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Western Norway (Bokmål: Vestlandet, Vest-Norge; Nynorsk: Vest-Noreg) is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative function. The region has a population of approximately 1.4 million people.
- Settlements
- Other Destinations
- Understand
- Talk
- Get in
- Get Around
- See
- Do
- Drink
- Stay Safe
Cities
1. 60.39255.3233331 Bergen— regional centre and ancient Hanseatic trading point 2. 58.975.7313892 Stavanger— Norway's petroleum capital.
Towns and villages
1. 61.17756.4038893 Balestrand— charming village by the Sognefjord 2. 61.5986115.0172224 Florø— small, charming coastal town 3. 61.4430565.9036115 Førde— business centre in the traditional district of Sunnfjord 4. 59.410155.275516 Haugesund— known as the "Home of the Viking Kings" because of the burial site of Harald Fairhair 5. 63.111527.731987 Kristiansund— traditional fishing port on islands in the Atlantic, known for clipfish 6. 62.7333337.1833338 Molde— impressive panorama and great fjor...
63.01677.35451 Atlanterhavsveien— The Atlantic Road: National tourist route and voted to one of the worlds best road trips by The Guardian62.19.4166672 Dovrefjell — a mountainous area consisting of two large national parks (comprises also parts of East Norway and Trøndelag)62.0997227.2053 Geiranger— iconic fjord visited by several hundred cruise ships each summer61.7105566.9241674 Jostedalsbreen— the largest glacier on the European mainlandGeographically, 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...
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 tril...
By plane
Bergen and Stavanger have fairly large airports and are well connected with several European cities and major Norwegian cities. There are also international flights to Haugesund, Molde and Ålesund. Small airports, with connections from Oslo and for most of them from Bergen, are located at Florø, Førde, Kristiansund, Ørsta/Volda, Sandane, Sogndal and Stord. The largest airlines are SAS and Norwegian, and for the small airports Widerøe.
By rail
International trains (and buses) go from Gothenburg and Stockholm in Sweden to Oslo. From Oslo, there are several lines to end stations on the West coast. Raumabanen (an arm of Dovrebanen, the Oslo-Trondheim line) runs from Dombås to Åndalsnes. Bergensbanen connects Oslo and Bergen across the mountain. The famous Flåmsbana (Flåm railway[dead link]) branches off Bergensbanen at Myrdal. Sørlandsbanen connects Oslo and Stavanger via Kristiansand in South Norway.
By car
Western Norway occupies the entire west coast south of Trondheim until the mountain passes. There are accordingly numerous domestic entrances, basically along the east-west European highways E18, E134, E16, E136 as well as E39, the coastal main road. Travellers should also consider alternative routes (often a more scenic option) on national route 7, 15, 50, 55 and 70.
By plane
There are frequent flights between Bergen and Stavanger. There are also daily flights between Bergen and most of the airports listed in the "Get in" section.
By boat
Bergen is connected to many coastal towns to the north by Hurtigruten (the coastal steamer), which is a combined cargo and cruise ship (also accepts cars). North-south along the coast there are a few express passenger boats between Bergen and small towns to the north (operated by Norled). Villages and small towns along Sognefjorden is also connected to Bergen by these high speed catamarans. The fjord and island areas are typically best enjoyed from a boat.
By rail
Due to complex topography West Norway does not have an integrated rail network. The railway does however offer opportunity for scenic rides. Train is most suitable for transport between Bergen, Voss, Flåm and the mountains; transport between Stavanger, Sandnes and small towns south of Sandnes. Bergen-Voss-Flåm is included in the famous "Norway in a nutshell" tour. The scenic Raumabanen railway from Dombås to Åndalsnes is an alternative to bus or car in the Romsdalen valley. Tickets and timeta...
Fjords
1. For more information on fjords in Norway, see the Fjords of Norwayarticle. In Western Norway there are fjords everywhere, the visitor can't miss them. While fjords vary somewhat, their appearance is largely the same all over the area: The wildest part of the fjords are the middle section and eastern (far) end, the mouth at the ocean is generally more mellow (lower mountains and wider gaps). The entire area is however very rugged and fragmented (except the Jærenflatlands south of Stavanger)...
Nature
1. Glaciers, several places (Folgefonna, Jostedalsbreen, Hardangerjøkulen) 2. Waterfalls in large numbers, for instance Låtefossen waterfall in Ullensvang, as well as many of the world's tallest waterfalls. 3. Preikestolen (The pulpit rock) by Stavanger. 4. Trollveggen and Trollstigen at Åndalsnes
Man made sights
1. Bryggen, the old Hanseatic docks in Bergen 2. Flåm railway in Flåm 3. The Sognefjelletmountain pass.
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.When in this area, the local brand of bottled water is called Olden. Hansabrewery 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 enviro...
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 r...
Explore Western Norway. When most people think of Norway, the Western Fjords area is what they picture, with its stunningly beautiful deep waterways carved through rugged mountains by ice age glaciers. Several of the world’s tallest waterfalls are here too, adding to the splendor. An incredible region for cruising, hiking, fishing, biking ...
The Western Fjords. Scoured and gouged by glaciers, ancient and modern, Western Norway's deep, sea-drowned valleys are covered by steep, rugged terrain. It's a landscape that is so utterly unique and so profoundly beautiful that it is one of the most desirable destinations in the world.
May 9, 2024 · Take a look at some of the very best places visit in Western Norway. 1.) Bergen. Bergen is one of Western Norway’s biggest cities that is perched on the southwest coast of the country ane of the best places to visit if you like cities. It’s is the perfect place to experience a little slice of Norwegian charm.
Feb 15, 2023 · No matter where you are in Norway, there seem to be new wonders to take in. Nowhere is this truer than in scenic western Norway, where you can discover national parks, fjords, waterfalls, scenic roads, and idyllic villages.
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The western part of Norway is also home to the iconic fjords. See the mountains and waterfalls cascade down to the green-blue water. The most famous ones are the world heritage listed Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, the Hardangerfjord and Nordfjord, and the 205 kilometres long Sognefjord. But you will also love the less-visited fjords.
