Western Norway

Counties of West Norway.

• 🌍 Atlanterhavsveien — The Atlantic Road: National tourist route and voted to one of the world's best road trips by The Guardian
• 🌍 Dovrefjell — a mountainous area consisting of two large national parks (comprises also parts of East Norway and Trøndelag)
• 🌍 Geiranger — iconic fjord visited by several hundred cruise ships each summer
• 🌍 Jostedalsbreen — the largest glacier on the European mainland
• 🌍 Jotunheimen - Scandinavia's highest mountains
• 🌍 Sognefjorden — Norway's longest fjord and deepest fjord with Flåm and Luster
• 🌍 Valldal — green valley among alpine mountains, connects Geiranger and Trollstigen/Åndalsnes
• 🌍 Åndalsnes with Romsdal valley - the most alpine valley between the great fjords and the wide interior
• 🌍 Stryn — summer ski capital, fine glaciers in next door Olden and Loen

Geographically, this is the archetypal Norway. Although fjords can be found in other parts of the world, the word is Norwegian, and this is the region of Norway where the most of the iconic fjords can be found. A fjord (the "j" is pronounced like an "y" in English) is a long, narrow, deep bay, usually surrounded by equally steep mountainous terrain. In West Norway, the largest can extend 200 km (124 mi) inland, 1300 m (4265 ft) deep. The great fjords of western Norway cuts deep into the mainland and are particularly dramatic at the intersection with the high central mountains from Hardangervidda via Jotunheimen to the "alps" around Åndalsnes. Most fjords continue onshore as deep u-shaped (often gorge-like) valleys such as Lærdal, Romsdal, Sunndal and Gudvangen, several of these valleys are home to pretty, usually very deep, lakes such as Olden and Eidfjord lakes. Note that in some areas major freshwater lakes, although not connected to the ocean, are frequently called fjords. The fjords of western Norway has been rated as the world's top tourist destination by National Geographic Magazine. In a rating of UNESCO world heritage sites, Geiranger, in Møre og Romsdal and Nærøyfjord, in Sogn og Fjordane, also obtained top score in a survey conducted by National Geographic.

Several great waterfalls can be found in Western Norway. Many of them fall directly into the famous fjords as well as along the deep valleys extending into the mountains beyond the fjords. Unique in West Norway is that these waterfalls are found in large number all across the region. One third of the world's 30 tallest waterfalls (as listed on Wikipedia) are in West Norway and most of the tall waterfalls in Europe are in this region.

The only really even lowland area is Jæren, the region south of Stavanger. Jæren also has long stretches of sandy beaches and is not protected by lines of islands and skerries like the rest of this extremely fragmented coast. The beaches at Jæren are popular among kiters and surfers. Other flat lowlands include a small number of islands such as Smøla and Giske. Elsewhere the terrain is in general extremely fragmented along the ocean as well as in the interior where grand fjords, green gentle valleys and steep mountains dominate.

While famous for its natural landscapes, West Norway is also very rich in natural resources and an economically strong region. The rich fisheries of the North Sea and Atlantic lies just off the shores of West Norway, so does the oil and gas fields on the Norwegian continental shelf. Redundancy of water and steep mountains make West Norway ideal for hydro electric power production, supplying ample amount of electricity to industry and western cities as well as large parts of East Norway.

The name "Norway" ("way to the North") originally referred to the sea lane along the coast of West Norway from somewhere around present day Stavanger and northward. In the Middle Ages West Norwegians were referred to as "nordmenn" ("men of the North" or "Norwegians"), while people of East Norway were called "austmenn" ("Men of the East"). The name "Norway" was subsequently and gradually extended to the entire territory of the present Kingdom of Norway.

The southern part of West Norway (around Stavanger) is often referred to as the south-west, while the northern part (around Ålesund-Molde) is called the north-west.

The theory about ice ages over Scandinavia and other parts of world was formularer in 1823 when professor Jens Esmark compared moraines across Western Norway. At Haukalivatnet lake (near Lysefjorden) there is a distinct end moraine presumably created by a prehistoric glacier. Esmark noted the similarity to moraines in front of retreating glaciers in Stryn mountains and Jostedalsbreen. Esmark's observation is one of the great discoveries in the Earth sciences.

The language in West Norway is Norwegian, with dialects that are distinctly different from eastern dialects. Unlike most of Norway but similar to France and northern Germany, dialects in Hordaland (including Bergen) and Rogaland have a distinct guttural R-sound. Dialects further north in West Norway have a distinct "rolling R" (voiced alveolar trill) similar to Castilian (Spanish). Foreign visitors will note a difference in melody only. Written Norwegian may differ somewhat as a different standard for writing, called nynorsk, is frequently used in West Norway.

As in the rest of Norway, virtually everybody under 60 years of age speak or understand English. Many information signs in public places are printed in English. In tourist hot spots like Geiranger and Bergen, French and German are also common among service personnel. Don't be surprised to meet service workers that manage other languages such as Russian, Dutch, Italian or Spanish.

• Fishing. Endless possibilities along the coast, in the fjords and in lakes.
• Glacier walks on Jostedalsbreen and Folgefonna (with guide only)
• Hiking. Several possibilities, among them Hardangervidda and Jotunheimen.
• Skiing in Voss.
• Skiing, in summertime, in Stryn or Folgefonna
• Sleep in a mountain cabin. The Norwegian Trekking Association operates 110 cabins scattered across the region.

See also: Nordic cuisine

There are various high class dining facilities in West Norway. See articles for each town. Specialities are plentiful.

• Try Norwegian seafood!

When in this area, the local brand of bottled water is called Olden. Hansa brewery is the major beverages provider. The company also produces the arguably best Norwegian-owned beer.

It's safe to drink tap water in Norway as the water is among the cleanest in the world. You should therefore avoid drinking bottle water as it is not good for the environment.

Inner fjord areas such as Hardanger, Sognefjord and Valldal have long apple growing traditions. There are many cider producers in the area some of these ciders are of high quality and match fine white wine from central Europe and the best cider internationally. Norwegian cider is typically fresh, aromatic and dry. Ciders rich in tannins and with a more bitter taste are less common. Ciders can be light sparkling or still. Most cider producers accept visitors and sell by the bottle.

West Norway is as safe as the rest of Norway (see general information on Norway). In western Norway there are several roads with very narrow stretches where even small cars can not pass easily. Be extremely careful around blind corners on these roads. Stick to your side of the road! While roads may look dangerous, there are few accidents on these roads.

Show respect for the sea. Every year tourists die in small rented boats; usually having gone out in bad weather. Waves coming in from the Atlantic can be extremely powerful, but even in what seems like sheltered waters the wind can capsize a small boat.

• Trøndelag
• East Norway
• Denmark
• United Kingdom