Sogndalsfjøra, Vestland, NorwayYea, the sun is out. Perfect for the drive around one of the most scenic fjords.
North up Fv55. What a difference sunshine makes. The Gaupne area of the Lustrafjord that we saw yesterday looked so completely different.
Høyheimsvik--drove down to to the marina area, which had great views across the fjord of Feigumfossen waterfall.
Skjolden, picturesque town at end of Sognefjorden.
North on 55, which is the Songnefjell Mountain National Tourist Rd.
Photogenic Eidsvatnet Lake with the Asafossen waterfall in the distance.
Wonderful pullover next to the lake with stone benches perfect for having our sandwiches and enjoying the unbeatable views--plus a bit of history.
Remains of the hut across the lake built in 1914 by prominent Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, where he came to work on his manuscripts.
North up Fv55. What a difference sunshine makes. The Gaupne area of the Lustrafjord that we saw yesterday looked so completely different.
Høyheimsvik--drove down to to the marina area, which had great views across the fjord of Feigumfossen waterfall.
Skjolden, picturesque town at end of Sognefjorden.
North on 55, which is the Songnefjell Mountain National Tourist Rd.
Photogenic Eidsvatnet Lake with the Asafossen waterfall in the distance.
Wonderful pullover next to the lake with stone benches perfect for having our sandwiches and enjoying the unbeatable views--plus a bit of history.
Remains of the hut across the lake built in 1914 by prominent Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, where he came to work on his manuscripts.
- History: Wittgenstein (1889-1951) changed the entire direction of Philosophy twice during the 20th century. His two major works, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and Philosophical Investigations, made him a leading figure in logic and philosophy of language. Philosophy was a way of dealing with life and existence by developing new ways of thinking about them. Comparing philosophy to both poetry and architecture, he found asking the right questions more important than offering decisive answers. After pondering the problems of war, he wrote: "What can be said at all can be said clearly; and whereof one cannot speak thereof one must be silent."
Short drive to "The Hand," a monument for Wittgenstein.
Asafossen Waterfall just across the road. Can't beat having a waterfall right next to the road.
Quite the ride winding around the cliffside higher and higher. Praying for no oncoming cars and having to back up to a pull-over spot. Past the village of Fortun, the road quickly turns and twists high up into the hills, leaving the valley far, far below.
Fortun Viewpoint: Worth the drive for this view of Fortundalen Valley!
Norwegian beauty at its best!
Asafossen Waterfall just across the road. Can't beat having a waterfall right next to the road.
Quite the ride winding around the cliffside higher and higher. Praying for no oncoming cars and having to back up to a pull-over spot. Past the village of Fortun, the road quickly turns and twists high up into the hills, leaving the valley far, far below.
Fortun Viewpoint: Worth the drive for this view of Fortundalen Valley!
Norwegian beauty at its best!
Had enough tense driving moments so instead of going higher, headed back down. (Hindsight: Should have gone higher to Nedre Oscarshaug viewpoint)
Lo was busy taking pictures with the window down and got all splashed from roadside waterfall--everyone had a good laugh.
At Skjolden, down Fv331 along Lusterfjord's southern shore, called the "Romantic Road," the narrowest one yet!
Don't think Randy would call this narrow, one-lane along the water's edge "romantic." Constantly on the lookout for oncoming cars and pullover spots.
As passengers, the scenery was eye-popping!
Feigefossen: nice paring lot. Short walk down the street to the waterfall.
When we got to the rocky/muddy climb up the hill, decided we didn't want to do this for 1.8 miles to the falls.
Popped into Kate's Kafé on walk back to car. What a cute little place. She was closing today so didn't have much food.
Lo was busy taking pictures with the window down and got all splashed from roadside waterfall--everyone had a good laugh.
At Skjolden, down Fv331 along Lusterfjord's southern shore, called the "Romantic Road," the narrowest one yet!
Don't think Randy would call this narrow, one-lane along the water's edge "romantic." Constantly on the lookout for oncoming cars and pullover spots.
