PINING FOR THE FJORDS At 62° latitude, Ålesund is a long way north. Built on a row of islands extending out into the Atlantic Ocean on the northwest coast of Norway, the town is widely regarded as Norway’s most beautiful town. Sarah Kingdom tells us why to visit and shares their plans to be kinder to nature…
W hile Ålesund may be most famous for its beautiful Art Nouveau buildings, it is also located right between the ocean, islands, and Norway’s best fjords, making this the perfect starting point for exploring the country’s breathtaking fjord and mountain scenery. As we traversed the winding roads that led out of this small coastal fishing town and headed into the Norwegian backcountry, we passed through some of the most dramatic landscapes. If you look at a map of Norway, you will see the coastline is crisscrossed with long thin ‘fingers’ of water reaching inland from the sea. These ‘fingers’ are fjords. The term traces its roots to the Norse, or Viking, word ‘fjodr,’ referring to a crossing point used for human passage. About 2.5 million years of glacier activity created Norway’s 1 000+ fjords. A fjord is a deep, narrow, elongated inlet, formed when the glaciers retreated, and seawater flooded the u-shaped valleys. With their steep-sided cliffs and long sinuous forms, fjords differ from other bays and inlets and are usually surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery.
FACT S
101 338KM The length of Norway’s entire coastline. This would circle the world two and a half times if stretched out 1 700 fjords dot the Norwegian coast 10 000 YEARS AGO Approximately when the fjords were created - in the Ice Age LONGEST AND DEEPEST The Sognefjord stretches over 200km inland, while the Nærøyfjord boasts depths of up to 1 300m NORWAY’S FJORDS CONTAIN RICH ECOSYSTEMS Species such as cod, herring, and salmon thrive in these waters, providing a livelihood for coastal communities GEIRANGER AND GUDVANGEN The two innermost villages of the Geirangerfjord and the Nærøyfjord, are amongst the most popular cruise ship ports in Scandinavia THE NORWEGIAN FJORDS ENJOY A MILD CLIMATE AND REMAIN ICE-FREE Seals, porpoises, and a variety of fish species swim in the fjords, while eagles and other birds soar in the skies above
Geiranger Viewpoint
Fjords nibble into Norway up the coast. What would the country’s coastline be without its fjords? Well, for a start, it would be much shorter. Measure the west coast of Norway in a straight line and it is 2 500km, but if you measure all its inlets and wiggles, made by the fjords, it reaches 26 592km. In a region with no shortage of fjords, the 15km long Geirangerfjord, the innermost branch of the Storfjord, is a place of outstanding natural beauty. The deep, blue UNESCO World Heritage-listed Geirangerfjord is one of the crown jewels of the fjords and in the high season, one of its most visited attractions. Standing
on the top deck of the Bolsøy, the ferry between Hellesylt and Geiranger, there is a chill in the air. Although it is spring, the clear fjord is enveloped in mist. The summer visitors have yet to arrive, and the fjord, minus the high-season crowds and cruise ships, is silent and tranquil, the beauty seeping into your soul. Sheer rock cliffs rise sharply out of the water, stretching upwards, dotted with lonely, long abandoned farmhouses with grass- covered roofs that cling precariously to the cliffs, and flanked by streaming waterfalls, the most famous being De Syv Søstrene (The Seven Sisters), Friaren (The Suitor) and Brudesløret (The Bridal Veil).
Fjord Norge. Credit: Lars Korvald
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