natural wonder
Sognefjorden
Norway's longest and deepest fjord stretching 204 km inland, with the narrow Nærøyfjord branch designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
12 km · about 25 min drive
Vestland, Norway · Europe
Balestrand is worth a stop: 25 minutes from Vikøyri, 12km from Sognefjorden.
Balestrand is a town located in Vestland, Norway. With a population of 769, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Balestrand sits in Norway, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Oslo time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Balestrand to your route.
Balestrand- (locally called Holmen) is a village in Sogndal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden, at the mouth of the small Esefjorden. It sits about 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of the village area of Leikanger-Hermansverk and about 7 kilometres (4.3Read more
mi) northwest of the village of Vangsnes (on the southern shore of the Sognefjorden). The small village of Dragsviki lies about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) northeast of Balestrand, across the Esefjorden. The local Tjugum Church is located there, serving the people of the village of Balestrand.
The 1.1-square-kilometre (270-acre) village has a population (2025) of 785 and a population density of 714 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,850/sq mi).
The village was the administrative centre of the old Balestrand Municipality until 2020. It is also a major tourist stop since the 1800s with several hotels including the Kviknes Hotel. The Sognefjord Aquarium and The Norwegian Museum of Travel and Tourism are located in the village. There are ferry routes each summer from Balestrand to the Fjærlandsfjorden and to the village of Flåm. There is also fast boat service from Balestrand to the city of Bergen. Balholm AS, a fruit juice processing company is based in Balestrand.
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Balestrand offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Balestrand is located in Vestland, Norway, Europe. The coordinates are 61.2096 latitude, 6.5361 longitude.
Balestrand has a population of approximately 769 people, making it a town in Norway.
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Essential numbers in Norway
Many toll roads use automatic plate recognition (AutoPASS). Headlights required at all times.
Full driving guide for Norway8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Norway's longest and deepest fjord stretching 204 km inland, with the narrow Nærøyfjord branch designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
12 km · about 25 min drive
mountain pass
A National Tourist Route of hairpins and waterfall viewpoints linking the Sognefjord and Forde.
18 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
A UNESCO-listed fjord barely 250m wide at its narrowest, hemmed by 1,700m peaks and tumbling falls.
39 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Village of about 100 people on the Aurlandsfjord with Norway's smallest stave church in use (c. 1147) and a centuries-old brown goat-cheese tradition. Reachable by road only since 1988.
42 km · about 50 min drive
cathedral
The oldest surviving stave church in Norway, a UNESCO-listed 12th-century wooden masterpiece overlooking the Lustrafjord.
43 km · about 50 min drive
historic highway
A breathtakingly steep old hairpin road between two waterfalls in the Naeroy valley near Voss.
43 km · about 50 min drive
famous road
One of the steepest standard-gauge railway lines in the world, descending 863 metres through tunnels and past waterfalls to the Aurlandsfjord.
50 km · about 55 min drive
scenic viewpoint
A cantilevered glass and steel platform projecting 30 metres over the Aurlandsfjord, 650 metres above the water.
50 km · about 60 min drive
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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