As passengers, the scenery was eye-popping!
Feigefossen: nice paring lot. Short walk down the street to the waterfall.
When we got to the rocky/muddy climb up the hill, decided we didn't want to do this for 1.8 miles to the falls.
Popped into Kate's Kafé on walk back to car. What a cute little place. She was closing today so didn't have much food.
Anxious to see our first STAVE CHURCH
- History: The Norwegian stave churches are the oldest preserved wooden churches in Christianity. The name comes from the use of large pillars (staves) used to support the church structure. Most of the stave churches from the Middle Ages were actually quite plain; however, some featured elaborate designs and complex carvings. The churches’ wooden doors and finials are often beautifully carved. The decorations feature an intriguing combination of Christian motifs and what is often assumed to be pre-Christian Viking themes with animals and dragons.
Urnes Stave Church: Dating back to 1130, this is one of the oldest and most richly decorated of all the surviving stave churches. "It is architecturally, culturally, and historically unique because of its extremely detailed wood carving work and the extensive interior ornamentation."
Nice little museum where you buy tickets for the church tour. The original artifacts are housed here with good explanations of what the symbols mean.
Nice little museum where you buy tickets for the church tour. The original artifacts are housed here with good explanations of what the symbols mean.
- History: Urnes medieval wooden church has had architectural updates along the centuries and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built like a Romanesque church, but in wood, it's decorated with unusually rich woodcarvings from the high Middle Ages. The many detailed carvings incorporate Viking tradition elements that reflect features of a previous stave church located on the same site. There is a lot of animal imagery, some of which comes from the Bible and some from Norse mythology.
Our guide Valentine, a student that works here during the summer months, was excellent. We were the only people here this late in the afternoon, and he spent almost an hour with us.
- On the northern wall is the most notable and mysterious carving in the church, which is from 1070. In the so-called "Urnes" style, it incorporates animal figures into the delicate, winding lines of a traditional Viking carving - a snake-like creature being eaten by a four-footed animal (lion). Christian scholars assert that this is a battle between Satan and Christ, each representing evil and good, respectively. Norse mythologists claim it is a representation of the end of the world, with the dragon Níðhöggr consuming the roots of the world tree.
- Alter: Crucified, crowned Christ, flanked by Mary and St. John, belong among the most important sculptural works from the Middle Ages. It may date from the 1150s. Restored in 2004, it demonstrates the original strong colors used by the medieval sculptor.
Very special church both inside and out. Pretty wonderful having the entire church area to ourselves. So serene walking through the churchyard setting of lush green fields overlooking the fjord - Breathtaking! Another exceptional moment we won't forget.
Ferry Urnes>Solvorn. Tight squeeze, only inches on both side. They guided us on. Can't beat the views from these Ferry crossings. The German couple camped next to us in Sande Camp was here too. Small world running into them.
Right after driving through Sogndal, saw a camping sign and quickly turned off since it was so late in the day.
SOGNDALSFJORA - KJORNES CAMPING - 1 night
What a lucky find! Voted Norway's #1 campground in 2014. All blacktop roads with grass sites tiered down the hill. The entire place was immaculate.
Kitchen had microwave so we heated leftover pasta for dinner with focaccia bread, also sausage. Sure was easy and yummy!
Lo is challenged when it comes to pay showers and getting the water to turn on. Today's episode took the prize. Couldn't find the knob. Ended up showering with ice cold water. Yuck!
SOGNDALSFJORA - KJORNES CAMPING - 1 night
What a lucky find! Voted Norway's #1 campground in 2014. All blacktop roads with grass sites tiered down the hill. The entire place was immaculate.
Kitchen had microwave so we heated leftover pasta for dinner with focaccia bread, also sausage. Sure was easy and yummy!
Lo is challenged when it comes to pay showers and getting the water to turn on. Today's episode took the prize. Couldn't find the knob. Ended up showering with ice cold water. Yuck!
2025-05-22