Flåmsdalsvegen

The Flåm Railway line runs from the little village of Flåm on the Sognefjord, to Myrdal station (866m) on the Hardngervidda. The line is 20 kms long and has a gradient of 5.5% making it the steepest (in parts) railway line in the world (apart from cogwheel lines). When it was built in the 1930s it was meant as a connecting line for locals from the fjords to the recently opened Oslo - Bergen railway. It has since grown out to be one of Norway's top tourist attractions, with over half a million people riding the train annually. The voyage takes you through the scenic, green Flåm valley. There is no road connection to the top part, however, the trail used by the railway builders is now open during summer as a bicycle track and is also very popular. This picture was taken out of the train window in the lower parts of the valley.