Loen and Olden in Nordfjord are two villages in the middle of some of the finest scenery Norway has to offer. Map to use: Jostedalsbreen Nasjonalpark 1:50000.

Hiking, mountaineering, biking, glacier hiking and skiing are some keywords for the Loen and Olden area.

Season and Safety

Many of the activities and attractions mentioned on this website are open only in summer and are closed in winter. This also applies to many of the roads and accommodations mentioned. Season and opening time will vary. It depends on where it is and what activity, attraction, road and accommodation it is, it usually opens in the summer and closes in the autumn, depending on i.a. the amount of snow and the risk of avalanches in the area. Hikes mentioned in this website have different seasons. See links to the various hikes to read more about the hikes and season. Read more about season, important safety information and your own responsibility…

Important information about roads in western Norway: Remember that many roads in western Norway are prone to landslides and avalanches, especially in rainy and snowy weather. The roads along lake Lovatnet and lake Oldevatnet are two of these exposed roads. Winter tires are required in winter. Read more about Tyre Requirements in Norway...

Visit Nordfjord

Visit Nordfjord is the official destination company for the Nordfjord area.

Some highlights in Loen and Olden area

In Loen you can experience Loen Skylift and Via Ferrata, Lodalen Valley and Lake Lovatnet. The Oldedalen Valley, Lake Oldevatnet and Briksdalsbreen Glacier is a must to visit in the Olden area.

Alexandra Hotel & Spa in Loen is the place to stay if you visit Loen and Olden in Nordfjord.

Loen Shuttle Bus – a new way to experience Loen and Lodalen valley

Loen Shuttle Bus is a transport offer for visitors in Loen and Lodalen valley. This is a way to reduce the environmental footprint in the area and to simplify logistics.

The bus have three daily departures through Lodalen valley to Kjenndalstova and to Oppheim where, among other things, the hike to Rakssetra starts. Whether you want to hike to Rakssetra, experience lake Lovatnet or swim at Breng Seter, you can now leave your car and hop on the Loen Shuttle Bus. With a flexible day ticket, you can travel as much as you want.

This is an easy and flexible way to experience the area, and is an offer that can reduce the traffic load on the narrow roads. Now guests and visitors can leave their own car and motorhome. The result is less traffic, a reduced environmental footprint, a safer road and (if possible) an even nicer Loen.

FJORDS NORWAY - Loen Shuttle Bus at Breng Seter in the beautiful Lodalen. Photo: Loen Active — Loen Shuttle Bus at Breng Seter in the beautiful Lodalen. Photo: Loen Active

Loen Skylift and Via Ferrata in Loen, Nordfjord

Loen Skylift at Mt Hoven in Loen in Nordfjord is a gondola that goes from fjord to mountain in five minutes. Great view to the inner part of Nordfjord; Loen and Lodalen Valley with Lake Lovatnet, and Olden, Oldedalen Valley and Lake Oldevatnet. Hoven Restaurant at Mt Hoven with fantastic view over the Nordfjord Panorama.

Loen Skylift is a popular goal for hikers, skiers and people that want to see some of the finest scenery Norway has to offer. Via Ferrata Loen is a great adventure you can experience from Loen. Climb up to Mt Hoven, take a cold beer at Hoven Restaurant and take Loen Skylift back down to the fjord.

Hike to Briksdalsbreen Glacier

Briksdalsbreen Glacier in Olden is an arm of the Jostedalsbreen Glacier. The hike from Briksdalen Valley to the glacier is one of most scenic hikes in Norway. The trail is surrounded by beautiful and wild nature, with steep mountains, wild rivers and waterfalls everywhere. The altitude difference from the start to the end of the trail by the glacier lake is 200 meters.

Oldedalen Valley in Nordfjord

Drive the Oldedalen Valley along Lake Oldevatnet in Nordfjord towards Oldedalen and the Briksdal Glacier. It is difficult to drive this road without having several photo stops. Beautiful and wild scenery everywhere.

A RIB-Boat adventure in the inner part of Nordfjord

This fjord adventure starts from Mølla Guesthouse in Olden. You enter a RIB-boat and will experience the inner part of the Nordfjord area from the fjord. You might also be lucky and help pull up today’s catch of crayfish from the bottom of the fjord. On request, it is also possible to depart from Loen. This fjord adventure lasts for an hour.

