Sognefjord: Nærøyfjord, Stegastein and Borgund

Route description

Leave Bergen on the E16, which runs through tunnels and along fjords for about 100 km to Voss, a lakeside town in a broad valley. Norway’s toll roads are camera-controlled, and foreign vehicles are invoiced automatically, so there is nothing to pay on the spot. Tvindefossen falls right beside the E16 about 12 km north of Voss, a good first leg-stretch.

Beyond Stalheim the E16 descends through tunnels to Gudvangen at the head of the Nærøyfjord, a narrow arm of the Sognefjord listed as a World Heritage Site. Fjord cruises link Gudvangen with Flåm through the Nærøyfjord. By road, the 11 km Gudvangen tunnel and a shorter one lead to Flåm, where the famous railway climbs up to Myrdal.

Drive to Aurland, 10 km away, and take Aurlandsfjellet (Fv243), the Snow Road, uphill for 8 km to the Stegastein platform high above the fjord. The road is narrow and winding with a small car park. Beyond Stegastein, it crosses the high plateau to Lærdal and is only open in summer, usually from June to October. In other months, use the Lærdal Tunnel, which at 24.5 km is the longest road tunnel in the world.

From Lærdal the E16 heads east up the valley for 30 km to Borgund Stave Church, built around 1200 and still little changed. Return to Lærdalsøyri, whose old wooden houses line the river, and take route 5 to the Fodnes–Mannheller ferry. It crosses the Sognefjord in about 15 minutes, landing a short drive from Sogndal. Campers are common here, but the Stegastein road is best avoided with a caravan.