Norway鈥檚 Fl氓m Railway is one of the country鈥檚 biggest tourist attractions, and is packed with people during the summer. But what鈥檚 it like in the winter? Let鈥檚 find out.
Have you ever been to the Norwegian fjords? If you鈥檝e been by train or on a cruise ship, there鈥檚 a reasonable chance you鈥檒l have visited Fl氓m. And if you have, you鈥檒l probably have taken a ride on one of Europe鈥檚 most famous railways.
The Fl氓m Railway (Fl氓msbana) was originally built to connect people and goods between the remote fjords and the Oslo to Bergen railway. But today, it's mostly a tourist attraction.
I've taken the trip several times before, but I really wanted to see what it would be like during the winter. Won't you come along for the ride?
Watch a Winter Fl氓m Railway Trip
If you prefer watching rather than reading, you can watch this article in video form below. I highly recommend watching the video to fully appreciate the scenery. Just hit the play button to get started:
If you enjoyed that video, read on for more information and lots of photographs of this winter wonderland.
From Bergen to Myrdal
Unless you鈥檙e arriving into Fl氓m by cruise ship, most people will take the Fl氓m Railway from Myrdal down to Fl氓m. To do this, you鈥檒l need to take a Bergen Line train from either Bergen or Oslo to Myrdal.
And so it was that my day began in Bergen. I took the 8am departure towards Oslo and the train was busy as always with a mix of locals and tourists.
Fl氓m Railway Resources: Book a including the Fl氓m Railway, Bergen Railway, and a fjord cruise. This self-guided tour takes care of all the ticketing.
If you鈥檙e starting your trip in Bergen, and check out some other fantastic things to do in Bergen. And of course, don鈥檛 forget travel insurance.
One of the best things about doing the Fl氓m Railway is you get to couple it up with a ride on the Bergen Line, which has no shortage of fantastic scenery itself.
I was a bit nervous about booking this trip in mid-December as I didn鈥檛 know much snow there would be in the fjord region, which is notoriously wet. But within minutes of leaving Bergen my mind was put at rest as the winter landscapes unfolded.
In fact, as we approached Myrdal, the scenery became snowier and snowier, even approaching a whiteout at one point.
Arrival at Myrdal
In less than two hours we arrived at Myrdal, from where the Fl氓m Railway begins. Only a handful of people left the train, with the majority continuing on to Oslo. That鈥檚 a big difference from the summer, when many more people make this connection.
Myrdal station is tiny and with just two platforms it鈥檚 very simple to find the Fl氓m Railway train. With less than 15 minutes before departure, I headed straight over.
Boarding the Fl氓m Railway
The railway is well known as one of the world鈥檚 most beautiful train journeys, and I was super curious to find out how it would be in the winter.
But it seemed not many other people were, as I had the train almost exclusively to myself, with just 10 passengers spread across all the carriages.
That meant I could get my preferred seat and settle in for the 50 minute ride. And with that, we were off.
I always love taking this train but to take it with so few people onboard was just fabulous. I could enjoy the scenery on both sides of the train without bothering anyone else.
Shortly after departure, information is given in both Norwegian and English about the journey, something which happens every so often throughout the trip.
After just a few minutes, the train makes its first stop at Vatnahalsen. In the summer, it鈥檚 normal to see several people picking up the train here because of the popular hotel. But today in the winter, there was nobody to be seen.
It doesn鈥檛 take long to get your first spectacular view of the valley below, through this sort of cutout tunnel with windows, one of many tunnel sections along the route. It鈥檚 hard to believe there鈥檚 a railway winding its way down here.
Kjosfossen Waterfall in Winter
Soon, it was time to get off the train for a brief stop at Kjosfossen, the famous waterfall. Or at least, it鈥檚 usually a waterfall, one that tumbles down 225 metres. In the winter, Kjosfossen is one big ice sculpture!
But the photos you leave with are no less spectacular, and the guard had just as much trouble herding everyone back on the train as they do in the summer.
If you have taken this trip in high season, you鈥檒l know that there鈥檚 often a 鈥渟urprise鈥� appearance here for the tourists. Unsurprisingly, that doesn鈥檛 happen in the winter!
Wonderful Valley Views
As we continued on our journey, it started to rain a little, but rather than spoil the view, this just served to add to the atmosphere.
As the train descended farther down into the valley, we began to see signs of civilisation. These are a mix of permanent homes and holiday cottages. Then the river came into view, and stayed with us for the rest of the journey.
It was only just now that I realised the view was now over on the other side of the carriage! You鈥檙e never quite sure which way to look on this railway trip.
Just as you think you鈥檙e almost at the bottom of the valley, it opens up once again for yet another fantastic view.
With about 10 minutes to go, we approached the old village of Fl氓m. Having walked there from the port just a few months ago, I kept an eye out for the old church. It was easy to spot, once I figured out where we were.
