Our 5 Favourite Hikes Around Flåm, Norway
It should come as no surprise that we here at Memories from Norway love hiking. In fact, we love it so much that we have let hiking and Norwegian nature inspire an entire collection of clothes and outdoor gear!
Many visitors to Flåm and the fjord region where we are based come across us whilst doing research for their trip – and so we thought we would share our 5 favourite hikes near and around Flåm. That way, if you are visiting Flåm in the near future, you can add one of these to your list of hikes to try!
Our 5 Favourite Hikes & Walks Near Flåm, Norway
These 5 hikes are all within walking distance or are just a short drive from Flåm, where you will find our physical store; Memories from Flåm!
They are of varying difficulty, and we hope you are excited to try at least one of them. The first three are more intense hikes, whilst the final two are less strenuous walks. So there's something for everyone here!
Before you go, make sure to check out our adventure & outdoor category, to ensure you have the right clothing and equipment with you. And before you head out on any hike (regardless of where you are), we recommend you check out these 20 hiking tips inspired by Norway's "mountain code".
#1 Brekkefossen Waterfall Hike
The first hike on our list takes you to the waterfall you see behind our lovely models above. Brekkefossen literally translates to "The Brekke Waterfall", and is a short and intense hike within walking distance from the center of Flåm.
Once you've followed the Flåm river to the start of the trail, you'll begin to climp up beautifully laid stone steps, to a small viewpoint by the waterfall. The viewpoing overlooks the village of Flåm and the Aurlandsfjord beyond, and is worth the 30-or-so minutes of hiking to get there.
This is a perfect hike for those who do not have plenty of time, and want to do something active during their stay in Flåm.
#2 Aurlandsdalen (The Aurland Valley)
In Aurland, just a short drive from Flåm, you will find Aurlandsdalen – the Aurland Valley. This valley runs from high in the mountains, and all the way down to a village called Vassbygdi in Aurland, and has been nicknamed Norway's Grand Canyon!
It is one of our favourite full-day hikes in the area, and there is a shuttle bus taking you to and from the start and end of the hike from Flåm (learn more here).
Make sure to fill up your backpack with a packed lunch, snacks and plenty of water, before you start hiking down this lush, beautiful valley. Stop in the small mountain lake "Vetlahelvete" for a refreshing swim on the way!
#3 Mount Prest (Røyrgrind)
Of course, we had to include the mountain top that we named our Prest1478 Collection after! Just look at that view above!
Prest is the name of a mountain top in Aurland that you can see from Flåm. (The logo of Prest1478 is actually the outline of the mountain top as seen from Flåm.)
The hike is strenuous, but as you climb, you follow the ridge of the mountain for the majority of the hike. The result is that you get absolutely epic views of the fjord, that only get better and better the higher you get.
The destination for this hike is a rest area called Røyrgrind (the actual Prest mountain top is even further up), but you are hiking on mount Prest the whole time.
If you can only do one hike whilst in Flåm, we recommend this one! There is a shuttle bus taking you from Flåm to the start and end of the trail.
Read our complete guide to hiking Mount Prest here!
#4 Otternes Farm
Otternes is an old cluster of farm houses dating back to the 1700s, just a 20-minute walk from Flåm.
Here, you can not only walk between buildings that are hundreds of years old, and marvel at what time was like for Norwegian farmers back in the day, but you can also enjoy lovely views of Flåm as the village nestles at the end of the fjord.
The walk to Otternes is mainly flat, with minor elevation changes, as you walk along the fjord on a pathway for almost the entire hike. When you get to a place called Bøen, just below the farm, cross the main road (carefully) and head up the hill to the farm. This is the only uphill you have to do, and once you've climbed the 2 hairpin turns you'll be glad you did.
This is a great family walk, and you can spend as long (or as short) as you'd like at the farm.
#5 Fretheim Cultural Park
This is another great family walk we would like to recommend. Behind Fretheim Hotel in the center of Flåm, you will find a myriad of pathways in the hillside, twisting and turning their way to various viewpoints on the hill.
Walking along the pathways can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how long you want to follow them for. Along the way there are viewpoints, benches where you can sit and look over the village below, and sculptures inspired by the Norwegian landscape and local folklore about the hulder people.
Side note: Head this way to read our blog post about the hulder people.
The trails of the Cultural Park cover 1 mile of pathways in total. At the bottom, right by the Bakkastova Café (open in the summer months), there is also a playground for children.
To download a map of the Cultural Park, as well as the trails for Otternes Farm and Brekkefossen waterfall, click here (PDF).
There you have our 5 favourite hikes near Flåm! We hope you will make note of at least one of them, and try it when you come to the fjords. Don't forget to stock up on some of the below items before you go, and of course to check out our Prest1478 Collection!
