Making the most of Skjolden
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Skjolden is the innermost cruise port of Norway, located at the head of the longest navigable fjord in the world - Sognefjorden. The approach is via the picturesque Lusterfjord, close to Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on the European mainland and ends at the foot of the highest mountains in Norway - the Jotunheimen National Park. The fjord is surrounded by several of Norway's major attractions – accessible on short transits!
A brand new floatable SeaWalk cruise pier capable of accommodating ships of any size. New service/visitor's center. Tender quay with four berthing places also available.
Center of Skjolden is approx 700 meters away, and along the walking path there will be a marina, a restaurant, an art gallery etc by the fjord
Push bikes are offered through a private operator outside the port.
Webcam
Cruise calendar for this port. K=Seawalk pier,A=Tender
The world's longest passable fjord, the Sognefjord, lies in the heart of the Norwegian fjord country and extends more than 200 km (120 miles) inland. At the head of the fjord you'll find the small, idyllic village of Skjolden. The Lusterfjord is the innermost arm of the Sognefjord, and this region, where the deep fjord meets the glaciers and Norway's highest mountains, is considered one of the world's most beautiful travel destinations. Along both shores of this very picturesque fjord arm there are villages and lush cultural landscapes where fruits and berries are grown on small, idyllic farms. From the fjord you can also see many mountain…
Getting around
There are a few buses located outside the port that offer a circular town tour. This tour leads to a mountain farmer who runs a goat farm and offers selections of goat cheese and goat meat for sale. The buses also take you to see the duel waterfalls outside Skjolden. A 45 minute tour costs $20usd or 200 NOK.
Nearby places
Skjolden is surrounded by several of Norway's major attractions. Jotunheimen National Park is only a few minutes drive away, and offers spectacular scenery with high alpine mountain ranges, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. Sognefjellsvegen, the national scenic route through this unique mountain area, is the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe. Just an hour's drive from the port, through the famous Jostedalen valley, the impressive Jostedalsbreen Glacier can be viewed at close range. Urnes Stave Church is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and Norway's oldest stave church. Some of Norway's highest waterfalls, such as the majestic…
Food and shopping
Very limited shopping facilities exist in Skjolden. There is a Co-op supermarket and a souvenir shop is located in Fjordstova Community center, which also houses a cafe, library, internet cafe and swimming pool.
Money
The Norwegian currency is the Norwegian crown (norske krone), abbreviated kr. A 1/100th krone is called øre. 1.00 EUR = about 8 NOK
ATMs in Norway are called Minibank.
Nearly all stores accept major credit cards such as Mastercard and Visa (Bring your passport/driver's license, as you are required to identify yourself when using a credit card).
Staying connected
Norwegian is the official language of Norway. The language is very close and mutually intelligible with the two other Scandinavian languages, English widely spoken.
Most Norwegian households are connected to the internet in some way (often broadband), making Cybercafés hard to find outside major cities, due to a relatively small market. Most public libraries have free public access to the internet. WiFi is in many spots (not free).
Opening Hours and
Opening hours in Norway are better than they used to be, but many smaller stores still close early on Saturday (1 PM or 3 PM is typical) and nearly everything is closed on Sundays. You'll often see opening hours written as "9-21 (9-18)" on doors, meaning 9 AM to 9 PM weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM Saturday.