Loen: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Behind Loen a narrow valley climbs to Lovatnet, a lake so green it looks painted, with the ice of Jostedalsbreen hanging at its head. It is also the site of two of Norway's worst natural disasters, when rock fell from the mountain into the water and the waves wiped out the lakeside farms. The road along the shore runs about 20 km to the glacier and is narrow, with passing places. Allow half a day, and bring a warm layer: the air off the ice is cold even in July.

A short history of Loen

Loen is a small village at the inner end of the Nordfjord, at the mouth of a valley holding the lake Lovatnet. In 1905 a huge rock broke away from the mountain Ramnefjellet and fell into the lake, and the resulting wave destroyed two villages and killed 61 people. In 1936 it happened again in the same place, this time killing 74 people. Since then the farms of the valley have remained mostly empty. In 2017 a cable car opened in the village, rising from sea level to the summit of Mount Hoven, at more than 1,000 metres.

The ten best sights in Loen

1
Hotel Alexandra
The grand old hotel of Loen, run by the same family for generations
2
Loen Church
White wooden church by the river mouth at the heart of the village
3
Olden Old Church
A small wooden church from 1759, a few steps from the newer one
4
Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre
Glacier exhibition and film at Oppstryn, 15 minutes east of Stryn
5
Norwegian Fjord Horse Centre
The home of the fjord horse breed at Nordfjordeid, about an hour west
6
Lodalen wreck
The lake steamer thrown ashore by a slide wave, still lying on the bank
7
Loen Skylift
Cable car from the fjord to 1,011 m on Mount Hoven in about five minutes; go on a clear morning
8
Hoven
The summit above Loen, with walking trails and a restaurant at the top station
9
Via Ferrata Loen
A climbing route on steel cables from the fjord to the summit; with a guide only, and ride down by Skylift
10
Lovatnet
A green glacier lake up the Loen valley; the road along it ends under the glacier

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Tours in Loen →

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 Loen:

Free walking tours in Loen

Lovatnet, the lake of the slides

Lovatnet · On 15 January 1905 a mass of rock fell from Ramnefjellet into the lake and raised a wave that swept away the farms of Bødal and Nesdal; 61 people died. In 1936 it happened again, and this time 74 were killed.
Nesdal · Nesdal was one of the two lakeside settlements hit by the waves. After the second disaster the farms here were given up, and today there are only a few buildings on the shore.
Lodalen wreck · Lodalen was the steamer that carried people and goods up and down the lake. One of the slide waves picked it up and threw it high onto the shore, and the remains have been left where they landed as a memorial.
Ramnefjellsfossen · The waterfall comes down in stages from Ramnefjellet, the same mountain that sent the rock into the lake. Measured from top to bottom it is one of the tallest waterfalls in Norway.
Kjenndalsbreen · The road ends at a small toll gate and a café, and a short path leads up to the foot of the glacier. Kjenndalsbreen is an arm of Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on the European mainland.
Bødalsbreen · Bødalsbreen is another glacier arm at the head of a side valley, reached on foot from the old summer farm of Bødalssætra. The walk is quieter than the road and gives a closer view of the ice.

Summit and fjord

Loen sits at the inner end of Nordfjord, where the fjord meets the mountains in a single steep wall. In 2017 a cable car opened up that wall, and in minutes it lifts you from sea level to a summit over a thousand metres high. This route does the summit in the morning and then drives along the fjord to the old church at Olden and the deep lake of Hornindal, about 100 km in all. Go up on the first clear day: cloud can close the view in minutes.

Hotel Alexandra · Tourism in Loen began in the late 1800s with British travellers who came up the fjord by steamer, and the hotel grew with them. The family that runs it also built the Skylift across the road.
Loen Skylift · The cable car opened in 2017 and climbs to 1,011 m in about five minutes, which makes it one of the steepest cable cars in the world.
Hoven · From the top you look straight down the length of Nordfjord and across to the ice of Jostedalsbreen. Marked trails lead on from the station to higher summits behind it.
Via Ferrata Loen · The route climbs about a thousand metres from the fjord to the summit on fixed steel cables, ladders and bridges, clipped in all the way. It takes most of a day, and climbers come down on the Skylift.
Olden Old Church · The little church was built in 1759, and when a larger church was built in the village it was kept rather than torn down.
Hornindalsvatnet · At 514 m this is the deepest lake in Europe. Its surface is only about 50 m above sea level, so its floor lies more than 450 m below the level of the sea a few kilometres away.

