Naeroyfjord -- 5 Top-Rated Must-See Tourist Attractions

 Naeroyfjord

Nordfjord is located between Europe's biggest mainland glacier and wildest coast at the western cape in Norway, home to breathtaking valleys and mountains, dramatic coastline, and rolling farmland. Here's my list of top-rated attractions in Nordfjord.

1. The Flam Railway.  Is it the most beautiful train trip in the world? The Flam Railway will transport you from towering mountains at Myrdal station, and below to the lowest point of Aurlandsfjord and Flam station, all via amazing scenery. You could even try combining Flam Railway and a bicycle trip down the valley to enhance your experience.

2. Arthouse Fern.  It's an art studio managed by a female artist, who, inspired by fjord life, in 2020, started creating handcrafted jewellery as well as decorative objects--all from high quality resin.

Signature edition of Fern now range from see-through jewellery covered with nature-related items such as rocks, flowers, and shells. She can build unique pieces to fit all living spaces with her wide palette of colors.

3. Flam Church.  It's a wooden longchurch built in 1670 by the master builder Magne Essen, with a seating capacity of only 160. The church actually replaced an older one that was brought down in 1670, which was probably a stave church sitting about on the same location as the current church. Today Flam church is a "soka" church intended for the Flam "soka" in the Aurland parish.

4. Kjelfossen Waterfall.  It is one of Norway's highest waterfalls. The falls are situated close to Gudvangen village in Aurland Municipality. Boasting a towering height of 705 meters, it's recorded as the world's 18th tallest waterfall. The highest single drop is 198 meters.

5. Norwegian Glacier Museum.  It's overall expression of main exhibition design was created in 1995. It includes "The Educational Playground," where it displays mammoth family sculptures. Its exhibition now covers 13 languages. It also features the biggest calving event ever recorded on tape.

Most Famous Must-See Tourist Attractions in Norway

Sognefjord -- 15 Top Facts, Attractions, & How to Get There

 Sognefjord

Sognefjord is frequently referred to as "The King of fjords" for good reason. Learn why with my list of 15 top facts and attractions.

1. Sognefjord spans 127 miles inland, with a maximum depth of 1,308 meters and the surrounding mountains soar 2,000 meters in height. 

2. The Sognefjord's inner end is encompassed by Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier in Europe, located on Norway's west coast. 

3. Glaciers are responsible for creating the fjords way back. If you wish to explore them, Bergen is a practical place to begin your trip.  

4. The western Norwegian fjords vary from others in that there also exists a landscape with several little settlements where you'll find people still living and where certain lands are grazed and cultivated.

5. At its broadest, it's nearly 3.7 miles across, and the cliff walls can reach 1,300 meters high, creating a stunning view.

6. Close to its mouth, the base rises rather abruptly to a sill around 100 meters below sea level.

7. You'll come across many lovely waterfalls along the fjord, several of which have been equipped to offer electricity for industries.

8. Sognefjord and its branches provide a few of Norway's most extraordinary scenery and make a significant tourist site.

9. As a branch of the Sognefjord, Naeroyjord is especially notable for its untainted natural and breathtaking scenery, with just 300 meters crossing at its narrowest point. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

10. The best and most popular manner to travel to Sognefjord is via boat, and such fjord cruises and tours for sightseeing are many which leave from Bergen.

11. Sognefjord's valley is only one of different valleys found in western Norway which predates the Quaternary glaciation

12. The ice reached the greatest thickness of almost 3000 meters in the Sognefjord area during the last glaciation. 

13. Bigger villages here range from Solvorn, Leirvik, Gaupne, Ytre Oppedal, Årdalstangen, Vadheim, Aurlandsvangen, to flam.

14. From Flam village, the Flam Railway often climbs 864 meters to arrive at Myrdal Station, covering a distance of 12 miles, which is supposed to be the world's steepest unsupported railway climb.  

15. Near the fjord's inner end, 3 of Norway's renowned stave churches still stand, which include Urnes, Borgund, and Kaupanger.   

