village of Skjolden in the municipality of Luster. The fjord gives its name to the surrounding district of Sogn. The name is related to Norwegian word súg- "to suck", presumably from the surge or suction of the tida…

Urnes Stave Church (Norwegian: Urnes stavkyrkje) is a 12th-century stave church at Ornes, along the Lustrafjorden in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The church sits on the eastern side of the fjord, directly across the fjord from the village of Solvorn and about east of the village of Hafslo. It is among the oldest stave churches in Norway, with parts of the lumber construction dating from the latter half of the 11th century. The church was built in a long church basilica…

Hopperstad Stave Church (Norwegian: Hopperstad stavkyrkje) is a historic parish church of the Church of Norway in the village of Vikøyri in Vik Municipality in Vestland county. It was historically the church for the Hopperstad parish in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The church is currently owned by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments. The brown, wooden stave church was built during the 12th century. The church seats about 30 people. The stave church is assumed to have been…

Jostedalsbreen National Park (Norwegian: Jostedalsbreen nasjonalpark) is a national park in Norway that encompasses the largest glacier on the European mainland, Jostedalsbreen. The park was established by royal decree on 25 October 1991, and then in 1998, it was enlarged to the northwest. The park now covers , with the glaciers covering about of the park. Location The park lies in the municipalities of Luster, Sogndal, Gloppen, Sunnfjord, and Stryn, all of which are in Vestland county. There…

The Lærdal Tunnel (Norwegian: Lærdalstunnelen) is a road tunnel connecting the municipalities of Lærdal and Aurland in Vestland county, Norway, and located approximately northeast of Bergen. The tunnel carries two lanes of European Route E16 and represents the final link on the main highway connecting Oslo and Bergen without ferry connections and difficult mountain crossings during winter. It is the longest road tunnel in the world, succeeding the Swiss Gotthard Road Tunnel. In 1975, the Parli…

Kaupanger Stave Church (Norwegian: Kaupanger stavkyrkje) is the largest stave church in Vestland county, Norway. It is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sogndal Municipality and it is located in the village of Kaupanger, on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden. It is the church for the Kaupanger parish which is part of the Sogn prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The brown, wooden church was built in the mid-12th century (around 1140) and it has been in use ever since that ti…

Kjelfossen (English: Kjell Falls) is one of the highest waterfalls in Norway. The falls are located near the village of Gudvangen in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county. With a total fall height of , the waterfall is listed as the 18th tallest waterfall in the world. The tallest single drop is . The height of the waterfall has never been accurately measured, so there are discrepancies in its actual height. Some sources list it as tall. The waterfall is only about wide and has a flow of…

Ramnefjellsfossen (also known as: Utigardsfossen or Utigordsfossen) is unofficially listed as the third-highest waterfall in the world in several publications. On the other hand, The World Waterfall Database, a waterfall enthusiast website, which includes all minor and seasonal waterfalls in the country, lists it as eleventh-tallest. The falls are located on the mountain, Ramnefjellet, in the municipality of Stryn in Vestland county, Norway–about southeast of the villages of Loen and Olden. The…

Undredal Stave Church (Norwegian: Undredal stavkyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Undredal, on the shore of the Aurlandsfjorden. It is the church for the Undredal parish which is part of the Sogn prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a stave church style around the year 1147. The church is only and has only 40 seats, making it the smallest stave church…

Askrova is an island in Kinn Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located along the Brufjorden, near the mouth of the Førdefjorden, about northwest of the island of Svanøya. Askrova sits about southwest of the town of Florø and about the same distance southeast of the island of Reksta. The population of the island (2001) was 143, with most residents living on the south and west shores of the island. The tall mountain Skara is the highest point on the island. Askrova Chapel is l…

Avdalen is a small, long side valley located off of the main Utladalen valley in Årdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located within the Utladalen Landscape Protection Area, which was established along with the adjacent Jotunheim National Park in 1980 and covers about . A blues concert is held at Avdalen each year in June. It has become increasingly popular. The Årdal mountain touring club maintains a staffed lodge at the former Avdal farm (). The Avdal farm was first occupied i…

Breheimen National Park (Norwegian: Breheimen nasjonalpark) (Lit: Home of The Glaciers) is a national park that was established in 2009. The park is located in the municipalities of Skjåk and Lom in Innlandet county and in Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The park covers of the Breheimen mountain range. The park is surrounded by three other national parks: Jostedalsbreen National Park, Jotunheimen National Park, and Reinheimen National Park. The park includes the mountains Hestbreapiggan, Tv…

Ship caption=HNoMS Garm before the war, clearly showing off her four funnels }} HNoMS Garm was the third destroyer built for the Royal Norwegian Navy, and was a ''Draug'' class destroyer. Garm was constructed several years after her two sister ships, but to the same plans. She was built at the naval shipyard in Horten, with yard number 107. Reactivation at the outbreak of the Second World War Garm was mothballed after she became obsolete, but was recommissioned 28 August 1939 and took part in th…

Ålfoten Church (Norwegian: Ålfoten kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Bremanger Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Ålfoten, very close to the shore of the Ålfotfjorden. It is the church for the Ålfoten parish which is part of the Nordfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, cog-joint, wooden church was built in a long church style during the 17th century by an unknown architect. The church seats about 100 people. Histo…

On 9 February 1945, a force of Allied Bristol Beaufighter aircraft suffered many losses during an attack on the German destroyer ''Z33'' and its escorting vessels; the operation was called Black Friday by the survivors. The German ships were sheltering in a strong defensive position in Førde Fjord, Norway, forcing the Allied aircraft to attack through massed anti-aircraft fire (FlaK). The Beaufighters and their escort of Mustang Mk III fighters from 65 Squadron RAF were intercepted by twelve Foc…