Aurland, Norway

Aurland’s name comes from Old Norse, likely meaning “land of the water (river)”. The area has been populated since at least Viking times (around the first millennium AD). Archaeological finds indicate farms and burial mounds dotted the valleys. The earliest inhabitants sustained themselves by hunting and fishing, gradually taking up farming about 2,000 years ago as the valley floors proved fertile. Isolated by mountains and fjord, communities here were small and tight-knit. Norse sagas mention the Sogn region (which Aurland is part of), suggesting Viking chieftains controlled these fjords and used them as waterways for travel and trade.

Farming became the backbone of life in Aurland. For centuries, families eked out a living on narrow strips of land along the fjord and high mountain summer farms (støls). Goats and sheep were (and still are) important, giving milk for the famous brown goat cheese. The abundant mountain pastures made Aurland known for high-quality livestock. By the 1800s, however, land was scarce and farms could not support the growing population. Like much of Western Norway, Aurland saw a wave of emigration in the mid-19th century – over a thousand locals left for America in just a couple of decades, seeking better fortunes. Those who remained continued farming in traditional ways; even today you’ll notice old stone fences and terraced fields, reminders of those hard-working generations.

Aurland was discovered by foreign tourists surprisingly early. In the mid-1800s, wealthy English sportsmen began travelling here for salmon fishing and hunting – the start of Norway’s tourism era. They found the rivers teeming and the scenery sublime. You’ll still find traces: some mountain huts, pools, and peaks have English names given by those adventurers. Later in the 19th century, interest shifted from sport to scenery. Cruise ships and steamers started entering Nærøyfjord, with up to three or four at a time anchoring near Gudvangen. Victorian-era tourists would disembark and take horse-drawn carriages up the winding road toward Stalheim (just outside Aurland) to see the spectacular valley views. The need to transport these visitors created local jobs – many Aurlanders became guides, hoteliers, or carriage drivers, laying the groundwork for today’s tourism economy.

The early 1900s brought infrastructure that changed Aurland forever. Most significant was the Flåm Railway, constructed between 1923 and 1940 to link the isolated Flåm valley to the main Oslo–Bergen rail line. Its completion was an engineering marvel – 20 tunnels and a descent gradient of 5.5% – and suddenly Aurland had reliable connection to the outside world. Around the same time, roads improved. By mid-century, roads connected Aurland to Lærdal over the high Aurlandsfjellet (though only in summer, as it closed in winter snows). Car ferries on the Sognefjord became routine. In 1967, the opening of the Kvandal Tunnel eased travel to Gudvangen. The local economy through these years remained a mix of farming and steadily growing tourism – Fretheim Hotel in Flåm, for example, expanded to serve train and cruise passengers, and camping sites sprouted to accommodate the new car tourists of the 1950s–60s.

In 2000, Aurland garnered world attention with the opening of the Lærdal Tunnel, the world’s longest road tunnel (24.5 km) linking Aurland directly to Lærdal and the east. Suddenly, year-round road access (with no mountain pass) was possible, revolutionising transport. The tunnel features unique blue-lit caverns to break monotony and is an attraction in itself for many drivers. Meanwhile, in 2005, the West Norwegian Fjords – including Nærøyfjord/Aurlandsfjord – were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their exceptional natural beauty.

This honour recognised the scenery and the intact cultural landscape (farms, seasonal grazing, etc.) preserved in these fjords. Tourism boomed further in the 2000s with Flåm becoming a major cruise port and “Norway in a Nutshell” tours putting Aurland on countless itineraries. Through it all, Aurland has balanced progress with preservation. The 21st century saw new attractions like the Stegastein Viewpoint (opened 2006) and innovative electric ferries, alongside support for heritage sites like the Aurland shoe factory (the oldest shoe workshop in Norway still in operation). Today’s Aurland is proud of its past – from Viking roots to industrial feats – and locals are keen to share those stories with visitors.