FJORDS NORWAY - RIB-boat from Olden Active on Nordfjorden. Photo: Kristine Vigmo Larsen — RIB-boat from Olden Active on Nordfjorden. Photo: Kristine Vigmo Larsen

Lake Lovatnet and the Lodalen Valley in Nordfjord

Drive the Lodalen Valley along Lake Lovatnet in Nordfjord towards Kjenndalsstova at the inner part of Lodalen. Several photo stops along the road. Beautiful and wild scenery everywhere. At the inner part of the Lodalen Valley you can see the Kjenndalsbreen Glacier in the far distance. Kjenndalsbreen is part of the Jostedalsbreen Glacier. You can visit Kjenndalsstova which is a great starting point for adventures on lake Lovatnet. Here you can rent both a rowing boat and a canoe, and join guided fishing trips. They also offer boat trips with the tourist boat MS Kjenndal which runs between Kjenndalsstova and Sande by lake Lovatnet.

Breng Seter by Lake Lovatnet

Breng Seter is an abandoned farm yard by Lake Lovatnet. It is dated as far back as year 1340. The beautiful area around the farm yard is today used as a recreation area.

Rakssetra between Loen and Stryn

#Rakssetra is every instagrammer’s wet dream. Put on your fancy dress and run barefoot between the cabins with the drone right behind your back while Kanye West sings “Good Morning”. Rakssetra is located up on the hillside at Oppheim between Loen and Stryn. The view from Rakssetra down to Nordfjord, Oldebukta and Olden is fantastic.

Along Lodalen Valley

This is a video from driving along the Lodalen Valley. The video is quite long, and show the drive both ways along the beautiful valley. On this adventure we pass Lake Lovatnet, Breng Seter and ends at Kjenndalstova at the innermost part of the lake. This is the area where the Loen-accidents happened in 1905 and 1936.

Along Oldedalen Valley

Oldedalen Valley is a beautiful experience, also from the road. It is great to drive or to bike along Lake Oldevatnet and up Oldedalen Valley to Briksdalen. Briksdalen is the starting point for hiking to Briksdalsbreen Glacier, a short and easy hike surrounded by beautiful and wild nature. It is difficult to drive here without driving off the road, photo stops here is a must. Below you can see a video from the drive along Oldedalen Valley.

The Loen Accidents

At the beginning of the 20th century the two farming settlements Bødal and Nesdal near the southern end of the 11.7 kilometer long Lake Lovatnet were flourishing places with good conditions for farming.

But near Bødal and Nesdal was also the mountain Ramnefjellet, 1493 meters high, from which a number of rockfalls had started to take place every year. Especially during 1904 the number of these rockfalls were increasing. The nature had started to give its warnings of what was to come.

Loen and Olden – The Skiing

The scenery in the Loen and Olden area is among the most beautiful in Norway, the magnificent mountains and the deep fjord form a fantastic backdrop to winter adventures. A trip to Loen, Olden and Stryn during winter can be spiced up with skiing and spa and well-being treatments combined with delicious meals prepared using local ingredients.

You will find great ski centers in Nordfjord, and you can also ski during summer. Stryn Summer Ski is located by the Strynefjell National Tourist Route, on a glacier arm of the Jostedalsbreen Glacier.

Alexandra Hotel & Spa, Loen

Hotel Alexandra in Loen has been receiving guests for more than 125 years, and is still run by the same family as from the start at 1884. The luxurious Bad and Spa offers facial treatments, body-wraps and massage and a wide range of other treatments. In 3700 square meters there is a large outdoor swimming pool and indoor waterslide. The pools are heated all year. Several children`s pools inside and outside with water-slides and waterfall.

Nordfjord – What to See and Do

The glaciers, fjords, sea and mountains in the Nordfjord area have some of the finest scenery Norway has to offer. Stryn Summerski, Hjelle and Segestad in Oppstryn, Rakssetra between Stryn and Loen, Loen Skylift and Via Ferrata, Briksdalsbreen Glacier in Olden, Lodalen Valley with Lake Lovatnet and Oldedalen Valley with Lake Oldevatnet are all must-visit places when you are in the inner part of Nordfjord. Vågsøy with Kråkenes Lighthouse and Kannesteinen, West Cape, Hoddevik and Bremangerlandet with the Grotlesanden and Vetvika Beaches are some of the most beautiful coastal landscapes in Norway. Hjelle Hotel in Oppstryn, Hotel Alexandra in Loen and Knutholmen in Kalvåg are all great places to stay. Nordfjord is located in the northern part of the county of Vestland, in the centre of Western Norway.