Olden, Norway: Where Glaciers Meet Fjords in the Norwegian Interior

Briksdalsbreen is the most visited arm of Jostedalsbreen. From the trailhead at Briksdalsbre Mountain Lodge, the glacier tongue hangs above a turquoise meltwater lake, and the walk to the viewpoint below the ice is about 2.5 kilometers each way over reasonably maintained paths. The glacier has retreated significantly since the mid-twentieth century — the progress markers along the path are sobering. Allow ninety minutes round trip. Trolley carts (troll cars) carry those who cannot walk the path.

Kjenndalsbreen is less visited than Briksdalsbreen and arguably more dramatic — the glacier face is larger and the surrounding valley more enclosed. The trailhead is at Kjenndal, fourteen kilometers from Olden village by a road that winds along the wall of a steep valley. A return boat trip on Lake Loen connects Olden to the trailhead in summer, which makes for a pleasant approach. The walk from the Kjenndal dock to the glacier viewpoint is about two kilometers.

Via Ferrata Loen Skylift — a gondola system linking the waterfront to Mount Hoven, 1,000 meters above Lake Loen — offers another access point to the high plateau. The skyline restaurant at the top is straightforward (Norwegian café fare, outdoor terraces), but the views over Nordfjord from 1,011 meters are the point. The gondola takes four minutes.

Olden village itself is small enough to walk across in fifteen minutes. The Olden Church, a white wooden stave-derived structure dating from 1759, is worth a look. The river running through the village center is fed by glacial melt and runs aquamarine in summer. A short walk along the river north of the village reaches the lower falls.

The narrow road connecting Olden to Loen along the northern shore of Lake Oldevatnet is one of the most scenic drives in western Norway — seventeen kilometers of sheer valley walls and turquoise water. Cycling this stretch, available from a rental shop near the dock, takes about an hour each way.