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Sognefjord
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (November 2007) |
The Sognefjord (Sognefjorden) is the second largest fjord in the world after Scoresby Sund on Greenland, and the largest in Norway. Situated in Sogn og Fjordane in Western Norway, its mouth is about 72km (45mi) north of Bergen, and it stretches 203km (126mi) inland to the small village of Skjolden.
The fjord reaches a maximum depth of 1,308 m below sea level. The greatest depths are found some way inland. Near its mouth, the bottom rises abruptly to a sill about 100m below sea level. The average width of the main branch of the Sognefjord is about three miles. Cliffs surrounding the fjord rise almost sheer from the water to heights of 1000m and more.
Boats connect settlements along the fjord and its sidearms. Towns on the fjord and its branches include Høyanger, Vik i Sogn, Sogndal, Lærdal, Årdal, Gaupne, Balestrand, Gudvangen and Flåm. Gudvangen is situated by the Nærøyfjord, a branch of the Sognefjord particularly noted for its unspoilt nature and dramatic scenery ([1]), and only 300 m across at its narrowest point. The Nærøyfjord is now on UNESCO's world heritage list. From Flåm, the famous Flåmsbana railway climbs 864m up to Myrdal in only 20km - the steepest unassisted railway climb in the world.
Over the Sognefjord a power line with a span of 4597 m is installed. This is the second largest span of power lines in the world.
The fjord's beauty and the surpassing magnitude of its landscape has made it very popular among tourists, who power much of the local economy in summer season.
Lusterfjord On the innermost arm of the Sognerfjord a small tourist attraction called Lusterfjord exists. A beautiful extension of the second largest fjord in the world it is surrounded by the Jotunheimen Mountains and intercedes with the Jotunheimen National Park. In earlier times the fjord was the easiest way to head from Skolden at the opening of the Sognefjord all the way to Bergen. Fishermen and merchants traversed this beautiful landscape monthly to transport foreign goods as well as Norway's famous Cod fish to the inner realms of the picturesque country.
See under Sogn.
