To main content
Hurtigruten Coastal Logo Hurtigruten Coastal Logo Norwegian Coastal Express
Go to Hurtigruten Expeditions

Norwegian Coastal Express

Go to Hurtigruten Expeditions
Go to Hurtigruten Group
  • Voyages
  • Offers
  • Ships
  • Blog
  • Order Brochures
  • Request a Quote
  • Norway’s Coastal Kitchen
  • The seasons in Norway
  • Search

For travelers

  • My Booking
  • Book excursions
  • Extend your voyage
  • Practical information
  • Health and safety on board

Norwegian Coastal Express

Go to Hurtigruten Expeditions
Go to Hurtigruten Group
Change
Info: We at Hurtigruten use cookies to optimize our websites for your needs. By using this website you consent to our cookie policy
  • Glacier arm of Jostedalsbreen
  • Glacier arm reaching to the fjord

Jostedalsbreen Glacier

Previously an icy highway for isolated fjord dwellers, Europe’s biggest glacier is now a skier’s paradise

Imagine dressing up and packing your bag for a dance at the neighboring village. Then, because there are no roads, you put on your skis, and go up a glacier and then down again on its other side.

Jostedalsbreen Glacier is Europe’s largest glacier. The entire glacial area totals about 497 square miles: A main glacier of about 311 square miles, plus surrounding glaciers and glacier arms. Although it is now a major skiing center, the glacier has played an important historical role for people in the local fjords.

ONCE A TRANSPORT ROUTE 
The glacier was a major regional transport route in the times before roads had been built across western Norway. Skiing across Jostedalsbreen was the easiest path for getting between isolated fjord settlements in the Nordfjord and Sogn districts. The only alternative the residents had was traveling by water, which involved the far more taxing task of rowing a boat in and out of the very long arms of the fjord.

EXPLORE ON FOOT OR BY SKI
In 1788, Ole Bøsasva was the first person to walk the length of Jostedalsbreen. Today, glacier walkers can choose a number of shorter or longer routes. For skiers, May is a good month to visit the glacier. Several popular ski runs are arranged annually, such as the Josten end-to-end, the Olden circular, and the Loen circular.

Jostedalsbreen spans the municipalities of Luster, Sogndal, Jølster, and Stryn. Briksdalsbreen, one of its glacier arms, also reaches Olden at the head of Nordfjord.

GLACIAL EBB AND FLOW
After advancing and destroying large stretches of cultivated land in the 18th century, the glacier shrank markedly until the 1960s. It began expanding again at the end of the 1990s, as winter snowfall increased. Recently, the glacier has shrunk again, due to the combination of drier winters and hotter summers.

There are three museums/glacier centers in Jostedalsbreen: Breheimsenteret in Jostedalen, Norsk Bremuseum in Fjærland, and Jostedalsbreen Nasjonalparksenter in Stryn.

Further reading

  • Svartisen Glacier

Sign up for our newsletter

Receive special offers, exciting new itineraries and fascinating articles delivered straight to your inbox.

Yes, sign me up!

Contact

  • Coastal Express Voyages (6 days or more):

    +1 (866) 552-0371

    [email protected]

     

    Port-to-Port Voyages (5 days or less):

    +1 (833) 230-0285

    [email protected]  

     

  • Contact us

About us

  • Hurtigruten Group
  • 1893 Ambassador Loyalty Program
  • Sustainability
  • Charters and Incentives
  • Travel Agent Portal
  • Press
  • Order Brochure
  • Awards

Support

  • Request a Quote
  • My Booking
  • Make a Payment
  • Uplift - Book Now, Pay Later
  • FAQ
  • Terms and Conditions

Social media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Privacy

  • Statement of Privacy
  • Cookie policy
  • Cookie Settings

Hurtigruten Expeditions

  • Expedition Cruises
  • Alaska Cruises
  • Antarctica Cruises
  • British Isles Cruises
  • Cruise Cape Verde Islands
  • Caribbean Cruises
  • Central America Cruises
  • Europe Cruises
  • Galapagos Islands Cruises
  • Greenland Cruises
  • Iceland Cruises
  • North America Cruises
  • Norway Cruises
  • South America Cruises
  • Svalbard Cruises
  • Northwest Passage Cruises
  • Transoceanic Cruises

Norwegian Coastal Express

  • Norway Fjords Cruise
  • Northern Lights Cruise