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All Norway Flåm Flåmsbana (Flåm Railway)

Flåmsbana (Flåm Railway)

One of the most breathtaking railways in Europe also takes one of the steepest climbs, from fjord to mountain plateau.

Flåm, Norway

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Kathy D
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Along the route of the Flåmsbana   Kenny Louie
Along the route of the Flåmsbana   Kenny Louie
On the Flåmsbana railway   Bernt Rostad
Inside the railway car   ashfay
The Flam Valley from the train   kld123 (Atlas Obscura user)
Kjosfossen Falls along the Flam Railroad   kld123 / Atlas Obscura User
Flam Valley   kld123 / Atlas Obscura User
Flam railway train   kld123 / Atlas Obscura User
View from the Flåmsbana, Norway   martine79 / Atlas Obscura User
They had to carve out the rocks for this track…View from the Flåmsbana, Norway   martine79 / Atlas Obscura User
View from the Flåmsbana, Norway   martine79 / Atlas Obscura User
There’s someone on the ruins performing an ancient song barely audible above the roar of the waterfall   martine79 / Atlas Obscura User
Majestic glacier waterfall, they stop the train for this :)   martine79 / Atlas Obscura User
On the Flåmsbana, Norway   martine79 / Atlas Obscura User
View from the Flåmsbana, Norway   martine79 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Europe’s steepest non-funicular railway is in southern Norway, covering 10 miles from the high plateau of Myrdal to the tiny fjord-side town of Flåm.

The historic Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana in Norwegian) passes through wide valley vistas and alongside dramatic waterfalls, and chugs at a leisurely pace through 20 tunnels, some with “windows” carved in the side so passengers don’t miss a beat.

Starting construction in 1924 after decades of planning, it took more than 15 years to complete the short line, including the steepest grade of any European railway that runs on standard gauge track. Funiculars and miniature railways may rise at more of a slant, but the Flåm line’s five and a half percent grade is hard work for a locomotive, and the payoff is some of the most beautiful fjord landscape in Scandinavia.

With a grade on this much of a slope, keeping control of the train’s speed is crucial, both going up and coming down. The engine averages around 19 mph (30 km/h) on the downhill trek to Flåm, and tops out at 25 miles an hour (40 km/h) on the way up to Myrdal. You can almost hear the train whispering “I think I can, I think I can…”

Related Tags

Railroads Mountains Fjords Waterfalls Tunnels Funicular Subterranean Sites Water

Know Before You Go

Flåm is in southern Norway, at the bottom end of Aurlands Fjord. You can get your tickets at the station, or on-line through the Norwegian National Railroad website (https://www.nsb.no/en/frontpage). It can be crowded during cruise ship season, and a seat is not guaranteed (or reserved). You can go round trip or one way (one way is about an hour). A popular alternative is to take the train from Flam to Myrdal and rent bikes to ride back down to Flam on the nearby paved road.

Community Contributors

Added By

kld123

Edited By

martine79, kawkaw999, KayleeDunn22

  • martine79
  • kawkaw999
  • KayleeDunn22

Published

February 14, 2017

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Sources
  • https://www.visitflam.com/en/se-og-gjore/se/flamsbana-the-flam-railway/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%A5m_Line
Flåmsbana (Flåm Railway)
Stasjonsvegen
Flåm
Norway
60.863201, 7.113751
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Flåm, Norway

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Photo of Flåm

Flåm

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Flåm, Norway

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Photo of Flåm

Flåm

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