Sognefjord

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The Sognefjord (Sognefjorden) is the second largest fjord in the world after Scoresby Sund on Greenland, and the largest in Norway. Situated in Sogn og Fjordane in Western Norway, its mouth is about 45 miles north of Bergen, and it stretches 203 km inland to the town of Skjolden.

The fjord reaches a maximum depth of 1,308 m below sea level. The greatest depths are found some way inland: near its mouth, the bottom rises abruptly to a sill about 100 m below sea level. The average width of the main branch of the Sognefjord is about three miles. Cliffs surrounding the fjord rise almost sheer from the water to heights of 1000 m and more.

Boats connect settlements along the fjord and its sidearms. Towns on the fjord and its branches include Balestrand, Gudvangen and Flåm. Gudvangen is situated on Nærøyfjord, a branch of the Sognefjord particularly noted for its unspoilt nature and dramatic scenery ([link]), and only 300 m across at its narrowest point. From Flåm, the famous Flåmsbana railway climbs 864 m up to Myrdal in only 20 km - the steepest unassisted railway climb in the world.

Over the Sognefjord a power line with a span of 4597 m is installed. This is the second largest span of power lines in the world.

The fjord´s beauty and the surpassing magnitude of its landscape has made it very popular among tourists, who power much of the local economy.

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