Olden, Norway
Olden, Norway
Description
By the mid-19th century, European travelers were cruising the waters of the Nordfjord and visiting the village of Olden. The Romantic Movement inspired this new taste for dramatic landscape - and Norway had plenty of dramatic landscape. Then as now, travelers were impressed, moved, and not frequently overwhelmed by the stark contrast between peaceful rural farmsteads and a towering wilderness of mountain peaks and glaciers.
For many years Olden was home to American landscape artist William H. Singer (1868-1943). Scion of a Pittsburgh steel family, Singer provided Olden with a road and a regional hospital.
Points of Interest
- Jostedalsbreen National Park
- Nordfjord
- Briksdal Glacier
- Loen
- Kjenndalen Glacier
- Lake Lovatn
- Olden Lake
More about Olden, Norway Points of Interest
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Jostedalsbreen National Park -
Jostedalbreen Glacier is famous for its vast ice sheets, which are the largest in mainland Europe. The National park's Visitors' Center features many fascinating exhibits, and 3D displays of the glaciers.
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Nordfjord -
At 66 miles, the Nordfjord is the sixth longest fjord in Norway, and encompasses the Jostedalsbreen, mainland Europe's largest glacier. Famous for its skiing, it is also popular with fishing enthusiasts.
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Briksdal Glacier -
Briksdal Glacier, a hiker's favorite, is situated on the north side of the Jostedalsbreen National Park, and flows over 3,937 feet, down the dramatic mountainside into the Briksdal Valley.
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Loen -
Loen is a small, picturesque village located in the inner part of the Nordfjord, about four miles north of Olden. It is also home to some of the oldest farms in Norway, pre-dating Christianity.
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Kjenndalen Glacier -
The Kjenndalen Glacier is one of the many glaciers in Jostedalsbreen National Park, but is unique in that it is an intense blue-green color. A 30-minute hike will take you to a beautiful view of the glacier.
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Lake Lovatn -
Lake Lovatn boasts miles of turquoise waters, which have been colored by clays washed down from the Kjenndalen Glacier. Twice in the last century, avalanches triggered tsunami-like waves on the lake.
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Olden Lake -
Enjoy the bule-green water, mountain waterfalls and gaze in awe at the Jostedalsbreen Glacier.