Glacier valleys

South and east of Loen the valleys run straight up into Jostedalsbreen, and each one ends in a tongue of ice. This route takes the Olden valley to Briksdal in the morning and then drives east up the old mountain road to a ski centre that opens in summer. It is about 150 km in all, with an hour's walk to Briksdal. Wear walking shoes and a rain jacket: the path to the glacier passes right through the spray of a waterfall.

Oldevatnet · The water is green because of rock flour, rock ground to fine powder by the glacier and carried down in the meltwater. The fine particles stay suspended and scatter the light.
Kleivafossen · The path to Briksdal crosses right in front of this waterfall, and on a full-flow day the spray soaks everyone who passes. It is fed by the same glacier you are walking towards.
Briksdalsbreen · In the 1990s the ice advanced right to the edge of the lake below it, but since then it has shrunk back a long way up the rock. For the less sure-footed, small open 'troll cars' drive most of the path.
Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre · Jostedalsbreen became a national park in 1991. The centre explains how the glacier formed and how it is shrinking, and has a film shot over the ice.
Old Strynefjell Road · The road over the mountain was opened in 1894 and built mostly by hand, with dry-stone walls along the edges. It is now one of Norway's National Tourist Routes, and much of it is gravel.
Strynefjell Summer Ski Centre · The lift runs up the Tystigbreen glacier, and in early summer people ski here in T-shirts. It usually opens in June and closes in July, once the snow gets thin.

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Getting to Loen and getting around

Sandane Airport · Small airport about an hour west, with short propeller flights to Oslo and Bergen
Stryn Bus Station · Express buses along Nordfjord and towards Oslo and Bergen stop here, 15 minutes from Loen
Olden cruise quay · Big cruise ships call in summer; on those days the Briksdal road and the Skylift are busiest

Cheap eats in Loen

Loen is a village of a few hundred people, and its food is a café, a grocery and the hotels; Stryn, 15 minutes away, has the bakeries and supermarkets. Norway is expensive, so do as the Norwegians do and make a packed lunch from the shop. Up the valleys the mountain cafés serve waffles, soup and coffee, but they close early outside the high season.

Joker Loen · Bread, brown cheese and fruit for the day, about 100-200 kroner
Mat i Farta · Café in the village for coffee and a quick bite, about 60-180 kroner
Kjenndalstova · Waffles and soup at the end of the lake road, about 80-250 kroner
Briksdalsbre Fjellstove · Café at the start of the Briksdal path, about 80-250 kroner
Stabukk is og kaffibar · Ice cream and coffee in Olden, about 50-100 kroner
Yris Kafe · Café in Olden by the quay, about 80-200 kroner
Jafs Stryn · Burgers and hot dogs in Stryn, about 80-200 kroner

Museums in Loen

Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre · Glacier exhibition and film, east of Stryn
Lodalen wreck · By the Lovatnet road; a few minutes' stop
Olden Old Church · Wooden church of 1759; open in summer
Loen Church · The village church by the river mouth
Hotel Alexandra · The old fjord hotel; worth a coffee in the lounge

Nature and day trips near Loen

Lovatnet · Green glacier lake, 20 km of shore road
Briksdalsbreen · An hour's walk up, or the troll cars
Kjenndalsbreen · Glacier at the end of the lake road; small toll
Oldevatnet · Emerald lake with small beaches on the Briksdal road
Hornindalsvatnet · Europe's deepest lake, about 40 minutes west
Ramnefjellsfossen · Tall stepped waterfall above Lovatnet

Things to do in Loen with kids

Loen Skylift · Five minutes to the top; hold hands near the edges
Norwegian Fjord Horse Centre · Meet the fjord horses, about an hour west
Strynefjell Summer Ski Centre · Snow in June; ski hire on site
Kleivafossen · The waterfall shower on the Briksdal path; children love getting wet
Oldevatnet · Pebble beaches for skimming stones; the water is ice-cold

Where to eat in Loen

Hoven Restaurant · Dinner at 1,011 m; book and check the last cabin
Hotel Alexandra · Hotel dining room in the village; book in summer
Mølla Gjestehus · Guesthouse restaurant in Olden
Restaurant 34 · Dinner on the main street of Stryn
Isehaug · Restaurant in central Stryn
Napoli Pizzaria · Pizza in Stryn, the easy family dinner

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Frequently asked questions about Loen

What is there to see in Loen?

The top sights in Loen are Hotel Alexandra, Loen Church and Olden Old Church. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Loen?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Loen without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Loen?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Loen, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Lovatnet, the lake of the slides.

How do you get to Loen and get around?

The main ways are Sandane Airport, Stryn Bus Station and Olden cruise quay. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Loen, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Loen 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.

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