The Flåmsbana is one of the world's steepest standard-gauge railways and arguably Norway's most spectacular train ride. It runs 20 km from Flåm, at sea level on the Aurlandsfjord, up to Myrdal station at 867 metres — gaining almost a kilometre of altitude through 20 tunnels, past thundering waterfalls, and across mountain terrain that seems impossible for a train.
The ride takes about an hour each way. The train makes a short stop at Kjosfossen waterfall, where the mist from the falls sometimes produces rainbows and, in summer, performers in traditional dress add theatrical colour. At Myrdal, you connect to the Bergen–Oslo main line. The round trip back to Flåm is worth doing even if you've already come from that direction — the view downward is different from the view going up.