gneiss, then the glacier suddenly spread out presumably through sounds and low valleys. Tourism Boats connect settlements along the fjord and its sidearms. Larger villages on the fjord and its branches include Leirvik, Ytre Oppedal, Vadheim, Høyanger, Vikøyri, Balestrand, Hermansverk, Sogndalsfjøra, Gudvangen, Flåm, Aurlandsvangen, Lærdalsøyri, Årdalstangen, Gaupne and Solvorn. Gudvangen is situated by the Nærøyfjord, a branch of the Sognefjord particularly noted for its unspoiled nature and dramatic scenery, and only across at its narrowest point. Together with the Geirangerfjord in Møre og Romsdal, the Nærøyfjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the village of Flåm, the Flåm Railway climbs up to Myrdal Station in a distance of only —the steepest unassisted railway climb in the world. Around the inner end of the fjord, three of Norway's famous stave churches have survived: Kaupanger and Urnes (along the shoreline) and Borgund ( into the Lærdal valley). The Sognefjord Span (power lines) crosses the fjord with a span of . This is the second largest span of power lines in the world. The fjord has become a tourist attraction with summer tourists being an important part of the local economy. Transport There is a plan to build a road across the Sognefjord, crossing through a submerged tube in mid-water anchored to floats. This will avoid storms on the surface, and will not have to go over a kilometer deep to get below the bed of the fjord. There are many ferry crossings of the Sognefjord. One of the ferryboats that traverses this fjord is the MV Ampere, the world's first battery-electric car ferry, which crosses the fjord between the towns of Lavik and Ytre Oppedal. Other On 24 November 1972, the submarine KNM Sklinna of the Royal Norwegian Navy had "contact" with what they presumed was a Russian Whiskey-class submarine after a 14-day pursuit in the Sognefjorden. Military documents released later confirm this episode. See also List of Norwegian fjords References External links www.sognefjord.no Flåmsbana information Art of the States: Bright Days of Little Sunlight musical work inspired by the Sognefjord Google Earth view of the Sognefjord Fjords of Vestland