It wasn't easy to build this attraction, which ranks third among Norwegian destinations. Almost all of the 20 tunnels were dug by hand. No wonder it took from 1924 to 1940 to construct it. Supposedly the Germans applied the finishing touches after taking over the country in 1940. The line allowed the people around Flam to take a train to Oslo or Bergen, which "de-isolated" the entire area. The drop in elevation along the way is about 2,800 feet, and the train averages about 25 mph. It takes about an hour to go from one end to another. (Of course, you can go the other way too.)
It should be mentioned that you have to get from Oslo or Bergen to Myrdal to ride this train down to Flam, and that's no hardship. That part goes uphill, and the scenery gets better and better with each rise in height.
There might be a surprise waiting for you at the end. The train station area doubles as a port for the ships that come in. Flam is right on a large fjord, and large cruise ships often make the trip up to that town. In fact, one was waiting for us when he got off the train. There's a nice little store area in that transportation complex, with plenty of souvenirs, avisitor center, etc.
Flam has become a resort area on its own. It seems like a great place for hiking, skiing, or just plain gawking.
I have some good photos from the trip, but many were slightly spoiled by the fact that it was necessary to shoot through the train windows. Not much that I could do, but you can watch the unspoiled video:
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