mountain pass
Gaularfjellet
A National Tourist Route of hairpins and waterfall viewpoints linking the Sognefjord and Forde.
29 km · about 35 min drive
EuropeNorway
Førde
Norway · Europe
About Førde
Førde is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Naustdal, 48km from Bøyabreen.
Førde is in Norway. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Naustdal, about 10 km away.
Førde is the administrative centre of Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The town is located at the eastern end of the Førdefjorden, at the mouth of the river Jølstra. The 5.91-square-kilometre (1,460-acre) town has a population (2024) of 10,697 and a population density of 1,810 inhabitants per squareRead more
kilometre (4,700/sq mi).
The town of Førde is an important commercial, industrial, and government center for the area. The Øyrane area in the center of the town, along the harbor is the regional center for industry. The town also has the local primary and secondary schools, as well as a folk high school. Furthermore, one of the campuses of the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is located in Førde. The Department of Engineering and Health Sciences have sections here. There is a branch of the county library in Førde as well as the Førde Central Hospital, owned by the Førde Health Trust. The regional hospital is the largest healthcare institution in the area and the biggest employer in the city. The regional newspaper, Firda, is based out of the town Førde. Førde Church is the main church for the town. There are two large shopping centers (shopping malls) in the city center: Elvetorget and Alti Førde.
The town sits at the intersection of the highways Rv.5 and E39. The Rv. 5 highway connects Førde to the nearby town of Florø (via the Naustdal Tunnel) and the E39 highway connects Førde with the cities of Ålesund to the north and Bergen to the south. The old Førde Airport, Øyrane was located in the center of the town at Øyrane, but that airport was only used from 1971 until 1986. The site was not optimal for an airport, and so a new Førde Airport was built about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of the town (in Førde Municipality) in the nearby village of Bringeland which was actually located in neighboring Gaular Municipality (since 2020, both areas were part of Sunnfjord Municipality).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Førde?
Within an hour or so of Førde: Gaularfjellet (29 km), Utsikten Viewpoint (Gaularfjellet) (37 km), Bøyabreen (48 km), Sognefjorden (52 km).
Are there any good drives near Førde?
The nearest famous roads are Gaularfjellet, Vikafjellet (Fv13) and Old Strynefjell Road.
Where is Førde?
Førde is in Norway, about 10 km from Naustdal.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 0
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Norway
- Timezone
- Coordinates
- 61.4522, 5.8572
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Norway
Many toll roads use automatic plate recognition (AutoPASS). Headlights required at all times.
Full driving guide for NorwayTags
Worth the detour from Førde
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Utsikten Viewpoint (Gaularfjellet)
An angular concrete viewing platform on the Gaularfjellet tourist route, cantilevered over the hairpins below.
37 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Bøyabreen
An arm of the Jostedalsbreen icefall hanging above a meltwater lake, visible from a car park directly off the road near Fjærland.
48 km · about 55 min drive
natural wonder
Sognefjorden
Norway's longest and deepest fjord stretching 204 km inland, with the narrow Nærøyfjord branch designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
52 km · about 60 min drive
natural wonder
Briksdalsbreen
An arm of the Jostedal glacier spilling toward a turquoise meltwater lake at the end of a green valley.
59 km · about 70 min drive
Driving roads near Førde
9 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 29 kmGaularfjelletA National Tourist Route of hairpins and waterfall viewpoints linking the Sognefjord and Forde.
- 37 kmUtsikten Viewpoint (Gaularfjellet)An angular concrete viewing platform on the Gaularfjellet tourist route, cantilevered over the hairpins below.
- 63 kmVikafjellet (Fv13)A high, exposed crossing between Voss and the Sognefjord at Vik, frequently shut by winter storms.
- 70 kmLoen SkyliftOne of the steepest cable cars in the world lifts you from the fjord at Loen to Mount Hoven at 1,011 m in five minutes.
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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