Skjolden Through My Eyes: Exploring Norway’s Fjord Village

Skjolden Brygge Apartments

This is probably the best place I’ve ever stayed in Europe. I could live here forever. It’s a picture-perfect place. The fresh modern apartment, the huge balcony, and the view of the Sognefjord are quite simply fantastic.

Skjolden Brygge apartments are built on stilts over the Sognefjord, the longest and deepest fjord in Norway. They are beautiful open-plan apartments with glossy wooden floors, a huge comfortable sofa, TV, dining table, modern kitchen with a dishwasher, and underfloor heating in the bathroom. There are big scenic windows to enjoy the view which opens out to a huge balcony overlooking the fjord.

They are very reasonably priced too, and the manager Grace went the extra mile to be helpful. What more do you want? It ticked all the boxes including free parking. I still yearn to be back there.

Not one, but Three National Parks Near Skjolden

Skjolden is the gateway to three national parks Jotunheimen, Breheimen and Jostdalsbreen, and are great places for hiking, fishing and skiing.

Jotunheimen and Breheimen with their stunning mountainous scenery have many hiking trails and are among Norway’s best wildernesses.

Jostdalsbreen which means plateau glacier or ice cap is the largest glacier in Europe at 311 square miles, and is surrounded by mountains and cascading waterfalls and streams, and in Winter it’s a major skiing centre.

Urnes Stave Church

On a short drive along the fjord, we discovered Urnes Stave Church at Ornes. One of 28 Stave Churches remaining in Norway, it is the oldest and is UNESCO listed. We took the guided tour which was fascinating. We learnt that it was constructed in the 12^th century and is a fine example of traditional architectural techniques and Celtic and Viking design.

Ferry to Hollen, Sogne

From Ornes and below the Urnes Stave Church there is a ferry across to Hollen, Sogne. It’s very peaceful just to sit and stare at the ferry in the distance coming and going across the fjord.

Skjolden Viewpoint

Keen to stretch our legs after a longish drive the day before, and because it was sunny for a change, we made our way through the village and turned up a path next to some houses. I seem to remember there being a bright yellow painted house. Anyway, we followed the signpost which led us behind a house and up through the woods, taking care over tree roots and rocks the further we went up the mountain.

It was a bit muddy in places, but hey ho what’s a hike in Norway without mud and wet feet! After about 45 minutes we reached the top. It’s a fantastic viewpoint with far reaching vistas over Skjolden and towards the Sognefjord below. We were fortunate to have the place to ourselves – being out of season does have its advantages. However, in season when the cruise ships dock in Skjolden it’s a popular short walk for the passengers and does get busy.

I love Geocaching and spent half an hour fruitlessly searching for the cache at the viewpoint. “Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use GPS to hide and seek containers, called geocaches or caches at specific locations marked by co-ordinates all over the world” – Wikipedia.

Sengjaberget Viewpoint AllTrails Walk

Explore this scenic route for yourself! Check the full details and map on AllTrails. For 30% off AllTrails click here. 🥾

Self-Catering in Norway out of Season

During our trip we soon realised, by the lack of anywhere open, that the Summer season crowds had packed up and returned to work. Apparently, the season starts on June 1^st and wraps up promptly on August 30^th. Norwegians dutifully go back to work on September 1^st. For me this was extraordinary, as here in Britain everything is always open, I take it for granted that I can visit a pub or restaurant whenever I want.

You have been warned…don’t expect any restaurants and bars in the countryside to be open after August 30^th. We were there in September and although disappointing, it did wonders for our bank balance as our holiday fund didn’t run dry as fast as we thought. So, for the first time ever on a holiday we self-catered. Thankfully the coop next to our apartment at Skjolden Brygge made self-catering a breeze.

However, even self-catering was quite expensive; for example, at my local Aldi in Nottingham I pay about 90p for a large jar of Sweet & Sour sauce…you know, the Uncle Ben’s type of stuff. Well here in Norway the same jar is around £4.50…I kid you not!

Dirona Around the World by Kati Cassidi

Right at the end of Sognefjord in Skjolden stands a dramatic shiny red metal sculpture called Dirona Around the World by American artist Kati Cassidi. It’s a wonderful bold sculpture that certainly makes an impact with its glossy colour and curved shape set against the dramatic fjord landscape. It symbolizes the Norwegian families who emigrated to America and their continuing relationship.

The Visitor Centre

In the centre of Skjolden, right next to the Skjolden Hotel, and adjacent to the Coop, is a modern Visitor Centre with a swimming pool, climbing wall, souvenir shop and café. When we were there in September it was closed, although we did have a peek inside. It’s open during the summer from June to the end of August.