Location: Norway
Coordinates: Sognefjord - 61 ° 08'27.3 "N 5 ° 56'48.8" E, Hardangerfjord - 60 ° 18'49.8 "N 6 ° 14'48.2" E, Lysefjord - 59 ° 00'45.6 "N 6 ° 20'58.4 "E, Geirangerfjord - 62 ° 06'04.6" N 7 ° 05'41.9 "E
Content:
Short description
The northwestern coast of Norway is completely indented by fjords, sung in the Old Scandinavian sagas. Fjords are sea bays cut deep into the land with high rocky shores.
Many of them are framed by majestic mountains with snow caps on their tops and waterfalls falling from the rocks into the mirror water surface. The fjords formed at the end of the ice age, when giant glaciers descending to the ocean literally pushed mountains apartdestroying their constituent rocks, they hollowed out the bottom, straightened the sides, forming characteristic U-shaped valleys. After the destructive work of the glaciers, the land subsided and the sea level rose, which led to the flooding of the valleys.
The warm North Atlantic Current has a softening effect on the climate in Norway, so the water in the fjords almost never freezes. Seals, beluga whales, rainbow trout and salmon inhabit the waters of the fjords, and eagles soar in the sky over the rocky shores. The renowned travel magazine National Geographic has named the fjords of Norway the title of World's Best Tourist Attraction.
The journal evaluated the natural preservation of objects, their beauty and the rationality of their management. The Norwegian fjords are not just picturesque landscapes, but also excellent opportunities for outdoor activities such as mountain climbing, canoeing, kayaking and rafting, fishing, and horse riding. Two of the three longest fjords on the planet are located in Norway.
Geiranger fjord
Sognefjord
Sognefjord - the second largest fjord in the world after the Greenlandic Scorsby - crashes into the rocky coast for more than 200 kilometers... Its mighty rocks are 1308 meters submerged under water. The Sognefjord has many lateral branches, which in turn form daughter fjords.
On their shores there are picturesque towns, folklore villages, wooden churches with intricate carvings, glaciers and national parks. In the village of Undredal there is the smallest functioning church in Scandinavia, designed for forty parishioners. Its construction dates back to 1147. For the beauty and severity of the shores, the Sognefjord received the respectful nickname "King of the Fjords".
Lysefjord
Hardanger fjord
The Hardanger Fjord, where the shores are gentler, the greenery is more abundant and the climate is milder, can be called “the queen of the Norwegian fjords”. It is the third longest fjord in the world. Fruit orchards bloom on its shores in spring. Throughout the summer, small farms sell ripe cherries, apples, pears and plums. 40% of all fruits in Norway are grown in this region. Even in summer you can ski on the Hardangerfjord glaciers. The Hardangervidda Plateau is a favorite summer reindeer pasture. The nature center, opened in the town of Eidfjord, offers to get acquainted with the history of the fjords and the life of the local population. There is an aquarium and interactive screens, and panoramic documentary films are shown in a special hall.
Lysefjord
The Lysefjord is known primarily for the giant flat-topped cliff of Preikestolen (“Priest's Chair”). From its summit, overhanging the fjord at an altitude of 604 meters, amazing views open up. Rock climbers and fans of a new type of parachuting - base jumping have chosen the mountain plateau Kjørag.
Geiranger fjord
Geiranger Fjord is famous for its magnificent landscapes, taken under the protection of UNESCO... Geiranger is little developed by man - on its rivers there are no power plants and other facilities that have been built on other fjords in Norway. Geiranger Fjord is surrounded by sheer cliffs, mountains covered with lush greenery, and countless waterfalls, the most famous of which are "Seven Sisters" and "Bridegroom". There is a legend about these waterfalls. Once a brave Viking came to the village to woo.
Sognefjord
He liked the seven beautiful sisters and the girls were so good that he didn't know which one to choose. So the Viking froze in thought on a rift in the ridge, turning into a waterfall, and the sisters, exhausted by a long wait, froze in the form of seven gentle streams on the opposite bank.
