The Flam railway, in western Norway, is regularly named among the most beautiful train journeys in the world, and it earns the billing. In a short ride it drops from the bleak mountain plateau down a steep, twisting valley to the shore of a fjord, passing thundering waterfalls and improbable views at every turn. It is the centrepiece of a classic fjord journey you can do entirely without a car.
The journey
The line itself is short but spectacular, one of the steepest standard-gauge railways anywhere, looping down the mountainside through tunnels and past the great Kjosfossen waterfall, where the train pauses for photographs. But the real magic comes from combining it into a longer trip, linking the famous Bergen line, the Flam railway and a boat along the narrow arms of the fjord, a journey often sold as a single scenic route.
How to do it
- Combine the train, the Flam line and a fjord cruise for the full experience; the classic round trip can be done in a day from Bergen or Oslo.
- Book ahead in summer, when the route is popular and the small trains and boats fill up.
- Sit by a window and be ready with a camera, but also just watch; no photograph does the scale justice.
Practical notes
The journey is not cheap, as Norway rarely is, but it packs an enormous amount of scenery into a manageable trip and removes the need to drive Norway's winding fjord roads. Spring and summer give the long daylight and the waterfalls in full spate from the snowmelt; winter offers a starker, snow-covered beauty for the hardy.
Flam itself is a tiny village at the head of the fjord, geared to visitors but stunning in setting. Whether you do the journey as a long day trip or break it overnight, it is a reminder that the best way to see dramatic country is sometimes to let the train take the strain. The fjords of Norway, seen this way, are simply unforgettable.