The idyllic fjord village Skjerdal is a hidden gem above the Aurlandsfjord. There you can visit Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Café, which is a short-travelled and beautiful summer-experience.
You have to walk from Skjerdal and up to Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Café. The prize is that you can enjoy a fantastic view down towards the fjord when you are in the café.
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.
About season and other important information
SEASON – July 1st to August 30th.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROAD TO SKJERDAL – Many of the roads in Western Norway are prone to landslides, especially in rainy and snowy weather. The road between Aurland and Skjerdal is one of these exposed roads. Due to this, it is encourage to avoid driving the road between Aurland and Skjerdal when the weather is bad and there is a lot of rainfall. Take the weather into account, both where and when you drive and when you are out in nature.
Fjord Safari and hike to Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Café
You can combine a Fjord Safari on the Aurlandsfjord with a visit to Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Cafè, then you need to walk from the fjord and up to the café. This service is provided by FjordSafari in collaboration with Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Café.
Short hike from Skjerdal to Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Café
You have to walk from Skjerdal and up to Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Café, the hike takes about half an hour.
The hike is steep, so you should wear good mountain shoes and hiking clothes.
This hike goes on a tractor road up through the cultural landscape, with fantastic views of the Aurlandsfjord and the steep mountains around. The hike back to Skjerdal is on the same tractor road as you hiked up.
The pictures from the hike was taken when walking down from the café.
Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Café
At the traditional Norwegian mountain farm Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Café at Leim in Skjerdal in Aurland, the brown and white goat cheese has been produced for hundreds of years. At the café we experienced the life on the farm and the taste of traditional, local food.
The mountain farm is about 30 minutes hike fromSkjerdal. Follow an old farm road up through the steep landscape, with beautiful views over the Aurlandsfjord and the surrounding mountains.
Skjerdal Stølsysteri and Café are open between 1st of July and 30th of August. Opening hours everyday from 10 AM to 7 PM in this period. We recommend you to order tour and food/drinks in advance to be sure they have food and drinks ready for you when you arrive the café. See website for more information about the café.
The reason why there is some background noise in the video from the café is because the goats were milked while we were filming. It is the pumps in the milking machines that are making the noise. A good sound in other words …
In the archive of NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) you can see a film about mountain farm life with the Skjerdal family at Skjerdal in Aurland, filmed in 1974.
Hike with a great view to Skjerdal and the Aurlandsfjord
On the same day that we visited Skjerdal, we continued our hike further up the valley above Skjerdal Stølsysteri. This is a nice but steep terrain to hike in, there is a path up to Øystølen, which is the mountain farm at Skjerdal. In this area there is a fantastic view down to the Aurlandsfjord and to the mountains that surround the fjord.
Remember that there are several paths in the area, and that some of the paths split. Here you have to know where to go, it is easy to go wrong.
If you continue further upwards, you will eventually reach the mountain plateau of Aurlandsfjellet. These are the high mountains without trails, if you are not familiar with the local area it is recommended to use a guide in this area.
Øystølen has been used for hundreds of years by those who farm in Skjerdal, and the mountain farm is still in use. In the old days, they milked goats and produced cheese and dairy products on the mountain farm, they transported everything up and down with horses.
Today, sheep graze in the valley and in the area around Øystølen. The goats live around Skjerdal Stølsysteri and are milked there, in the same place as the dairy. There we are not talking about short-travel food, but about non-travel food.
The pictures below show some glimpses of the area between the mountain plateau and Skjerdal Stølsysteri. It was a long and demanding hike, and we walked back down along the same scenic path we went up on.
Skjerdal – Accommodation
SKJERDAL SUMMER HOUSE BYGNINGEN is located at Skjerdal, six kilometers outside Aurland. The unique summer house “Bygningen” overlooks the Aurlandsfjord and the UNESCO World Heritage area. The house lets you experience the fjord life up close.
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.