Fjaerland: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Fjærland sits at the foot of Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on the European mainland, and two of its arms come down almost to the road. Until 1986 there was no road here at all, and visitors came by boat up the fjord. This route starts at the museum, takes in both glaciers and climbs to a hut on the edge of the ice, then goes over to Jostedalen for a walk on a glacier itself. A full day; the walk on Nigardsbreen must be booked.
A short history of Fjaerland
Fjærland is a small village at the end of a narrow fjord, below the Jostedalsbreen glacier. Until 1986 it could be reached only by boat; only then did a road and tunnels open linking it to the rest of the country. Its historic Hotel Mundal opened in 1891 and hosted, among others, the German Emperor Wilhelm II. In 1991 the Norwegian Glacier Museum opened in the village, and in 1996 it became a "book town", with second-hand bookshops in houses, barns and the old ferry.
The ten best sights in Fjaerland
1Norwegian Glacier MuseumDesigned by Sverre Fehn; start here to understand the ice you will see an hour later
2BøyabreenA glacier arm that hangs over a green meltwater lake, a short walk from the car park
3SupphellebreenWalk right up to the ice at the end of a quiet side valley; don't climb on it
-
4Hotel Mundal
A white wooden hotel from 1891 at the head of the fjord; stop for coffee in the old lounge
5Fjærland ChurchThe village's small wooden church by the water, painted in the local style
6FjærlandsfjordThe narrow arm of the Sognefjord that ends at the village; best seen from the shore road
-
7Flatbrehytta
A mountain hut on the edge of the ice field, a steep half-day hike from Supphella
8NigardsbreenThe arm of Jostedalsbreen where guided glacier walks start in summer; about 1.5 hours away
9BreheimsenteretGlacier visitor centre in Jostedalen, where you book the walks on Nigardsbreen
10AstruptunetThe painter Nikolai Astrup's farm above Jølster lake, with his house and studio
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Fjaerland →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Fjaerland:
Free walking tours in Fjaerland
Two glaciers and a museum
Fjærland sits at the foot of Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on the European mainland, and two of its arms come down almost to the road. Until 1986 there was no road here at all, and visitors came by boat up the fjord. This route starts at the museum, takes in both glaciers and climbs to a hut on the edge of the ice, then goes over to Jostedalen for a walk on a glacier itself. A full day; the walk on Nigardsbreen must be booked.
- Norwegian Glacier Museum · The building was designed by Sverre Fehn, who later won the Pritzker Prize, and it opened in 1991. Inside, you can touch ice thousands of years old and watch a panoramic film shot over the ice cap.
- Supphellebreen · Ice falls off the cliff edge from the plateau above and piles up below, where it packs together into a new glacier. This regenerated glacier is one of the few you can walk right up to from a car park.
- Flatbrehytta · The hut stands on a ledge at the edge of the Flatbreen glacier, about a thousand metres above the valley. The path up from Supphella is steep and takes a few hours, and the view across the ice is the reward.
- Brævasshytta · The café stands on the shore of the lake under Bøyabreen, where the glacier hangs over a cliff and calves into the water. On warm afternoons you can hear the ice crack from the terrace.
- Breheimsenteret · The visitor centre at the mouth of Jostedalen explains how the glacier has advanced and retreated, and it is where guided walks onto Nigardsbreen are sold and start.
- Nigardsbreen · In the 18th century this arm advanced across the valley floor and destroyed farms in its path. Today it has retreated behind a lake, and in summer a small boat takes walkers across to the ice.
Wooden churches of Sogn
Norway once had perhaps a thousand stave churches, built of upright timber posts in the Middle Ages; fewer than thirty survive, and several stand around the inner Sognefjord. This drive links three of them with two later churches that borrowed their style. It uses the fjord ferries, so check the timetables, and the boat to Urnes is small and seasonal. Allow a full day.
- Fjærland Church · The village church is a simple wooden building by the water, and for most of its life its congregation arrived by boat. Fjærland had no road link to the outside until 1986.
- St Olaf's Church, Balestrand · Margaret Sophia Green, an Englishwoman who married into the Kvikne hotel family, had this church built in 1897 for the English visitors. It copies the dragon heads and steep roofs of the medieval stave churches.
- Hopperstad Stave Church · Across the fjord in Vik, Hopperstad dates from around 1130 and is one of the oldest stave churches in Norway. It was near collapse in the 19th century and was saved and restored by the architect Peter Blix.
- Kaupanger Stave Church · Kaupanger is the largest stave church in Sogn and has served its parish without a break since the 12th century. Its timbers have been dated by their tree rings to the winter of 1137-38.
- De Heibergske Samlinger · The Sogn folk museum at Kaupanger gathers old farm buildings from around the fjord. It shows how people lived in the valleys whose churches you have just seen.
- Urnes Stave Church · Urnes is the oldest surviving stave church, built in the 12th century with carved panels reused from an even older church. Its intertwined animal carvings gave their name to the Urnes style, and it was listed by UNESCO in 1979.
