This is the narrowest point of the Nærøyfjord. The fjord is 250 metres wide here. The mountains on both sides rise over 1,700 metres. The navigable channel for boats is just 22 metres across. From Bakka, on the northwest shore, you could shout to someone at Styvi on the opposite side and they would hear you.
Bakka is a tiny hamlet with a wooden church consecrated in 1859, designed by the architect Christian Henrik Grosch. It seats 200 people, which says something about how many people once lived along this fjord. Before the church was built, the people of the Nærøyfjord and Nærøydalen valley belonged to the Undredal parish. Getting to church meant rowing 17 kilometres, each way, in a narrow fjord that could freeze without warning.
The road from Bakka to Gudvangen was first proposed in 1848 but not funded until 1852. It was built as part of the Royal Postal Road between Bergen and Christiania. The problem is avalanches. The road is extremely exposed, and it has been closed frequently throughout its history. In 2001, the 1,754-metre Bakkatunnelen was opened to bypass the worst sections. It is single-lane with passing places every 250 metres. From Bakka to Styvi, the fjord is both narrow and shallow, and it freezes over in cold, calm winters. When that happens, you can walk across.
Bakka is a tiny hamlet with a wooden church consecrated in 1859, designed by the architect Christian Henrik Grosch. It seats 200 people, which says something about how many people once lived along this fjord. Before the church was built, the people of the Nærøyfjord and Nærøydalen valley belonged to the Undredal parish. Getting to church meant rowing 17 kilometres, each way, in a narrow fjord that could freeze without warning.
The road from Bakka to Gudvangen was first proposed in 1848 but not funded until 1852. It was built as part of the Royal Postal Road between Bergen and Christiania. The problem is avalanches. The road is extremely exposed, and it has been closed frequently throughout its history. In 2001, the 1,754-metre Bakkatunnelen was opened to bypass the worst sections. It is single-lane with passing places every 250 metres. From Bakka to Styvi, the fjord is both narrow and shallow, and it freezes over in cold, calm winters. When that happens, you can walk across.