Sogndal

Sogndal is a small but important town in Sogn og Fjordane. Sogndal is the regional centre of Sognefjord area with a handful of hotels and a couple of restaurants. The town was originally a collection of small wooden houses along the shore, but those are now surrounded by modern buildings. As most towns in Western Norway, Sogndal has a fine location at the shore of a great fjord. Sogndal village is actually called Sogndalsfjøra, but known simply as Sogndal. Sogndal municipality also includes Kaupanger, Balestrand, Fjærland and Leikanger/Hermansverk. Hermansverk is the county capital of Sogn og Fjordane.

Get in

Due to the rugged landscape, Sogndal airport is on mountain ridge above the fjord

Sogndal village and fjord looking east towards the central mountains where road 55 runs through Sognefjellet mountain pass and road E16 runs through the lower Filefjell pass.

By plane

• 1 Sogndal Airport, Haukåsen (SOG  ^IATA) (a small airport south of the town). A short runway airport that can take smaller aircraft only. It is served by the company Widerøe. There are scheduled flights from Oslo and Bergen.  

By bus

There are express buses three times a day from Oslo, four times a day from Bergen.

By boat

Express boat twice daily from Bergen in the summer, once daily during winter (September–April). This service is operated by Fjord1.

By car

Route 5 from Førde and Skei through Fjærland. Route 5 from Lærdal, which is connected to Oslo and Bergen by route E16.

Route 55 through Sognefjellet mountain pass connects Sogndal to Lom and Otta as well as Stryn and Geiranger via Luster. Route 55 is a national tourist route. The pass is closed in winter and opens early May.

Get around

There are local buses operated by Fjord1.

See

Inside the ancient Kaupanger stave church

• 1 De Heibergske samlinger (The Heiberg Collections), Kaupanger (Route 5 between Sogndal village and Kaupanger), ☏ +47 57678206, fax: +47 57678511, sogn.folkemuseum@dhs.museum.no. May and Sep: 10am-3pm Jun-Aug: 10am-5pm. Collection initiated by Gert Falch Heiberg, hence the name. Now the museum of cultural heritage for Sognefjord district, A collection of old houses, and tools. Showing how the life was in the past. Adults: 60 kr, Children: 30 kr. 
• 2 Kaupanger stavkirke (Kaupanger Stave Church), Kaupanger (Follow rote 5 towards Lærdal), ☏ +47 57678840, fax: +47 57678889. 9Jun-30Sep: 9.30am-5.30pm. Relatively big stave church built around year 1150. The 30 remaining stave churches of Norway are unique in design and age. Kaupanger Church has a more plain exterior than the richly decorated Borgund and Hopperstad churches on the South side of the fjord. It is owned by the congregation and operated by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments. "Kaupanger" means trading post or market place at the fjord in old norse. Adults: 60 kr.  
• 3 Runic stone at Stedje (Stedjesteinen), Stedje church. Tall stone with runes from around year 1100 near Stedje church. Stedje Church has a style inspired by stave churches. The current current replace an old stave Church, perhaps from the same time as the stone. (updated Jul 2020)

Do

Kaupanger at Amla bay (left hand), the big Sognefjorden in the middel.

You can chop wood, admire the scenery, eat oatmeal or appreciate the unadulterated beauty of this grim and frostbitten land while listening to the moving sounds of Sogndals greatest bard Terje "Valfar" Bakken.

Sogndal valley is known for heavy snowfalls and good "powder" skiing.

Buy

Anything but a troll souvenir.

Eat

Local sea food, the mackerel season is in late summer.

Sleep

Budget

• Sogndal Vandrarheim, Helgheimsvegen 9, ☏ +47 57627575, sogndal@hihostels.no. 
• Loftesnes Pensjonat, Fjørevegen 17, ☏ +47 57671577. 

Mid-range

• Norlandia Park Hotell, Parkvegen 11, ☏ +47 57628400, booking@park-sogndal.no. 
• Hofslund Fjord Hotel, ☏ +47 57627600, fax: +47 57627601, h-hotel@online.no. 
• Best Western Lægreid Hotell, Almenningen 3, ☏ +47 57628888, fax: +47 57628889, post@lagreid.no. 
• Quality Hotel Sogndal, Gravensteinsgata 5, ☏ +47 57627700, fax: +47 57627740, q.sogndal@choice.no. 

Go next

• Route 5 to Fjærland and Skei in Jølster
• Route 5 to Lærdal
• Route 55 to Balestrand is a scenic drive along the fjord.
• Route 55 to Luster and Lom.