The 8 Greats of Fjaerland
Fjærland is the perfect destination for hiking, fishing, and kayaking in the summer. In the winter, backcountry skiing offers intrepid explorers the chance to ascend majestic peaks with unforgettable fjord views and virgin powder snow. Fjærland is the area surrounding Fjærlandsfjord, a branch of Sognefjord. With the booktown of Mundal at its heart, there are just 300 people living here, most of whom are engaged in farming and tourism.
Even though Fjærland is small, there are plenty of wonderful things to do. These are our eight favourite activities.
1 The Magical Norwegian Book Town
Around 3km into the Fjaerlandsfjord, you will find the quaint little book town Mundal. Old cow sheds and pigpens are now home to charming little book shops with more on ferry quay and in the Mundal Hotel. After being officially recognized as a book town in 1996, Mundal became the eighth book town in the world and the first in Scandinavia!
Here in this remote village of Mundal the people have turned abandoned buildings into bookstores. There are more than 10 second-hand bookshops in enchanting waterfront wooden houses, former ferry waiting rooms, stables, local banks and a post office, below towering mountains and magnificent glaciers. Bokbyen (the Book Town) is now home to a collection of over 150,000 used books. Indeed, there are more books and pine trees here than people – and the people are warm and welcoming!
Ten years before the booktown became the reading hub it is today, you could only get to Fjærland by boat. The first road to the valley was built in 1986, and now there are bus routes to get in from the north or the south. In 1995, Mundal officially became the first “booktown” in Norway.
2 Norwegian Glacier Museum
The Norwegian Glacier Museum is an interactive experience and award winning museum, which offers something for the whole family.
If you are interested in glaciers and the climate this is the leading centre in Norway, answering key questions like ‘Why is glacier ice blue?’, ‘Why is the fjord green?’ and ‘How were the fjords formed?’. You can even perform your own experiments with 1000 year old ice from the nearby glacier Supphellebreen.
You can also enjoy a unique and staggering panoramic film about Jostedalsbreen National Park, and experience the climate exhibition which takes you on a journey through Earths’ climatic history.
3 Explore Fjaerland by Bike
If you would like an alternative way of exploring Fjaerland and the charming Norwegian Book Town of Mundal, you can hire a bike! Bike hire is easy - you can simply ask Glacier Tour to organise hire for you or you can find them for rent at Bøyum Camping, close to the Norwegian Glacier Museum.
Photo: Terje Rakke -Nordic Life As - www.fjordnorway.com
Both good for you and good for the environment, heading off on two wheels will give you a different perspective of this quintessential Fjord-side village, originally only accessible by water. Park up your bike and browse the bookshops that occupy various buildings such as the ferry port, tourist info, cafe and a couple of cowsheds. Enjoy!
4 Go Kayaking
If you enjoy getting a little closer to the water and being in a boat of your own, why not hire a kayak for a fun, relaxed experience right among the calm and beautiful Fjærlandsfjorden. Paddling here is great, whatever the weather is like or whatever previous paddling experience you have (or do not have), getting out on the Fjærlandsfjord is a must-do activity.
Starting at the kayak base in Mundal you will be met by a Fjaerland Guiding official guide who will take good care of you and share all sorts of interesting information about Fjærland and the surroundings. The views to both Bøyabreen Glacier and Flatbreen Glacier are stunning, cameras are a must, to capture the incredible scenery that you only get from the cockpit of a kayak!
Kayaking is something for everyone. You can paddle in a single or double sea kayak for 2 or 4 hours.
Other boating activities on the fjord are possible from the Fjærland Fjordstove Hotel. From there you can rent a rowing boat, go fishing with a personal fishing guide, or on a guided boat trip to isolated and historic fjord settlements in the Fjærlandsfjord.
5 Hike the Glaciers
For the adventurous (and fit) the full day hike at Haugabreen Glacier in Jølster, is a must!
Setting off from Stardalen for a full day trip to the glacier where you can walk on the glacier itself. You will need to have some experience with trail hiking and be physically fit enough for the one hour hike to reach the glacier where we then typically spend 2-3 hours on the glacier itself. We can choose different routes on the ice, depending on ice and snow conditions on the day.
This activity is demanding and participants need to be reasonably fit to do it*. It is an all day activity(up to 7 hours) available to those traveling between July to September (and over 12 years of age).
*Medium to hard (medium for people who are used to hiking in mountain terrain, and hard for people who are not used to hiking in mountain terrain).
You will need to bring the following equipment and clothing with you:
Good solid mountain boots
Clothing for a day in the mountains: insulating underwear/wool, wind/waterproof clothing
Thin gloves/mittens
Sunglasess/sunscreen
Thermos with warm beverage and lunch
A small backpack (20-40 l)
Alternatively, Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier on the European mainland and has several glacier arms that flow out in different directions. In Fjærland you can get very close to two of these glaciers, namely Bøyabreen and Supphellebreen. On several of the glacier arms to the Jostedalsbreen glacier, hikes can be arranged with experienced glacier guides daily during the summer. You can walk on the Flatbreen; a demanding, but great trip where the ascent to Flatbrehytta is at almost a thousand meters.
6 Hiking
Hiking in the Fjærlandsfjella or in the lush valleys in the lowlands gives you a wide range of options. Local guides offer the extra ingredients you are looking for to have a very special experience. Fjærland is one of the few places on the planet where you can see glaciers, fjords, and mountains at the same time
7 Skiing
Winter is full of joys in the white element. Here you can go cross-country skiing, mountaineering, or have fun in a local ski resort. In and around Fjærland, there are exciting opportunities and degrees of difficulty that suit everyone.
8 Flatbrehytta
Flatbrehytta is located 1000 meters above the fjord and right next to the mighty Flatbreen. The view of both the fjord and the glacier at the same time is truly impressive! The trip up to the cabin is spectacular, partly steep, and physically demanding. We advise all hikers to consider their own physique or to hire a guide. For the hike you need to allow 2-4 hours up and 2-3 hours down (total 4-7 hours).
