The Flam Railway in Norway runs between Flåm and Myrdal. It is called the Flåmsbana in Norwegian. The route has a reputation for being one of the world's most beautiful railway journeys.
Travelling the Flåmsbana's 20-kilometre (12.6-mile) route from Flåm up to Myrdal in mid-October provided an opportunity to see the autumn colours of the Flåmsdalen valley at their most vibrant. The scenic rail journey takes about an hour yet with so much to see on both sides of the train, the journey did not feel like it was an hour long. There are numerous waterfalls along the way, including the Kjosfossen waterfall, which has a station that allows people travelling on the Flam Railway to get out of the train for a few minutes and take photos of the waterfall.
Inevitably, when boarding a carriage to experience one of the world's most scenic rail journeys people want to know which side of the train they should sit on. I enjoyed sitting by a window on the right hand side for the first and last part of the journey from Flåm to Myrdal. The most spectacular views were on the left-hand side of the train for the mid-section of the journey. That means taking a return trip on the Flam Railway can be rewarding.
The Flam Railway line was constructed between 1924 and 1940 and the road used by construction workers is known as the Rallarvegen. That road has 21 hairpin turns on Pinnali mountain and is today a popular cycling and hiking route. Walking back to Flåm from Myrdal provides spectacular views of the surrounding area.
Cruise ships can sail to Flåm, which overlooks Aurlandsfjord. That body of water flows into the world's second longest fjord, Sognesfjord.
Flåm has a railway museum, the logically named Flåm Railway Museum, which tells the story of Europe's steepest standard gauge railway. With 20 tunnels it is a remarkable feat of civil engineering and a lasting legacy of hard work by the team who constructed the line.
I thought that the Flam Railway was well worth experiencing and this two-minute video captures only some of the highlights along its route.