Flåm
| Flåm | |
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| — Village — | |
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 Flåm
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| Coordinates: 60°50′17″N 07°07′14″E / 60.83806°N 7.12056°ECoordinates: 60°50′17″N 07°07′14″E / 60.83806°N 7.12056°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| Region | Western Norway |
| County | Sogn og Fjordane |
| District | Sogn |
| Municipality | Aurland |
| Elevation[1] | 59 m (194 ft) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+01:00) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+02:00) |
| Post Code | 5743 |
Flåm is a village at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the Sognefjord. The village is located in the municipality of Aurland in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located along the E16 highway, about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) southwest of Aurlandsvangen, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Undredal, and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) east of Gudvangen (through the Gudvanga Tunnel).
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[edit] Name
The name Flåm is documented as early as 1340 as Flaam. It is derived from the plural dative form of the Old Norse word flá meaning "plain, flat piece of land", and it refers to the flood plains of the Flåm River.[2][3]
[edit] Transportation
The village of Flåm is a popular tourist destination and has been so since the late 19th century. It currently receives almost 450,000 visitors a year. Most come to enjoy the scenic 20-kilometre (12 mi) Flåm railway (Norwegian: Flåmsbana) between Flåm and Myrdal, one of the steepest railway tracks at 1 in 18 (not counting rack railways) in the world. There are also a few spirals.[4] A former rail station building in Flåm now houses a museum dedicated to the Flåm railway.
The harbour of Flåm receives some 131 cruise ships per year, including RMS Queen Mary 2.[5]
The Rallarvegen road between Flåm and Finse is popular with bicycle tourists. The European route E16 highway between Oslo and Bergen runs through Flåm.
[edit] Media gallery
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Tourists at the railway station in Flåm
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Flåm harbour
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A catamaran in Flåm harbour
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A spectacular view of Aurlandsfjord and Flåm
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View from Flåm
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View of Flåm bridge with cruise ship behind
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View of Aurlandsvangen and Flåm
[edit] References
- ^ "Flåm" (in Norwegian). yr.no. http://www.yr.no/place/Norway/Sogn_og_Fjordane/Aurland/Fl%C3%A5m/. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
- ^ Brekke, Arne. "Farm names in Flåm". http://suzuki.websitewelcome.com/~aurland8/index.php?page=farm-names. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
- ^ Rygh, Oluf (1919) (in Norwegian). Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Bergenhus amt (12 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 115. http://www.dokpro.uio.no/perl/navnegransking/rygh_ng/rygh_bla.prl?enhid=189107&avid=42236&s=n.
- ^ "Railways Illustrated". June 2007. pp. 67.
- ^ "Key Facts on Flåm". VisitNorway.com. http://www.visitnorway.com/templates/NTRDestinationArticle.aspx?id=172536.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Flåm |
