Bakka · Nærøyfjorden
Bakka Sauna
A private sauna on a pier in the Nærøyfjord. Heat, a window filled with World Heritage — and the coldest plunge pool in the business, four steps from the bench.
The sauna
Six benches, one window, one fjord
Bakka Sauna sits on the pier at Nærøyfjorden Camping, where the road ends and the World Heritage fjord begins. Inside: dry heat, wood-warm quiet, and a window that holds nothing but water and 1,400-metre cliffs. Outside: the ladder, and a plunge pool that arrives from glaciers. Book it shared and meet whoever else had the same idea — or take the whole thing private for your own crowd of up to six.
The ritual
Heat until you glow, then the fjord
Heat until you glow. Down the ladder, into water that never really warms up, back inside before you finish gasping. Repeat until you understand why Norwegians never stopped doing this. In winter the snow holds to the waterline, the village is nine people quiet, and the window does its best work — swimmers dry off under the night sky; everyone else watches from the bench.
Prices
What an hour costs
Same logic as everything here: two clean totals. Book online on Periode and the slot is yours; staying at the campsite, book at reception and keep the difference.
Bakka Sauna, per hour
| On Periode | At reception, staying guests | |
|---|---|---|
| Shared session, per person | 250 | 200 |
| The whole sauna, private — up to 6 people | 1,250 | 1,000 |
All prices in NOK. Book at least an hour ahead; free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Staying the night? Pitches, rooms and the cabin are on the Stay page.
Good to know
The practical part
- The stoveElectric — lit for your slot, steady heat, no smoke in your hair.
- Changing & showersChanging rooms and toilets in the service building next to the pier. Showers there too — hot water is 20 NOK per 6 minutes.
- BringSwimwear and a towel. Forgot the towel? Reception rents one.
- ChildrenVery welcome — under 16 sauna with an adult.
- ParkingFree at the campsite for sauna guests. The public lot by the Rimstigen trailhead costs 80 NOK a day; ours costs a hello at reception.
- Finding usBakkavegen 35, 5747 Gudvangen — ten minutes from Gudvangen through the lit tunnel. Directions and road notes under Getting here.
Afterwards
The sauna is better with nowhere to be
Tent terraces and campervan pitches on the shore, two loft rooms above reception, a cabin on Airbnb — all of it a hundred metres from the pier, in a village of nine winter residents and one very good silence.
Questions
Bakka Sauna, answered
Do I need to stay at the campsite to book the sauna?
No — Bakka Sauna is open to everyone, by booking. Day visitors book online on Periode and park free at the campsite; staying guests book at reception for the lower rate.
How cold is the fjord?
Cold. Six to sixteen degrees depending on the season — and it is exactly what makes the sauna make sense.
Can we have the sauna to ourselves?
Yes. The private option gives your group — up to six — the sauna, the pier and the ladder to yourselves.
Is it open in winter?
All year, and winter is quietly the best season: snow to the waterline, steam on the glass, nobody around.
Where do we change and shower?
In the service building next to the pier — changing rooms, toilets and showers; hot water is 20 NOK per 6 minutes.