Northern lights in Sognefjord tonight

The village of Flåm sits at the innermost point of Aurlandsfjord, a narrow arm of Sognefjord. The steep fjord walls rise over 1,000 m on both sides, blocking light from any distant settlement entirely. The fjord arm runs roughly north-south, opening northward toward Aurland. Walk the waterfront north of the village for a dark north-facing fjord view. The waterfall Brekke and the distinctive mountain walls give a strong foreground composition.

The quiet village of Balestrand on the north bank of Sognefjord faces across the main fjord toward the dark southern shore. The waterfront is completely unlit outside the village centre, and the wide fjord gives an open sky overhead. In the right conditions, the fjord surface reflects aurora. Balestrand has a ferry connection from Bergen and a small number of hotels - practical as a fjord aurora base.

The Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage listed branch of Sognefjord running south-west from Gudvangen, is one of the narrowest fjords in the world - as little as 250 m wide in places. The cliffs rise nearly vertically to over 1,700 m and the fjord has no road access from the fjord floor, only the waterway. Access is by boat from Flåm or Gudvangen. In winter the fjord is a narrow corridor of sky above almost total darkness.