Sognefjord
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The Sognefjord (Sognefjorden) is the second largest fjord in the world after Scoresby Sund on Greenland, and the largest in Norway. Situated in Sogn og Fjordane in Western Norway, its mouth is about 72km (45mi) north of Bergen, and it stretches 203km (126mi) inland to the small village of Skjolden.
The fjord reaches a maximum depth of 1,308 m below sea level. The greatest depths are found some way inland. Near its mouth, the bottom rises abruptly to a sill about 100m below sea level. The average width of the main branch of the Sognefjord is about 4 and a half kms. Cliffs surrounding the fjord rise almost sheer from the water to heights of 1000m and more.
The inner end of Sognefjord is localized southeast of a mountain range rising to about 2,000 m above sea level and covered by Jostedalsbreen, continental Europe's largest Glacier. Thus the climate of the inner end of Sognefjord and its branches is not as wet as on the outer coastline. Around this inner end, three of Norway's famous stave churches have survived, Kaupanger and Urnes near its banks and Borgund stave church 30 km up Laerdal.
Boats connect settlements along the fjord and its sidearms. Towns on the fjord and its branches include Høyanger, Vik i Sogn, Sogndal, Lærdal, Årdal, Gaupne, Balestrand, Gudvangen and Flåm. Gudvangen is situated by the Nærøyfjord, a branch of the Sognefjord particularly noted for its unspoilt nature and dramatic scenery ([1]), and only 300 m across at its narrowest point. The Nærøyfjord is now on UNESCO's world heritage list. From Flåm, the famous Flåmsbana railway climbs 864m up to Myrdal in only 20km - the steepest unassisted railway climb in the world.
Over the Sognefjord a power line with a span of 4597 m is installed. This is the second largest span of power lines in the world.
The fjord's beauty and the surpassing magnitude of its landscape has made it very popular among tourists, who power much of the local economy in summer season.
[edit] Lustrafjord
The innermost arm of the Sognerfjord is called Lustrafjord. At its end there is the village of skjolden, which is an acces to Jotunheimen National Park. In earlier times Transport from Bergen to Scandinavian inland and vice versa was done on boat from Bergen to Skjolden and from there on a simple road ofer the highlands.
[edit] The name
See under Sogn.
[edit] External links