Through the mountain to the painter's lake
North of Fjærland the road dives into the mountain and comes out in Jølster, a farming district of long lakes and steep slopes. This is where Nikolai Astrup painted the midsummer bonfires and spring nights that made him one of Norway's best-loved artists. The drive takes about an hour each way, on good roads. Go in the afternoon and be back for dinner at the hotel.
- Hotel Mundal · The hotel opened in 1891, when the only way in was by steamer, and it was built for the tourists and mountaineers who came to see the glacier. It still has its old lounge and dining room.
- Fjærland Tunnel · The tunnel opened in 1986 and gave Fjærland its first road to the outside world. It is more than six kilometres long and runs under the mountains between the fjord and Skei.
- Kjøsnesfjorden · Despite its name this is a lake, not a fjord: a narrow arm of Jølstravatnet hemmed in by cliffs. The road runs along its shore on a shelf cut into the rock.
- Skei · The village at the head of the lake is the crossroads of the district, where the road from Fjærland meets the E39. It has the shops and fuel that Fjærland itself lacks.
- Jølstravatnet · The lake is about 30 km long and is known for its trout; Astrup painted its shores again and again. In early summer the fields on the slopes above it turn yellow with flowers.
- Astruptunet · Nikolai Astrup, who died in 1928, lived and worked on this small farm on the slope above the lake. The turf-roofed houses, his studio and the garden he planted are kept as he left them.
Getting to Fjaerland and getting around
- Sogndal Airport · Small airport on a hilltop with flights from Oslo, about 40 minutes' drive away
- Glacier Museum bus stop · Buses on the main road between Sogndal and Førde stop here, by the museum, not down in the village
- Hella ferry quay · Car ferries cross the Sognefjord here to Vangsnes and Dragsvik; the link towards Voss and the south
Cheap eats in Fjaerland
Fjærland is a village of a few hundred people, and food here means a handful of cafés and two hotels. Most cafés open only in the summer season, roughly May to September, and close in the late afternoon. Waffles with sour cream and jam, or with brown cheese, are the classic stop. Bring picnic food from Sogndal or Skei: there is no proper supermarket in the village.
- Inkåleisn Kafe · Coffee, cakes and books by the quay; coffee and a waffle about 80-110 NOK
- Brævasshytta · Café facing the glacier; soup or a waffle about 90-180 NOK, summer only
- Hotel Mundal · Coffee and homemade cake in the 1891 lounge, about 90-130 NOK
- Fjærland Fjordstove Hotel · Small hotel by the water serving lunch, about 180-280 NOK
- Norwegian Glacier Museum café · Café at the museum for a sandwich between glaciers, about 100-180 NOK
Museums in Fjaerland
- Norwegian Glacier Museum · Ice, films and climate exhibits; give it 1.5 hours
- Astruptunet · The painter's farm above the lake, open in summer; an hour's drive
- Breheimsenteret · Glacier visitor centre in Jostedalen, where the Nigardsbreen walks start
- Sogn Fjord Museum · Boats and fishing life of the fjord, at Kaupanger
- De Heibergske Samlinger · Sogn's open-air folk museum of old farm buildings, at Kaupanger
Nature and day trips near Fjaerland
- Bøyabreen · Glacier over a lake, five minutes from the car park
- Supphellebreen · Walk up to the ice at the end of the side valley; keep off it
- Fjærlandsfjord · The narrow fjord arm south of the village, calm and green in the evening
- Flatbrehytta · Hut on the edge of the ice; a steep half-day hike, fit walkers only
- Nigardsbreen · Guided walks on a glacier arm in Jostedalen; book ahead
Holy places in Fjaerland
- Urnes Stave Church · UNESCO stave church on the Lustrafjord, open in summer
- St Olaf's Church, Balestrand · English church in Norwegian style, a short walk from the Kviknes Hotel
- Hopperstad Stave Church · 12th-century stave church in Vik, across the Sognefjord by ferry
- Kaupanger Stave Church · The largest stave church in Sogn, still the parish church
- Fjærland Church · The village's wooden church by the fjord, next to Hotel Mundal
Where to eat in Fjaerland
- Hotel Mundal · Set dinner in the historic dining room, about 600-800 NOK; book
- Fjærland Fjordstove Hotel · Small hotel restaurant by the water, mains about 300-400 NOK
- Kviknes Hotel · Evening buffet in Balestrand, about 45 minutes' drive; about 600-800 NOK
- Fjøra Gastropub · Pub food on Sogndal's waterfront, mains about 250-350 NOK; 35 minutes' drive
- Den gamle nabo · Restaurant in central Sogndal, mains about 250-380 NOK
Frequently asked questions about Fjaerland
What is there to see in Fjaerland?
The top sights in Fjaerland are Norwegian Glacier Museum, Bøyabreen and Supphellebreen. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Fjaerland?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Fjaerland without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Fjaerland?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Fjaerland, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Two glaciers and a museum.
How do you get to Fjaerland and get around?
The main ways are Sogndal Airport, Glacier Museum bus stop and Hella ferry quay. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Fjaerland, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Fjaerland that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Fjaerland for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.