Årdal

Despite its small size, Årdal has a rich industrial history, including an aluminium plant from World War II. Now a national park municipality, Årdal focuses on sustainable tourism while preserving its industrial heritage and offering cultural events like the Målrock music festival.

In the Årdal municipality, you find two places that are important for us on Fjord Mountain Route:

Årdalstangen
Årdalstangen lies at the head of Årdalsfjorden, surrounded by steep mountains rising directly from the fjord. It is the administrative centre of Årdal and a natural base for exploring the fjord and surrounding mountain landscape.

Øvre Årdal
Øvre Årdal lies between towering mountains at the inner end of Årdalsvatnet and is an important gateway to Utladalen and Jotunheimen. From here, visitors have easy access to hiking, Vettisfossen and spectacular mountain roads for cycling such as Tusenmeteren and Tunnelvegen.