Flåm () is a village in the Flåmsdalen valley which is located at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjorden, a branch of Sognefjorden. The village is located in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway.

The village has a population (2025) of 293 and a population density of .

History

thumb|left|Flåm in [[Flåmsdalen at the inner end of Aurlandsfjorden]]

In 1670, Flåm Church was built in the village, replacing an older stave church.

In 1908, the Norwegian Parliament approved the construction of the Flåm Line railway, though the funds to construct the railway were not allocated until 1923. In 1942, regular operation of steam-powered trains started on the Flåm Line.

The original Fretheim Hotel, established in the late 1800s, expanded to welcome more international guests, offering a comfortable stay amid the wild nature. The Norway in a Nutshell tour – a popular packaged day-trip including the Flåm Railway and fjord ferry – started bringing many visitors to Flåm starting in the 1980s and onward. In 2000, Flåm built a new pier that allowed large cruise ships to dock directly which led to a great increase in tourism.

Transportation

Air

The closest airport is Sogndal Airport, Haukåsen, approximately from Flåm.

Road

The European route E16 highway between Oslo and Bergen runs through Flåm. The village sits about southwest of the municipal centre of Aurlandsvangen, south of the village of Undredal, and east of the village of Gudvangen (through the Gudvanga Tunnel).

The Navvy road, Rallarvegen, stretches from Myrdal down to Flåm; pedestrians and bicyclists still use it.

Sea

The port can take up to three cruise-ships a day, although there is a limit of 5,000 passengers leaving the ship at a time. In 2020, it was announced that a large 16MVA power connection was going to be built, allowing ships to turn off their engines while docked (known as "Cold ironing") and in May 2025 a contractor was announced.

Tourism

The village of Flåm has been a tourist destination since the late 19th century. It currently receives almost 450,000 visitors a year. Most ride the Flåm Line between Flåm and Myrdal Station, one of the steepest railway tracks at 1 in 18 (not counting rack railways) in the world. There are also a few spirals. A former rail station building in Flåm now houses a museum dedicated to the Flåm railway.

The harbour of Flåm receives some 160 cruise ships per year.

Issues due to tourism

Air pollution in Flåm and nearby Geiranger during the cruise season is similar to that of a big city. Cruise traffic in Norway, which is one of the largest exporters of oil in the world, emits more NOx than all road traffic in Norway combined. In a 2005 Bergens Tidende article, Kjetil Smørås (a hotel director and chairman of Fjord Norge said, "The cruise traffic pollutes more than several ten thousands of cars, and many of the worst ships sail up here (...) cruise tourists trod down the pristine Norwegian nature, and destroy the foundation for Vestlandet's four entries on Unesco's World Heritage lists."

In 2009, Jens Riisnæs (an author and NRK journalist) said, "We have the world's most beautiful nation, we don't need to follow the cruise operators' premises. They can go other places with their polluting ships. It is unwanted noise."

Notable people

  • Per Sivle, the notable poet was born in Flåm

In media

Part of the book "The Ship of the Dead" by Rick Riordan is set in Flåm.

<gallery mode=packed>

File:Flåm Church, Flåm, Norway - June 2022.jpg|Flåm Church, built in 1670

File:Kjosfossen.jpg|The Kjosfoss waterfall along the Flåmsbana, the railway line from Flåm to Myrdal

File:Trainstationinflam.jpg|Tourists at the railway station in Flåm. The station has the village's only public toilets

File:Flåm 51.jpg|Flåm harbour

File:MF Flåm.jpg|A catamaran in Flåm harbour

File:View of the Aurlandsfjord, Aurlandsvangen and Flam from below the Prest Summit.jpg|View of Aurlandsfjord and Flåm from a nearby summit

File:Last view on Flåm.jpg|View from Flåm

File:Bru over Flåmselvi 1.jpg|View of Flåm bridge with cruise ship behind

File:Flam.jpg|Flåm harbour and railway station

File:SS Norway in Norway.jpg|The SS Norway in Flåm, 1999

File:MSC Fantasia in Flåm (1).jpg|The MSC Fantasia in Flåm

File:T199612.jpg|Ægir, a micro brewery and pub in a traditional-style building

File:Flåm Norway P&O MV Britannia.jpg|P&O MV Britannia docked in Flåm

File:AIDAprima in Flåm, Norway - June 2022.jpg|AIDAprima in Flåm

</gallery>

References

  • Flåm webcam
  • Visit Flåm
  • Flam at Cruisemapper
  • Flam discussion on Tripadvisor