Flåm Railway
Do not forget to take the Flåm Railway, one of the steepest railways in the world, on normal gauge. It is an incredible journey from the mountain station at Myrdal on the Bergen Railway, down to the Flåm Station nestled in the innermost corner of the Aurlandsfjord. It is one of the worlds most attractive and Spectacular railway lines. The Flåm Railway takes you through some of the wildest and most striking example of Norwegian mountain landscape; it is an experience all year round. For more information visit flaamsbana.no

After a trip with the railway you can enter the Flåm Railway Documentation Centre. It is situated next to the railway station in Flåm. It is free entrance for those who have a ticket to the railway.

Mountain hiking

UNESCO
Norway's oldest wooden church is Urnes Stave Church in Luster beside the Sognefjord. It is also the only stave church to make the prestigious UNESCO's World Heritage List. 

Built in 1150, it was once a private church for a powerful high-born family. Its builders were aware of international trends in architecture, and transferred these trends from stone to wood. The interior of the church is exceptionally richly decorated with motifs from real life such as elk and doves, but also imaginary centaurs and dragons. This decoration has become known as the Urnes style.

Popular churches
The largest stave church in Norway is Heddal. It is not only a medieval architectural masterpiece, but also a living church for today's congregation in Notodden in Telemark. On the wall in the exterior passage, you can see runes inscribed, telling that the church was dedicated to the holy Virgin Mary.

Inside the church you can see a beautifully carved wooden chair from around 1200. The alter-piece is produced by an unknown artist in 1667. The wall-painting that you see today is dated 1668. Underneath, on the west wall, there are remains of the original painting from about 1300.

However, the most visited and most photographed stave church in Norway is Borgund in Lærdal beside the Sognefjord. It is also one of the best preserved stave churches. Several runic inscriptions have been found on the church walls.

Intricate decorations
There are several types of stave churches but the common element to all of them is that they have corner-posts (“staves”) and a skeleton or framework of timber with wall planks standing on sills. These walls are known as stave walls, hence the name stave church.

The decoration of stave churches feature an intriguing combination of Christian designs intermixed with what is often assumed to be pre-Christian Viking motifs, such as the interwoven dragon motifs. The wooden doors and finials are beutifully carved.