Most Famous Must-See Tourist Attractions in Norway

Drottningholm Palace -- 12 Most Fascinating Facts -- Scarcely Known

 Drottningholm Palace

Drottningholm Palace today offers many glimpses into life hundreds of years in the past. Learn an abundance of fascinating information by reading the list I've compiled below.

1. Drottningholm, translating to "Queen's islet," originated from Willem Boy's design of original renaissance structure. John lll built the stone palace in 1580 to house Queen Catherine Jagellon.

2. The palace's architectural design was influenced by a French prototype constructed by architect Nicodermus Tessin the Elder, which Queen Hedvig Eleonora commissioned. It was built on the model of French chateauxs.

3. The "castle" was purchased by the Queen Dowager Regent Hedwig Eleonora in 1661, one year after her Swedish queenship terminated, except it burned to the ground in that same year.

4. Both the palace and its grounds have undergone several renovations, modifications, and additions throughout the previous 400 years.

5. Nicodemus Tessin the Elder designed and constructed the palace church, and his son completed it in 1746.

6. The palace earned its UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1991 on account of its well-preserved state.

7. The Swedish Military has guarded the palace in the same manner as Stockholm Palace, thus enjoying the same level of importance in the government's eyes. 

8. The Swedish royal family calls Drottningholm Palace home.

9. Although certain rooms in the palace's southern wing are reserved to serve as the royal family's permanent residence, the general public can now tour the remainder of the palace and grounds, year-round.

10. The palace comprises around 220 rooms, but only 20 are currently used by the royal family.

11. The park areas and gardens which surround the palace and its structures lure visitors as top attractions during the year. 

12. The gardens were added in phases since the palace was built, which explains the varying styles of gardens and parks seen today.

Most Famous Must-See Tourist Attractions in Sweden

Vasa Ship -- Why Did the Most High-Tech Ship Sink?

 Vasa Ship

Vasa Ship had the misfortune of capsizing and then sinking in 1628 after sailing only 1300 meters into the ocean; a second gust of wind struck its huge white sails and overturned the ship on its side. Water flooding in through the gun portals helped sink the ship in the shallow waters belonging to Stockholm harbor.

At the time, Vasa was the most technologically advanced warship before it set sail on its first voyage. How could Sweden's pride in its Navy possibly sink? Let's discover the root causes of this unforeseen event.

Loss and Competition

The Swedish Navy already underwent a whopping loss of 10 vessels during a terrible storm on September 20, 1625. Shortly, two small ships were ordered by King Gustav ll Adolf to be built, quickly.

He then gave the order for Vasa's construction to begin in early 1626, but only as a small ship, and being completed 2.5 years later as a large ship, having undergone many modifications in requirements, because the king kept changing his mind about certain aspects of the ship's features like gun decks.

He was in a huge hurry to see Vasa built lightning fast, as though competing with Denmark's latest ship-building projects; he learned that a big vessel sporting 2 gun decks was being built in Denmark. Naturally, the king could not be outshone and had to take serious measures.

Overarmed and Lavish Ornamentation

The number and sorts of armaments for Vasa to carry was revised repeatedly. The king often gets accused of seemingly meddling in the ship's original design. Initially, Vasa's 111-foot version was to carry only 32, 24-pound guns. But this number increased and kept increasing until it arrived finally at record-breaking 64 brass cannons.  

Vasa was beautifully decorated, covered in wooden carvings. There is a universally agreed belief that the overemphasis on the vessel's firepower and lavish decoration and overlooking its seaworthiness and stability largely contributed to the ship's ultimate fate. 

95% of Vasa's Wood Survived

Approximately an unusual 95% of Vasa's wood is still intact by the time Sweden eventually raised it back in 1961. Despite the ship failing to work out brilliantly for King Gustav ll Adolf, it became a windfall for archaeologists.

Tourist Information

Today, Vasa's remains can be seen in Vasa Museum, located in Stockholm. The museum claims it's the sole surviving preserved 17-century vessel in the world.

Most Famous Must-See Tourist Attractions in Sweden