Vestland (Norway)

Kjenndalsbreen

Just like other glacier arms in Europe, Kjenndalsbreen has shrunken significantly over the recent years. Though, the magnificent drive along Lovatnet still makes a visit a wonderful experience.

Lovatnet and its dramatic history

A view at Lovatnet makes you feel like you just entered a fairy tale. Azure waters, steep mountains and glaciers, waterfalls, and lush green vegetation seem to create the perfect picture. The valley is also the gateway to the Kjenndalsbreen and Bødalsbreen glacier arms. The fertile valley has attracted farmers for centuries and it’s known to be inhabited as far back as the fourteenth century. but the tranquil appearance of Lovatnet hides a rather grim history. Steep mountain slopes create a risk of avalanches and rock slides, and just that has happened quite a few times in this valley.

Briksdalsbreen

Briksdalsbreen is one of the most-visited glacier arms of Jostedalsbreen. It is set in Briksdal Valley, at the end of Oldedalen Valley. In high season, the path to the glacier can get pretty crowded, with a tourist train taking the cruise ship visitors up and down the hill. There’s even a souvenir shop.

Nordic engineering

Despite the elaborate network of ferry services, overland travel in the land of fjords is pretty time-consuming. Road construction in the rugged coastline of Norway has always been a challenging job, but the Norwegians never stop to improve their road network.

The decline of Bødalsbreen

Jostedalsbreen is the biggest ice mass in continental Europe. Its glacier arms stretch into many of it’s surrounding valleys. Often they are named after those valleys or villages nearby. Bødalsbreen is one of those glacier arms, at the north side of Jostedalsbreen, though in the last decade it lost some of its dramatic appearances.

Låtefossen

Driving on Route 13 between Odda and Skare, it’s impossible to miss the beautiful roadside waterfall Låtefossen. The twin waterfall is 165m high, the photo shows the cascades of one of the two parts. The waterfall is fed by melting water from the Hardangervidda plateau, so its flow is highly influenced by the season, with spring and early summer seasons having the biggest flow.