Aurlandsfjord, Glacial fjord in Vik Municipality, Norway.
Aurlandsfjord is a fjord in western Norway, branching off from the Sognefjord and cutting deep into the mountains between sheer rock walls. The waterway is narrow throughout most of its length, with a handful of small villages scattered along both shores.
The fjord was carved out by glaciers during the last Ice Age, when thick sheets of ice slowly ground their way through the mountain rock. When the ice melted, seawater rose and filled the valleys left behind, forming the waterway seen today.
The village of Undredal, tucked along the fjord shore, is known for making goat cheese using methods passed down over generations, and small farm shops sell it directly to visitors. The village also has one of the smallest stave churches in Norway, still standing along the waterfront.
Ferries run between the villages along the shore and offer a good way to see the fjord from the water, with services available through most of the year. The road to the Stegastein viewpoint above the fjord may be closed in winter, so checking conditions before heading up is a good idea.
Undredal is home to one of the smallest stave churches in Norway, built around the 12th century and still used today. The church holds only a few dozen people at a time, which gives it a completely different feeling from the larger churches found elsewhere in the country.
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