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Brekkefossen
Just outside the hamlet of Flåm in the fjords of southwestern Norway, the Ljosdøla-Brekkeelvi River drops about 100 metres over the Brekkefossen, or Brekke Falls.
Is there anything more uplifting than a walk in the woods with the sounds of falling water?
The short walk from my accommodation outside the little village of Flåm in southwestern Norway, along the Flåmselvi (Moldåni) River, past bucolic fields and wooden farm houses, into a birch forest and up a mountainside to views over the Brekkefossen Waterfall, was a delightful antidote for what had been a rather stressful arrival into this breathtakingly beautiful area.
For the Flåmsdalen (Flåm Valley) in Norway’s Vestland is stunning. Called a “typical West Norwegian fjord valley”, the actions of sequential glaciers over millions of years have cut their way through the surrounding mountains, creating steep slopes covered in trees that rise to snow-capped peaks and drop to fast-moving waters. The hamlet of Flåm, whose name comes from an Old Norse word meaning “a little place between steep mountains”, sits at the innermost arm of the Aurlandsfjord, a 29-kilometre long fjord that is part of the branching UNESCO-listed Sognefjord system.
Travelling solo and carrying roller-bags that had traversed three continents, I had arrived the the day before into a town better suited to back-packers. The nature of the exclusions on my travel-insurance meant that I was riding the rails across Norway without my husband, who had been called back to Australia prematurely… That’s a long story for some other time, but suffice it to say, in spite of my going to great pains to call ahead from Bergen the day before, the keys to my accommodation were not at the reception office, and the reception office was as far from the train station – and from my pre-paid rooms – as it was possible to be in this tiny town.
But, I was determined to make the best of my day in this incredible environment: I booked an afternoon boat trip into the Nærøyfjord (see: In Aurlandsfjord) and took myself for a morning walk into the woods, following the well-marked maps from the local information centre.
I know that the reference to “Norwegian Wood” in the Beatles song of the same name was a comment on the cheap pine wall-panelling popular in London in the 1960s, and nothing to do with Norway, but I found myself humming all the lines I could remember as I walked up the mountainside and into the beautiful birch forest …
Do join me for a walk in the Norwegian woods!
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View from the Train
My first sighting of Brekkefossen was from the Flåmsbana, the steep railway down the mountainside from Myrdal to Flam.
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Flåm Housing
Flåm is a small village of about 450 people, but gets very busy in summer with tourists. Luckily, at the end of April, the weather was still cool, and the guest- and farm-houses were quiet.
Birch Tree
The fields are green with spring growth, and the trees – fell birch (Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa), I believe – are beautiful.
Along the Flåmselvi
It is a pleasant walk on asphalt up along the Flåm River, which starts as runoff from the Omnsbreen Glacier, and travels 40 kilometres (25 miles) before emptying into the Aurlandsfjord on the other side of town.
Sheep in the Fields
Tidy fields line the other side of the road.
Brekke Gard Hostel
The route takes me back past where I’d had to retrieve my keys the evening before, …
Flåm Farmhouse
… and past more farms with mossy roof tiles and fresh paint.
Flåm Farm Buildings
I get my first glimpse of the waterfall over the local farms …
Brekkefossen Track
… before I leave the road and head up a stony track.
Norwegian Woods
The path rises steeply up through the birch trees, and I start to hum:
“I once had a girl – Or should I say she once had me –
She showed me her room – Isn’t it good Norwegian wood?”
Signpost
Fences ensure that walkers don’t stray into protected lands.
Flåm Village
Looking back at the village through the trees, I get a real sense of how surrounded by steep mountains it actually is.
Water Falling
The river runs down over mossy rocks at our feet …
Mountains Rising
… and the mountains rise up through the still winter-bare trees around us.
Taking Photos over the Valley
After about 30 minutes uphill hiking, the trail opens up on a grassy ledge. The views over Flåm and the fjord makes the short, but steep climb, well worth it!
Brekkefossen
As the falls come closer, the sound is deafening …
The Bottom of Brekkefossen
… and a very faint rainbow is visible in the pool at the bottom.
Flåm Village
It is a stunning spot, and of course, the 2.5 kilometres back to the centre of town are much quicker than the hike up the hill!
Brekkefossen from the Train
I got to appreciate the Brekkefossen’s power again from the Flåmsbana the next day as I headed back up the mountain to the main rail line at Myrdal.
What a magical place! And, how restorative is a walk in woods near water…
As we “Socially-Distance” ourselves, I revel in my woods and water. I hope you, too, have a patch of nature within your sphere.
“And when I awoke I was alone
This bird had flown
So I lit a fire
Isn’t it good Norwegian wood?”
Pictures: 29-30April2018 and 1May2018
