West Norway

West Norway is a section of Norway famous for its fjords as well as cities like Bergen and Ålesund.

Regions

• Hordaland
• Møre og Romsdal
• Rogaland
• Sogn og Fjordane

Cities

• Bergen - regional center and ancient hanseatic trading point
• Stavanger - Norway's petroleum capital and Bergen's little brother
• Ålesund - rebuilt in characteristic art noveau after the 1904 devastating fire
• Haugesund
• Molde - impressive panorama and great fjord

Other destinations

• Geiranger - impressive mountain road and world-famous fjord in UNESCO-protected area
• Valldal - green valley among alpine mountains, connects Geiranger and Trollstigen/Åndalsnes
• Åndalsnes - with Trollstigen and Trollveggen, at the mouth of scenic Romsdal valley
• Flåm - scenic railway and UNESCO-protected fjords
• Lysefjorden and Pulpit Rock - magnificent fjord and fascinating natural viewing platform
• Jostedal - gateway to the mighty Jostedalen glacier
• Hardanger - traditional fruit district along the Hardangerfjord

Culture and History

Geographically, this is the archetypal Norway. Although fjords can be found in other parts of the world, the word is Norwegian, and this is the region of Norway where the most of them can be found. A fjord (the "j" is pronounced like a "y" in English) is a long, narrow, deep bay, usually surrounded by equally steep mountainous terrain. In West Norway, the largest can extend 200 kilometers (more than 100 miles) inland, 1300 meters deep. Note that in some areas freshwater lakes, although not an extension of the ocean, are frequently called fjords. The fjords of western Norway has been rated as the world's top tourist destination by National Geographic Magazine. In a rating of UNESCO world heritage sites, Geiranger (in Møre og Romsdal) and Nærøyfjord (in Sogn og Fjordane) also obtained top score in a survey conducted by National Geographic.

Several of the worlds longest waterfalls can be found in western Norway. Many of them fall directly into the famous fjords as well as along the deep valleys extending into the mountains beyond the fjords. Unique in West Norway is that these waterfalls are found in large number all across the region.

Talk

The language in West Norway is Norwegian, with dialects that are distinctly different from eastern dialects. Foreign visitors will note a difference in melody only. Written Norwegian may differ somewhat as a different standard for writing is frequently used in West Norway.

As in the rest of Norway, virtually everybody under 60 years of age speak or understand English. In tourist hot spots like Geiranger and Bergen, French and German are also common among service personnel. Don't be surprised to meet service workers that manage other languages such as Russian, Dutch, Italian or Spanish.

Travel to West Norway - Visa Requirements

Western Norway occupies the entire west coast south of Trondheim until the mountain passes. By car there are accordingly numerous domestic entrances, basically along the east-west European highways (E18, E134, E16, E136) as well as E39, the coastal main road. Travellers should also consider alternative routes (frequently the more scenic) on national highways number 7, 50, 55 and 15.

Travellers visiting only Western Norway may choose to enter by air to Stavanger, Haugesund, Bergen, Molde or Ålesund airports.

Western Norway does not have an integrated railway network, but there several lines from Oslo to end stations in the West. Raumabanen (an arm of Dovrebanen, the Oslo-Trondheim line) runs from Dombås to Åndalsnes. Bergensbanen connects Oslo and Bergen across the mountain. The famous Flåmsbanen (Flåm railway) is an arm of Bergensbanen. Sørlandsbanen connects Oslo and Stavanger via South Norway including Kristiansand.

West Norway can be reached by ferry from Denmark (to Stavanger, Bergen and Kristiansand), England (until september 2008), Faroe Islands and Iceland.

Tours and Getting around West Norway

Due to complex topography West Norway does not have an integrated rail network. The railway does however offer opportunity for scencic rides. Train is most suitable for transport between Bergen, Voss, Flåm and the mountains; transport between Stavanger, Sandnes and small towns south of Sandnes. Bergen-Voss-Flåm is included in the famous "Norway in a nutshell" tour. The scenic Raumabanen railway from Dombås to Åndalsnes is an alternative to bus or car in the Romsdalen valley.

Instead of a rail network there is an integrated network of express buses (operated by Nor-Way) covering most of West Norway, these buses run few times every day. Inside Møre og Romsdal county there is also the Timesekspressen connecting main towns (Volda-Ålesund-Molde-Kristiansund) by hourly departures.

North-south along the coast there are a few express passanger boats between Bergen and Stavanger (operated by Tide), and between Bergen and small towns to the north (operated by Fjord1). The small towns along Sognefjorden is also connected to Bergen by these high speed catamarans.

Bergen is connected to all coastal towns to the north by Hurtigruten (the coastal steamer), which is a combined cargo and cruise ship (also accepts cars).

The fjord and island areas are typically best enjoyed from a boat. However, because most of west Norway is sparsley populated with limited public transport, a car provides superior freedom and flexibility for the traveler. Because some roads are narrow and steep (not shown on most road maps), travellers are advised to calculate plenty of time for driving and not to rush as this increases risk of accident. Ferries are an integral part of the road network and trips across West Norway always involve ferries. Car ferries on the main roads are rather frequent (typically every half hour), extremely reliable and operate with reserve capacity. Except for the popular Geiranger-Hellesylt and Valldal-Geiranger ferries, tourists generally need not worry about time tables and reservations. Travellers are however recommended to caclulate plenty of time for trips involving car ferries. Buses, ambulances and livestock transport have priority. On the longer crossings, ferries have cafeteria selling coffee, beverages, sandwiches and some hot food.

Because nature is the main sight in West Norway, travellers are advised not to rush from town to town, but instead to calculate plenty of time for the road.

West Norway tourist attractions and sightseeing

Itineraries

West Norway city tours

In Western Norway one can easily combine skiing and fjord sightseeing. Most ski resorts are open during the standard winter season, typically December-April. However, in Western Norway there are summer ski resorts open only during summer May to July/August. Overview of resorts: Ski Fjord Norway

West Norway Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

There are various high class dining facilities in West Norway. See articles for each town.

West Norway nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Stay safe

West Norway is as safe as the rest of Norway (see general information on Norway). In western Norway there are several roads with very narrow stretches where even small cars can not pass easily. Be extremely careful around blind corners on these roads. Show respect for the sea. Waves coming in from the Atlantic can be extremly powerful and every year tourists vanish in water.

Get out