!!!Norwegian Fjords

by Dmitry Moiseenko
member of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

16 April 2013

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Fjords are considered to be among the most beautiful sights of the
world: narrow, winding, and cut deep into the land, these sea bays are
lodged between steep cliffs that sometimes reach 1,000 meters high. They
can be found all around the world from Chile to Russia, but not
everybody knows about them. When you mention fjords, most people think
about Norway, because it has the highest number of most beautiful fjords
in the world.

[{Image src='01_Norwegian Fjords.jpg' caption='Norwegian Fjords' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by ice
segregation and abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is
accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice load and eroded
sediment is removed. In some cases this rebound is faster than sea level
rise. Most fjords are deeper than the adjacent sea. Sognefjord, Norway,
reaches as much as 1,300 m (4,265 ft) below sea level.

[{Image src='02_Mountain lakes.jpg' caption='Mountain lakes' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='860'}]

Not to mention that nature made fjords look different from one another,
so you can't get tired of admiring them. Each fjord is unique. UNESCO
lists Geirangerfjorden and Nærøyfjord as the most important Norway
landmarks. Of all Norwegian fjords it was their peculiar beauty that
helped them get included in the World Heritage List.

There is a Museum of Norway Fjords near Geirangerfjorde, and Nærøyfjord
is the narrowest fjord in the country. It stretches 17 kilometers in
length and 300 meters in width (in its narrowest part). Other
distinctive features of Nærøyfjord include steep cliffs rising 1,400
meters above the Norwegian Sea and going deep under the water. Numerous
waterfalls stream down the cliffs, and there are fast rivers that flow
across forests and glacial lakes above them, away from the edge. There
are many observation decks for countless tourists wishing to see famous
fjords of Norway.

[{Image src='03_Sunnylvsfjorden and Geirangerfjorden.jpg' caption='Sunnylvsfjorden and Geirangerfjorden' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

Beside Geirangerfjorden, Nordfjorden is the most northern fjord in the
western part of the country. It stretches 110 kilometers from the
glacier Jostedalsbreen all the way to the ocean, and reaches 565 meters
below sea level with a maximum width of 5 kilometers.

Jostedalsbreen (or Yustedalsbreen) is the biggest glacier in Europe. It
has an area of 487 square kilometers, measuring 600 meters in its
thickest part and 60 kilometers in length. In the Nordfjorden region
glacier's "tongue" descends so low from the mountains that you can even
touch it!

However this is not the most interesting sightseeing around Nordfjorden
— there is also Hornindalsvatnet, the deepest lake (514 meters) in
Europe.

[{Image src='04_Foggy fjord.jpg' caption='Foggy fjord' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='507'}]

179 km long Hardangerfjorden is the third longest fjord in the world and
second in the country. It is often referred to as "Norwegian Garden" and
it is best to visit when numerous fruit trees alongside the fjord are in
bloom. Magnificent waterfalls stream down the Hardangerfjorden,
including 145 meters high Vøringsfossen. Nearby National Park Folgefonna
was created to protect the giant 207 kilometers long glacier. Another
place of interest is the smallest castle of Scandinavia built in the
middle of the 17th century by Baron Ludvig Rosenkrantz.

The record breaker is Sognefjorden. It stretches 204 kilometers and
drops 1,308 meters below sea level. That makes Sognefjorden not only the
longest fjord in Norway, but also the deepest in Europe. Locals
respectfully call it the "King of the fjords."

[{Image src='05_More og Romsdal town.jpg' caption='More og Romsdal town' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

Smaller — but no less spectacular — fjords of Norway branch out of
Sognefjorden. We could give you a lot of interesting facts about these
fjords, but it would not describe their true value.

However it would be a mistake to think of Norwegian fjords only in terms
of their length or depth (in that case they would be interesting only to
geographers and mathematicians). This natural monument (or, rather,
phenomenon) takes your breath away with its magnitude, amazing
combination of uniqueness and harmony, natural beauty untouched by
civilization (despite the fact that not only tiny fishing boats, but
also giant cruise ships furrow them back and forth), clear water of
unbelievable colors, and so much more...

[{Image src='06_Seven Sisters Waterfall.jpg' caption='Seven Sisters Waterfall' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='295'}]

You just have to see and experience it. Those, who have never taken a
trip to the Norwegian fjords, can take a sneak peek through our
panoramas, while those, who have already been there, are happily
revisiting unforgettable moments of their trip to Norway.

\\ \\
[17 Panoramas of Norwegian Fjords|Geography/Europe/Norway/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Norwegian_Fjords]










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