Hike along the Nærøyfjord just outside Flåm, Norway

About an hour outside of Voss and just 20 minutes from Flåm you can find the small village of Gudvangen. This village is a popular tourist destination noted for his breathtaking views of the Nærøyfjord. This old viking village of Gudvangen in the Aurland municipality is mostly home to the popular Gudvangen Fjordtell. This town also houses a Viking Village, gas station, and in my eyes the main attraction is the natural beauty that Norway and the Nærøyfjord have to offer.

We made the roughly 2 hour drive from Bergen, Norway specifically to find our way to Gudvangen. This small village is the home to my husbands ancestors and his surname can be found throughout the surrounding area. After exploring the Gudvangen Viking Village, and the Gudvangen Fjordtell gift shop we were off to find some hiking to take in the gorgeous scenery of the Nærøyfjord. I had looked up a little information for hiking around Aurland and Gudvangen but nothing could have prepared me for the beautiful scenery we were about to experience. I have included below some more details of a couple of hikes in and near Gudvangen.

Are you interested in hiking near Bergen? Check out our post about the Bruviknipa hike just outside of Bergen.

Hike to Bakka (4 km/2.5 mi)

Park in the parking lot for the Gudvangen Fjordtell. If you looking at the main Gudvangen Fjordtell sign to your left there is a bus stop shelter, walk and follow the road past this shelter. Continue to follow the road (Fv241) towards the tunnel (Bakkatunnelen). Right before the tunnel off to your right you will see a small cement shelter and sign for the Bakka hiking trail, this hiking trail will take you right along the Nærøyfjord. This trail is mostly paved and is easy for most levels of hikers. A large portion of this hike will take you along the side of a narrow road (Fv241) so make sure you stay aware of any vehicle traffic to remain safe. I would suggest making sure you allow yourself time to take in all the beauty, taking both physical and mental snapshots because this area is absolutely breathtaking. The beautiful (vakker) surroundings brought me to tears a few times as no picture can even do these views justice, you just have to see them for yourself.

Rimstigen (1.7 km/1.1 mi)

Don’t let the short distance of this hike fool you, because it is not an easy one. The Rimstigen trail is a steep hike at 725 meters above sea level, which in turn rewards you with amazing views over the Nærøyfjord when you make it to the top. Once you make it into Bakka either by car or the Bakka trail outlined above you will come across the iconic white Bakka Church (Bakka kyrkje (click here to locate on Google Maps)). Continue up the road from the church and you will come across a camping area with informational signs about the village of Bakka, a few picnic tables and signs pointing you to the trailhead of the Rimstigen hike. We unfortunately were unable to do the hike due to all the rain we had when we were visiting. Since this trail is so steep when it does rain or after the snow melts it can make it very muddy, slippery. Luckily for us this just gives us another reason to come back.

Have a favorite hiking spot around Flåm, Gudvangen, or Bakka that I missed? Please share in the comments so others can check them out and I have another reason to go back to this area!

Allemannsretten and happy hiking,

Jessica