Storfjord (fjord)

The Storfjord ("Storfjorden") is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region, stretching from Hareid in the west to Tafjord and Geiranger east in the county Møre og Romsdal in Norway. The Storfjord system includes the famous Geirangerfjord and Tafjord, at small town Stranda it branches of into Sunnylsfjorden-Geirangerfjorden to the right and Norddalsfjorden-Tafjorden to the left. The name literally means the big or great fjord, indicating that this is a long fjord and in fact the main fjord in this region. Covering 110 km Storfjord is the 5th longest fjord in Norway. [Statistics Norway (in Norwegian) [http://www.ssb.no/aarbok/kart/i.html] ] The Storfjord is a dominant topographical feature in the Sunnmøre region as it cuts the region in two parts that are only connected by ferry. The deepest point is 679 meters near Dyrkorn village.

The landscape around Storfjorden is typical for western Norway. At the mouth the fjord is surrounded by islands with mountains reaching 500-800 meters above sea. The further east, the higher the mountains. At Tafjord and Geiranger mountains climb to some 1500-1800 meters above sea level. Most of Storfjorden has characteristcly steep or very steep shores, interrupted by several gentle valleys stretching up to 30 kilometeres into the hinterland. In this way, the Storfjord system is, along with the Nordfjord, Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord systems, the major samples of the typical west coast fjords highly praised by visitors. [National Geographic Magazine [http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/destinationsrated0403/destinationsrated.html] [http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/whsrated0611/whsrated_europe.html#norway] ]

Branches and sections

from the coast to the inland
*Mouth
**Sulafjorden
**Vartdalsfjorden
*Outer Storfjord
**Hjørundfjorden
***Norangsfjorden
***Storfjorden i Ørsta
**Sykkylvsfjorden
*Inner Storfjord
**Norddalsfjorden (16 km)
***Tafjord (8 km)
**Sunnylvsfjorden (26 km)
**Geirangerfjorden (15 km)

Transport

Several car ferries cross the fjord.
*Hareide-Sulesund from Hareidlandet to Sula across Sulafjorden
*Leirvåg-Festøya-Hundeidvik from Leirvåg on Sula to Festøya on Hundeidvik on the south bank at the mouth of Hjørundfjorden.
*Leknes-Sæbø in Hjørundfjorden
*Aursnes-Magerholm from Aursnes in Sykkylven to Magerholm in Ålesund.
*Stranda-Liabygda from Stranda in the west to Liabygda in the east.
*Eidsdal-Linge across Norddalsfjorden.
*Geiranger-Hellesylt a tourist route along Geirangerfjorden in summer.

Municipalities and villages

*Ålesund
**Vegsund
**Emblem
**Sykkylven
*Skodje
**Valle
*Ørskog
**Sjøholt
*Stordal
*Stranda
**Stranda
**Liabygda
**Geiranger
**Hellesylt
*Norddal
**Valldal
**Eidsdal
**Norddal
**Tafjord

References