The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana)
On Gingerguide's self-guided Bergen audio tour, The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) is a stop worth about ~180 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type landmark
- Suggested visit ~180 min
- Bergen Bergen guide
About The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana)
A dramatic mountain railway that drops around 860 metres in just twenty kilometres, from the bare Myrdal plateau down twenty tunnels and past waterfalls to the Aurlandsfjord at Flåm.
The Flåm Line, or Flåmsbana, is a railway between Myrdal and Flåm in western Norway. Over just 20.2 kilometres it descends from Myrdal, about 863.6 metres above sea level, to Flåm at around 2 metres, an altitude difference of roughly 860 metres. The route passes through twenty tunnels and holds a maximum gradient of 5.5 percent over about 80 percent of its length. It is a standard-gauge line, and Wikipedia describes it as the steepest standard-gauge railway in Europe.
The line opened in 1940, with electric passenger service from 1941, and connects with the Bergen Line at Myrdal. The one-way journey takes roughly 50 to 60 minutes. Trains pause at the Kjosfossen waterfall, whose station opened in 1951 so tourists could view the falls. Flåm station lies at the head of the Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the Sognefjord, and the railway is a classic leg of the 'Norway in a Nutshell' round trip from Bergen, reached via the Bergen Line to Myrdal.
Did you know? Over 20.2 kilometres the Flåm Line drops about 860 metres, holding a gradient of 5.5 percent, one in eighteen, across roughly four-fifths of its length. Wikipedia calls it Europe's steepest standard-gauge railway.
How much time do you need at The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana)?
Around ~180 min works well for The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana)?
Yes — The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) made the cut as one of 21 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Bergen. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Bergen
Day 2 of the Bergen in 2 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana)
Preview the Bergen tour free in the Gingerguide app.