Why You Must Add Loen to Your Norway Itinerary
If you thought Geirangerfjord was beautiful, you have something coming. The view from the Loen Skylift is the most astonishing I’ve ever seen.
The village of Loen (pronouned “learn”) likely isn’t a natural stop on any road trip through Norway, but allow me to give it my highest recommendation. Loen sits about an hour and a half south of Geiranger and would make a fascinating addition to your Geirangerfjord itinerary. If you take the Geiranger ferry to Hellesylt, make sure to stop in the tiny town of Grodås for a bite to eat on your way to Loen. We ate at Løvland Cafe twice during our short trip to Loen because it was that good.
The Village of Loen
As you might have read on my Geirangerfjord post, the small towns and villages situated along the Nordfjord region in Norway have tragic histories. In the early 1900s, a series of rock falls from surrounding mountains produced huge tsunami-like waves that ripped through the fjords and devastated the upper Loen Valley, killing 135 people.
Until recently, Loen’s main attraction has been its proximity to other Norwegian sites, including the Jostedalsbreen Glacier and National Park, Mount Skåla, and Geirangerfjord. Today, however, the village offers a site that makes Loen in itself a destination: the Loen Skylift.
The Loen Skylift
The Loen Skylift is a gondola ride that shoots passengers to the top of Mount Hoven, 3,317 feet above the Nordfjord. It is one of the steepest gondolas in the world and travels at a rate of 23 feet/second. At this rate, the cable car lifts you from fjord to sky in just five stunning minutes. The Skylift opened in May 2017 and quickly exceeded expectations for tourism numbers and visitors. Since its opening, businesses in Loen have noted an 80% increase in revenue.
The cable cars are huge, large enough to accommodate 30 passengers, and feature glass from top to bottom so as to showcase the beauty of the fjord beneath. The trip up the mountain is smooth and safe. At the top, the Skylift features the Hoven Restaurant, whose wide, clear windows offer 210-degree panoramic views.
Pictures speak louder than words here, and it’s clear that the view from the top of the Skylift is unspeakably beautiful. From the top, you can see Lake Lovatnet, Mount Skåla, Jostedalsbreen Glacier, Olden, and the Nordfjord.
Mount Hoven
An old Norse tale claims that Mount Hoven received its name from the Norse God Odin’s horse, who came across the mountains, struck his hoof on the ground, and left a powerful depression in the earth, forming the fjord and lake below the mountain. The two cable cars that transport visitors up and down the mountain are called Hugin and Munin, a pair of ravens that would provide messages and reports to Odin every day.
Excursions from the Skylift
If sitting and staring at the spectacular views around you isn’t enough, you’re welcome to explore Mount Hoven on foot. In fact, it is possible to ascend and descend the mountain without the gondola ride, by taking a network of trails that takes about 6-7 hours to hike. Loen Skylift offers guided expeditions that include hiking, rock climbing, and snowshoeing expeditions from Mount Hoven. The Via Ferrata Loen is made especially for adventurous sorts–strap yourself to a harness and climb across a steel cable bridge suspended 500 feet over a canyon!
So what do you think of Loen? Worthy of a detour from the typical Norway itinerary? I think so. Let me know below!
Practicalities
- 520 NOK/50 USD per adult
- Visit Loen Skylift website for weather conditions, webcams, and seasonal opening hours at https://www.loenskylift.com/opening-hours-and-prices