I promise you these pictures are not black and white! I know it鈥檚 hard to appreciate the views from these photos, so I encourage you to watch the video above to get a better perspective on the wonderful scenery.
We were now down at fjord level and rapidly approaching our final station. The journey took nearly one hour, but it had gone by in a flash.
Arrival in Fl氓m
My first thought upon arrival was simply, wow. I鈥檝e always thought the mountains around Fl氓m look imposing, but in the winter, even more so. While the handful of other passengers wandered off, I just stood on the platform and took it all in.
My thoughts then turned to two questions. Why was this railway built, and in the days long before computing, how was it built? Having taken the trip before, I knew some of the answers, but I couldn鈥檛 recall all of the detail.
Fl氓m Railway Museum
The operators of the Fl氓m Railway must know those questions are front and centre in visitors minds, as there is a small museum near the station. Unlike many things in Norway, it is free to visit.
I鈥檝e been before, but it鈥檚 always nice to get a refresher of this fascinating story. Construction of the line started in 1924, with the line opening in 1940. Yes, that means construction took 16 years.
That may sound surprising, but perhaps not so much after having just taken the journey during the winter!
Horses were heavily utilised in the early years, while the construction of the tunnels was the most time-consuming task. Tunnelling caused fatal accidents, while numerous landslides also caused problems.
Electric locomotives were soon introduced, and after the Second World War the line attracted up to 100,000 passengers per year, many of whom were tourists. Freight transport was important in the early years, but as roads improved, this became less relevant.
However, tourist interest has exploded, with almost 1 million people now taking the trip every year. Many of these are cruise ship passengers, but there鈥檚 plenty of day-trippers from Oslo and Bergen too.
Fl氓m and the Aurlandsfjord in the Winter
I had an hour to spend in Fl氓m before my return journey, so I headed straight for the port so I could take a look at the fjord in its winter coat.
After walking about in the cold I was starting to feel the chill, so I headed towards the village centre to see what was open.
The local bakery was open and surprisingly busy. A sandwich and a very large coffee did the job for me and I was soon on my way back out into the cold.
The Return Journey to Myrdal
It was soon time for the return journey. This time, it was a little busier for the ride back up to Myrdal, but there was still plenty of room onboard. I shared a carriage with just four others.
The best thing about doing the return journey so soon is you know exactly what to look out for. It also gave me the opportunity to really take everything in, as I鈥檇 already taken a ton of photos and videos on the way down.
In the blink of an eye, although it actually took almost an hour, we were back at Myrdal. It began to snow heavily, and with an hour to wait until the train to Bergen, I headed inside.
Although there is a cafe and small shop at Myrdal station, everything is closed outside of the high season. So it was just a case of sitting and waiting. Honestly, that was no bad thing after the visual feast of the last few hours.
Back to Bergen
After a short delay, the train from Oslo arrived to take me and a handful of other passengers back to Bergen.
It surprised me how many people got off at Myrdal, ready to take the Fl氓m Railway during the afternoon. They were likely doing the popular day trip known as Norway in a Nutshell.
Fl氓m Railway Resources: Book a including the Fl氓m Railway, Bergen Railway, and a fjord cruise. This self-guided tour takes care of all the ticketing.
If you鈥檙e starting your trip in Bergen, and check out some other fantastic things to do in Bergen. And of course, don鈥檛 forget travel insurance.
The train remained busy, so rather than hunting down my assigned seat, I did as I often do on Norway鈥檚 long distance trains, and headed to the dining car. I bought a beer, and gazed out of the window at yet more fantastic scenery on the way back to Bergen.
I know that many of you reading this will be planning to visit Fl氓m by cruise ship. to see what a fjords cruise to Fl氓m looks like without the snow.
Have you been on Norway's Fl氓m Railway? I'd love to hear what you thought in the comments below.
I first travelled on the Fl氓m Railway some 45 years ago with my young son. There were few tourists & announcements were all in Norwegian, until we were thrilled to be welcomed in English as visitors from England. I still love the journey on quieter days.
Incidentally I also learned not to go to Finse to view the Hardanger glacier in winter. Its invisible under the snow! The icicles in Finae were magnificant though !
What a wonderful video, thank you David. I felt as if I were right on that trip, too. It was a mix of utter wildness plus coziness, how I feel about Norway…This rail trip is on my bucket list, and it may come true this summer…. Never let dreams die, Especially Norway dreams 馃檪
Lauren
Thanks so much! I hope you have a great trip 馃檪
A year ago to celebrate a birthday I, with my 2 daughters and their adult children, drove out by car from Voss to join the Fl氓mbana at Fl氓m. Although the weather was not great, being damp and drizzly the scenery was stunning and the waterfalls were in full flow.
I was first in this area (Voss) in 1957 on holiday with a college friend during which time I met my-to-be Norwegian wife. Sadly she died at end of 2021 and this trip to Voss with my children and grand-children was a journey down memory lane.