Norway has contributed the word fjord to the languages of the world to name the Norwegian waterways that wind inland from the coasts.Carved by glacial ice in river valleys, the fjords are different in character, changing as they snake their way in from the coast and end somewhere deeper inland, where they are usually much narrower. While there are long lush fields stretching down to the edge of the water in some places, in others the surrounding mountains plunge straight into the fjord.
The deep blue UNESCO-protected Geirangerfjord is surrounded by majestic, snow-covered mountain peaks, wild waterfalls and lush, green vegetation. The fjord is 15 kilometres long, more than 600 metres deep, the fjord is also included on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. The fjord is visited by 150 - 200 cruise ships and more than 700,000 tourists each year. Experience the fjord and waterfalls such as Brudesløret (the Bridal Veil) and De syv søstrene (the Seven Sisters) from one of the many available sightseeing trips or take the ferry between Geiranger and Hellesylt. You can also take the longer ferry trip between Geiranger and Valldal, the Geiranger & Norway in a nutshell trip or the Try Geirangerfjord trip.
Norway’s longest and deepest fjord extends inland to the national parks of Jotunheimen and Jostedalsbreen. The Sognefjord is 204 kilometres long and this makes the fjord Norway’s longest fjord and the second longest in the world, its depth is 1,308 metres. The Nærøyfjord, a branch of the Sognefjord is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List & the national parks Jotunheimen and Jostedalsbreen Glacier are partly situated in the Sognefjord area.The Sognefjord is located located in the southern part of the county of Sogn og Fjordane, in the middle of Fjord Norway. Sogndal is the regional centre of the Sognefjord area with 3,100 inhabitants.
Located not far from Bergen, and the area is especially known for fruit tree blossoming in spring, Folgefonna Glacier and Vøringsfossen Waterfall. The fjord i 179 kilometres long and the second longest fjord in Norway and the third longest in the world, its depth is 800 metres. The longest branch of the Hardangerfjord is Sørfjorden and the fjord starts at the Atlantic Ocean just south of Bergen and ends where it meets meets the grand mountain plateau of Hardangervidda. You will also find two national parks in the area: Hardangervidda and Folgefonna. The Hardangerfjord has good conditions for fish farming, making it one of four major fish farming regions in the world.
The Lysefjord is situated close to Stavanger, and is especially known for the mountain formations of Kjerag and Preikestolen (The Pulpit Rock). The Lysefjord is located in Ryfylke in the county of Rogaland, near Haugesund and Stavanger, south in Fjord Norge. The fjord is 42 kilometres long and is almoust 500 metres deep. Nearly 300,000 tourists visit the fjord each year and the name LYSEFJORD means light fjord, and is said to be derived from the lightly coloured granite rocks along its sides.
