Flam and the Flam Railway

100% tourist town: half of the territory - parking, the second half - shops, restaurants and public spaces.

In the afternoon several huge tourist liners stop here and thousands of tourists spread everywhere. You can walk, eat in the restaurant or climb the nearest hill and look at the fjord from above. These photos were taken from the drone, but the view from the hill is also nice, it is visible on the picture.




We arrived here in the morning and walked in the town without tourists.








The prices in restaurants are very high (Norwegian). If you want to save money,  take a pizza with you and eat on the shore of the fjord. There is also a supermarket.


The main entertainment in the town is the famous Flåmsbana railway, built between 1924 and 1939. Such a miracle can be built only in a country with unlimited cash reserves, as the population of Flåm is less than 500 people and they could not recoup the construction. Tourism in those years simply did not exist. Now, of course, this is a profitable business and the main source of income for Flom.

The road has the highest elevation angle among ordinary trains, the height difference is 866 meters on a 20-kilometer line. We took the very first morning train.




On the way up train stops near the Kjosfossen waterfall, 225 meters high. It is equipped with generators, which produce electricity for the railroad.


The end point of the route is a Myrdal station, where you can catch a train to Bergen or Oslo. We reached the Vatnahalsen station and went on foot back (you can go back also from the last stop). On the official website (https://www.visitflam.com/flamsbana/experience-flamsbana/) you can only buy return tickets for 49 EUR. On the website of Norwegian Railways (https://www.nsb.no/en/) you can buy one way tickets, a bit cheaper.

A good option would be to rent bicycles and take them on the train (for an additional fee) and then cycle back. But this option did not suit us, as the rent is rather expensive and it works only from 9 or 10 in the morning.

If the weather is good and you have 3-4 hours, then it is better to walk back on foot, as the places are very beautiful. Alternatively you can rent bicycles and ride through the valley without a train. There is still a completely free option - just go on foot. You can turn back anywhere, the maximum trail to the start of the climb is about 30 km in both directions.

It is impossible to get lost - one valley, one river, one road.

Attention! If you are a budget tourist and plan to go only by train there and return, then we do not recommend it. Like most of these trains - it will be lost money. The ideal option is to climb up on the train and return on foot or by bike.

Vatnahalsen Station




View of the valley from the station


The steep road to the valley




A lot of waterfalls on the way


You can even get here by car, though the access only for local residents.


Bridge and waterfall under it. Some boy from a noble family disappeared here a hundred years ago.




Beauty on the way back to Flåm
















Water can be taken from the rivers, but no food on the way, so take some sandwiches or snacks with you.

Regarding the overnight stay - there are several expensive hotels in Flåm. We stopped at Aurland Apple Farm (booking.com), 11 kilometers from the city. This is a budget place with a kitchen and a parking.

Getting there: there is a lot of parking space, check here N 60 51.856 E 7 06.759. You can get to Flåm by bus from Bergen, Sogndal or Lærdal (https://www.nor-way.no/en-US). The upper Myrdal station can be reached by train from either Bergen or Oslo (https://www.nsb.no/en/).