Norwegian Glacier Museum

The Norwegian Glacier Museum (Norsk Bremuseum) is located at Fjærland, at the head of the Fjærlandsfjord, a branch of the Sognefjord, in Sogndal municipality, Vestland county, Norway. It opened in 1991 and is a science and visitor centre devoted to glaciers, with the nearby Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on the European mainland, as its main subject. The building is a modern design in glass and stone that sits in a landscape of fjord and mountains. The exhibitions explain how glaciers form, move and shape the land, and how they respond to climate change, with models, films and displays. The approach is thematic and immersive, and includes a large glacier film shown in the cinema, an ice-cave experience and a section on the climate history of the last ice ages. Exhibits also cover the geology of the region, the effects of melting glaciers on rivers and communities, and the history of glacier exploration. The museum is run in connection with the Fjærland tourist attractions, which include the Bøyabreen arm of the glacier, a short drive away. The visitor centre also offers information for walking and glacier guided tours in the area. It operates mainly in the summer season and reduced hours at other times. A visit generally lasts one to two hours, and the museum is easily combined with a stop at the village of Fjærland, known as the Norwegian Book Town.