Bjorli is situated in the Dovre-Sunndalsfjella National Park which is set aside as a reservation to preserve northern alpine ecosystems. Indigenous wild reindeer, musk oxen, moose, stag, deer, wolverine, and various large birds such as the Golden Eagle and the Gyrfalcon (the world’s largest falcon with a wingspan of 5 feet) are to be found here and some of the plant life in the region predates the last ice age.
Close to the famous Trollstigen (Troll’s Ladder), the area also boasts the Mardalsfossen waterfall which is one of the highest waterfalls in Northern Europe. The highest vertical cliff face in Europe, the Trollveggen (Troll Wall), lies along the road from Åndalsnes, along with the Troll's Ladder road that winds up the mountainside through 11 hairpin bends to a height of 858 metres above sea level. The idyllic fishing villages of Rauma, Ona, Bjørnsund, Bud and Håholmen are to be found a relatively short distance away down from the mountains and out along the coast.
Whilst the fairy tale ambience of the Bjorligard Hotel offers guests warm hospitality and accommodation to match, the Ice Lodge, blending beautifully with the landscape, affords an experience to bring you close to Mother Nature. Bjorli is renowned for having abundant snow and a long season stretching from November to the end of April. The conditions are perfect for winter sports and a range of activities, including downhill and cross-country skiing, together with tobogganing and dog sledging, are available right on the doorstep.
UNESCO World Heritage
The Geiranger Fjord now enjoys the same recognition as the Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Zambia’s Victoria Falls and the Grand Canyon in USA.
The purpose of UNESCO’s World Heritage List is to draw attention to parts of humanity’s heritage that are so important, and have such outstanding universal value, that they must be preserved for future generations. Amazingly, this is Norway’s first natural attraction on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In addition, five cultural attractions have been found worthy: Bryggen (the old Hanseatic wharf in Bergen), the 12th century Urnes stave church, the petroglyphs at Alta and the old mining town of Røros – and the Vegan Archipelago was recently added. The first two are located in Fjord Norway, the western part of the country.
The fjords of Norway were carved out during a succession of ice ages, by the massive forces of the vast ice sheet that once covered most of Northern Europe. Hard bedrock was sculpted at the rate of half a metre every thousand years.
The Geirangerfjord is known for its pristine beauty and magnificent waterfalls. Fittingly, UNESCO finds not just this body of seawater, but the entire landscape, worthy of preservation. Farms, many of them still in use, peer down onto the fjords from fertile mountain ledges.