Last updated on April 5th, 2024
Olden, Norway, © Tupungato – Fotolia.com
Visit Olden – Popular Attractions
The area around Olden includes the nearby towns of Loen and Stryn. Olden has a population of about 500 and is a lovely spot nestled on the Innvikfjord. Few cruise lines choose to visit this port and only one ship visits at a time. Olden Adventure caters to the cruise ship industry. Here are their most popular adventures:
- Loen Skyflit
- Loen Lake & Kjenndal Glacier
- Briksdal Glacier Shuttle Bus & Troll Cars
- Open Top Glacier Sightseeing around Lake Olden
Loen Skylift
Loen Skylift
The Loen Skylift opened in 2017 and immediately became the highlight of a visit to Olden. The lift starts on the fjord just past the town of Loen and only about 10 minutes from the Olden pier. The gondola takes 5 minutes to travel up 3,200 feet. From the viewing platforms and the restaurant you get fabulous views of the fjord, Loen Lake, Olden Lake, plus distant views of the Kjenndal and Briksdal Glaciers. Paragliders will enjoy the dedicated launch area at the top and climbers can access a via ferrata.
Visit Olden – Kjenndal Glacier
Take a 40 minute trip from Olden to Kjenndal Glacier in the Kjenndal Valley. To get to Kjenndal Glacier, you will pass through the town of Loen and see the emerald green waters of Loen Lake (Lovatnet) en route. The viewpoint for Kjenndal Glacier is a short hike from the parking lot where the road ends. The glacier no longer reaches the valley floor so you won’t be able to get close to the ice. On the way back, stop at Kjenndalstova Restaurant on Loen Lake. You can also book a tour from Olden Adventure that includes a cruise on Loen Lake as well as the Kjenndal Glacier visit.
At the end of the lake, about 3 minutes from the Kjenndalstova Restaurant, stop at the memorial to the Ramnefjelett Mountain Landslides. The mountain collapsed in 1905 and again in 1936, taking the lives of 135 people.
Visit Olden – Village Sights
- Gamlekyrkja – the Old Church, believed to be a 1700s church built over an earlier stave church.
- Singerheimen – William Henry Singer chose to invest his family’s steel company inheritance into a life in the arts in Olden.
- Red Church – built in the 1930s just south of town.
Olden Harbor, © Tupungato – Fotolia.com
Visit Olden – Boyabreen Glacier
Travel just over an hour from Olden to Fjaerland to see the Norwegian Glacier Museum. On the way to the Norwegian Glacier Museum pass through the town of Skei and stop at the viewpoint at Mount Utvik too. Enjoy views of the Boyabreen Glacier. Have lunch at the Thon Partner Hotel Jølster on your return trip to Olden or stay over night.
Old Church, Olden, © Tupungato – Fotolia.com
Visit Olden – Hotels
- Nesset Fjord Camping
- Olden Fjordhotel
- Panorama Fjord Olden
- Also consider Loen and Stryn
Briksdal Glacier, © Can Stock / tupungato
Briksdalbre Mountain Lodge
Travel a half hour from Olden to the Briksdalbre Mountain Lodge, passing Floen Lake, Lake Olden and the Melkevoll Glacier along the way. At the Briksdalbre Mountain Lodge, the horse drawn carriages have been replaced with a “Troll Car” that drives passengers to the Briksdal Glacier. See the Volefossen and Kleivafossen waterfalls. Expect to get wet from the waterfall spray whether you walk or ride a Troll Car. The Briksdal Glacier no longer reaches the valley floor, so you won’t be able to reach the ice.
Rakssetra, Loen Skylift
Rakssetra
The old farm site of Rakssetra has become a popular Instragram spot. Drive 6 minutes west of Loen and up the Oppheimsvegen Street to the large pay parking lot. Then hike up about 1 km on a fairly steep trail. At the top you will find about 15 private holiday cabins that you can wander among to enjoy the fabulous view of the fjord and lakes below.
Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre
Jostedalsbreen National Park Center is about 40 minutes from Olden. The route to Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre passes through Loen, Stryn, the Stryn River and Lake Strynsvatn along the way. Continue past the center, up the hairpin turns, to the viewpoint at the Hotel Videseter too. This is a great route to take to reach Geiranger.
Other Sights When You Visit Olden
- Sagastad Viking Center – see the largest Viking ship in Norway. The Myklebust ship is a full scale replica based on remains found in a burial mound in 1874. The ship is 100 feet long. Sagastad is a 1 hour drive from Olden.
- Nedrebergtunet – farming museum near Stryn and 23 km (14 mi) from Olden. Stay overnight in a restored farm house.
- Nordfjord Folk Museum – 18th and 19th century Norway in Sandane, 54 kim (33 mi) from Olden. It includes 44 houses and the 60 foot Holvikejekta, a traditional freight ship.
Olden, Nordfjord, © Tupungato – Fotolia.com
Get to Olden
You can get to Olden from Bergen by car in about 5 hours. The way to get to Olden is along Norway’s route E39 and 60, but some visitors arrive on major cruise lines during the brief Norwegian summer. On cruise ship days, the tourists who visit Olden far out number the local population. Olden can also be reached by driving about 3 hours south from Alesund, mainly on route E39 as well.
Stryn near Olden, © Can Stock / kjorgen
Olden Weather
The long days of the Norwegian summer from May to September are the best time to visit this area. Olden never gets very warm, because it’s so far north. July and August are the warmest months with average highs of 64 F (18 C) and average lows of 50 F (10 C).
In the winter months from December – February, average highs are 39 F (4 C) and average lows are just below freezing. Rainfall is lower from April to July. Many attractions are closed in the winter.
Visit Olden – Background
Olden is a small village of about 500 people. The village is on the Oldeelva River in the Oldedalen Valley at the end of the Nordfjord. Olden is the gateway to the Briksdal Glacier (Briksdalsbreen) and the village has become a popular cruise ship destination. The Briksdalsbreen is an arm of the the largest glacier in Europe, the Jostedal Glacier. Olden also has easy access to several other arms of this glacier, including Kjenndal and the Boya. The glaciers create an abundance of emerald lakes and waterfalls in the Olden area.
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