Otternes farmyard is a cluster of 27 old buildings from the 1700s. The view from the farmyard towards the Aurlandsfjord is fantastic.
Look south and you see the innermost part of the Aurlandsfjord towards Flåm. In the other direction you will see out the Aurlandsfjord towards the mountains which encircle Aurland.
Visit Sognefjord
Visit Sognefjord is the official destination company for the Sognefjord area.
Hotels and accommodation in the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord area
Overview of hotels and other places where you can spend the night in the area around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord.
Otternes Farmyard
Aurland is a fjord village by the Aurlandsfjord where you have everything you need within walking distance. Many places to stay overnight, grocery store, pastry shop, pub, shoe factory outlet and a glassblowing gallery. From Aurland you can take the bus to many of the attractions nearby.
Flåm is also a fantastic starting point for many great adventures in beautiful and wild nature. Where the Aurlandsfjord ends, the Flåm Valley starts. If the Aurlandsfjord is an adventure, the Flåm Valley is an even more beautiful adventure, and both should be experienced.
Inbetween these two idyllic fjord villages you will find Otternes farmyard, approximately four kilometers from Flåm and five kilometers from Aurland. The farmyard originally consisted of four farms. At most, more than 60 people lived in the farmyard, including those who lived near by and worked on the farms.
The farms were run in the old-fashion way until they were abandoned. Today it is possible to walk around in the farmyard between the old buildings and enjoy the beautiful view towards the fjord and the surrounding mountains. At Otternes you will have the feeling of what life was like in the old days.
Otternes is now owned by a foundation that carries out extensive restoration of the farmyard.
NOTE – The road up to Otternes Farmyard is marked with a small sign by the main road between Aurland and Flåm. There is a speed limit of 80 km/h on the main road, so it is important to be careful if you are driving up to the farm yard. There is a small parking lot next to the farmyard. The road up to Otternes Farmyard is a steep, narrow and winding gravel road that is not suitable for motorhomes and cars with caravans.
Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord – What to See and Do
Flåm, Aurland and Gudvangen are perfect starting points for experiences in and around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord, two of the world’s most beautiful and dramatic fjords. On 14 July 2005, the Nærøyfjord together with the Geirangerfjord became part of our common UNESCO’s world heritage.
From Flåm you can take part in a fjord safari or a fjord cruise on the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord. You can take this fjord cruise as a round trip (both ways) or one way combined with bus between Flåm and Gudvangen. See the great view from Stegastein viewpoint, 650 meters above Aurland. Taste the local goat’s cheese in Undredal or in Skjerdal, two villages by the Aurlandsfjord.
Flåm Railway is the train journey from mountain to fjord, perhaps the most beautiful railway in the world. You can combine this train journey with cycling along Rallarvegen which goes from the high mountains via Flåmsdalen Valley to Flåm. Aurlandsdalen Valley is one of Norway’s most popular hikes. The lower part of Aurlandsdalen, which is also the most popular, starts from Østerbø and ends at Vassbygdi in Aurland.
The Flåm Valley is a beautiful adventure. The valley between Myrdal (866.8 masl) and Flåm by the Aurlandsfjord is 18 kilometer long. The valley is narrow and the mountains are steep, and there are waterfalls and rivers wherever you turn around. Flåm Valley is a great place for hiking and biking. Flåm Zipline sends you off at over 100 kilometers per hour, you are just hanging in a thin steel wire high above the valley.
By the Nærøyfjord, we have the small villages of Gudvangen, Bakka, Styvi and Dyrdal. Styvi is the only place without permanent inhabitants during the winter, and is together with Dyrdal without road connection. Gudvangen is one of two ports where the iconic ferry trip along the inner part of the Sognefjord departs and arrives. Visit the Viking village Njardarheimr in Gudvangen and experience the history and culture of the Viking Age.
The Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord are both part of the 204 kilometer long Sognefjord which is located in the northern part of the county of Vestland, in the middle of Western Norway.
Hotels and accommodation in the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord area
Overview of hotels and other places where you can spend the night in the area around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord.
Sakte – Stay and Explore the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord
“Sakte” is a collaboration between companies that provide adventures, accommodation, dining and short-travelled food- and products. “Sakte” are located in the area around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord and is an offer for those who want to contribute to a sustainable society in the world heritage area.
How to travel to the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord area
It is easy to travel to Flåm and Aurland, the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord. Almost “all roads” go to Flåm and Aurland, and you can also travel there by train, bus and boat. It is only a short distance between the two neighboring villages of Flåm and Aurland.
You can start this fjord adventure by train from Oslo or Bergen to Myrdal station. Then you get to experience the Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen and Flåm Railway, one of Norway’s most spectacular railway lines, from Myrdal station to Flåm, which is located down by the Aurlandsfjord. If you take Flåm Railway, you get to experience the beautiful Flåmsdalen valley at the same time.
There are several daily bus departures between Oslo/Bergen and Flåm.
The nearest airport is Sogndal Airport at Haukåsen near Kaupanger. Most flights that go to and from Sogndal Airport come from and go to Oslo and Bergen. From the airport to Flåm, it is 70 kilometers by road, including a wonderful crossing of the Sognefjord by ferry.