"What is a fjord?"
This is probably one of the most asked questions I get from my tour groups. It is asked when we are out on the Naeroyfjord Cruise or sailing into Geiranger with Hurtigruten. I get it, fjords are a tricky thing to define. That is, in part, because not all fjords look like fjords (Take the Trondheimsfjord, for example). Also, Norwegians define fjords differently than other parts of the world. I've put together a short overview of exactly what a fjord is, and it helps 🙂
What is a Fjord?
In short, a fjord is a deep, narrow and elongated sea or lake drain with steep land on three sides. There is always an opening towards the sea, often referred to as the mouth of the fjord.
The fjords in Western Norway are typical u-shaped undersea valleys with steep mountains.
Fjords are long, narrow inlets with steep sides or cliffs carved out by glaciers.
UNESCO added two Norwegian fjords to its World Heritage List. This is because of how well the fjords in Norway represent the fjord definition. The two fjords are the Geirangerfjord and the Naeroyfjord. You can see their page about the fjords here.
Not all Fjords are Fjords
Norwegians use the term 'fjord' differently than we use it in English. In Norway, many lakes and bodies of water earn the title 'fjord'. That's because of how the word is defined.
The word fjord is one of the Norwegian words that has made it into the English language. It comes from the Old Norse word fjordr, which means "where one fares through". The words fare (travel) and ferry come from the same origin as fjord. When it was added into the English language, it was written as fiord as many English words don't use fj. However, the spelling fiord is only found in New Zealand today; everywhere else uses the spelling fjord.
In Norwegian, the word fjord references many bodies of water, inlets or channels. This is because throughout history Norwegians have used these bodies of water as a method of transport.
Representation of fjords around Norway
There are many examples of this in Eastern Norway, where the land was not carved out by glaciers. Still, though, the bodies of water provide a mode of transport. For example, the Oslofjord is not formed by glaciers (it is a rift valley) and is more of an inlet. Yet it is referred to as a fjord. If you ride the Bergen - Oslo Train, you pass the Tyrifjorden, which is a large freshwater lake just outside Oslo. Lake Mjøsa, near Lillehammer, is a fjord according to the locals - it even sometimes looks like a fjord!
Some rivers are also referred to as fjords, such as the Hallingdal River, which empties into Krøderfjorden, a freshwater lake.
In Northern Norway, there are many fjords. Some are not considered fjords by the English definition. Glaciers carved them out, but they do not have steep sides. This is because the glaciers were deep enough to cover even the high grounds when they were formed.
The Danes call many shallow lagoons fjords.
Don't think this is a method of trickery, though. When you book a trip to see the 'fjords of Norway' we aren't going to take you to a freshwater lake. You go to the 'proper' fjords of Western Norway 🙂
Formation of Fjords
It is glaciers that form fjords. Glaciers are a large body of ice caused by accumulating, dense snow. Glaciers covered the Scandinavian peninsula. After each Ice Age, the glaciers melted slowly and shifted under their weight. As they would melt down to the sea, they would push rocks with them and carve the landscape.
Here's a YouTube video that shows it pretty well:
https://youtu.be/NH-vnKR6A7A?t=50
A glacier cuts and forms a U-shaped valley by ice segregation and abrasion of the rock. I.e, ice breaking off and sliding down, breaking rock off as it goes. The glaciers are already sitting in valleys with a gently sloping floor; the melting of the glacier deepens the U-shaped valley.
As the glaciers melt, the Earth's crust rebounds. The glaciers are heavy and weigh down the earth. When the glacier melts, the land can rise. In fact, Scandinavia is rising. In some parts of Scandinavia, the land is rising faster than the sea is rising.
How Deep are the Fjords?
Sometimes, you can look at the mountains on either side of the fjord to get a sense of depth. Often, the depth of the fjord is the same as the hight of the mountains. This is not true in all cases, especially the smaller fjords. For larger fjords, it gives an indication.
The mouth of the fjord is often the shallowest part, and it's where we find a lot of gravel and sand. Glaciers pushed the gravel here. The shallow parts are what makes the fjords calm; very very seldom will you find rough water on the fjords. For this reason, fjords are often natural harbours. That said, the entrance to the fjord is also where you find some extreme currents and saltwater rapids. For example, Saltstraumen near Bodø has the world's strongest tidal current.
The fjords are typically deeper than the sea they connect to.
The Sognefjord, the longest fjord in Norway and second longest in the world. It is as deep as 1300m (4,265ft) below sea level.
Are Fjords Saltwater or Seawater?
In short, they are both. Saltwater comes in from the sea. Freshwater comes from the connecting rivers and waterfalls, which also catch the melting snow every year.
What is a Skerry?
A skerry is a small rock found in the sea. It is one of the Norwegian words that has made it into the English language - skerry comes from the Old Norse word sker.
Skerries are most commonly found at the outlet of the fjords, or where the fjords join the sea. In many cases, they are boulders that the glaciers have pushed out as they have melted.
Skerries line Norway's coastline, particularly in the west. The skerries lie parallel to the coast, providing a safe channel for ships. It's possible to travel in a protected passage along almost the entire coast of Norway, from Stavanger to North Cape (1601km / 995 miles). If you travel on Hurtigruten, you see these protected passages up close.
Fjord Valleys
Travelling around Norway, you'll notice that at the ends of fjords are often small, flat patches of land where villages have formed. Fjord-valleys are the continuation of fjords on land. They often end abruptly at steep cliffs. An excellent example of this is the Flåm Valley, which you'll see if you take the Flåm Railway. If you're in Hardanger, the Måbø Valley is also a great example.
You'll see that there are many farms along the fjords. The most arable land in Norway is along the fjords. The water is not freezing cold thanks to the Gulf Stream drifting in from the sea.
A word you may see in Norway is eid - it's often in placenames. An eid is land between a lake a fjord. When the ice was stable during a long period of melting, the land blocks the lake from emptying into the fjord. Many villages are on these plots of land, such as Eidfjord or Nordfjordeid. Eidfjord sits between the Eidfjord Lake and the Eidfjord branch of the Hardangerfjord.
See the Fjords of Norway
There are many ways to see the fjords here in Norway. The best place to start is in Bergen. Bergen is the gateway to the fjords. From here you can take many day trips out to see the fjords depending on your budget, or you can rent a car and go see them yourself.
I have a whole page dedicated to the fjords of Norway, which you can read here. I've provided an overview of each 'must-see' fjord in Norway, so you can plan your trip accordingly.
Resources
For my research, I used the following websites:
