{{Short description|Village in Aurland Municipality, Norway}} {{Infobox settlement |official_name = Gudvangen |other_name = |native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Village |image_skyline = Gudvangen kai.jpg |image_caption = Looking towards Gudvangen from the fjord | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 11 | mapframe-marker = village |pushpin_map = Vestland#Norway |pushpin_label = |pushpin_label_position = bottom |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Norway |subdivision_type1 = Region |subdivision_name1 = Western Norway |subdivision_type2 = County |subdivision_name2 = Vestland |subdivision_type3 = District |subdivision_name3 = Sogn |subdivision_type4 = Municipality |subdivision_name4 = Aurland Municipality |timezone1 = CET |utc_offset1 = +01:00 |timezone1_DST = CEST |utc_offset1_DST = +02:00 |postal_code_type = Post Code |postal_code = 5747 Gudvangen |coordinates = {{coord|60.8777|6.8379|region:NO_type:city|display=inline,title}} |elevation_m = 6 |elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title=Gudvangen, Aurland (Vestland) |url=https://www.yr.no/place/Norway/Vestland/Aurland/Gudvangen/ |accessdate=2020-01-25 |publisher=yr.no}}</ref>}}
'''Gudvangen'''<ref name="name">{{Cite web |title=Informasjon om stadnamn |url=https://stadnamn.kartverket.no/fakta/372857 |access-date=2025-11-23 |website=Norgeskart |publisher=Kartverket |language=no}}</ref> is a village in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is a popular tourist destination and is located at the end of the Nærøyfjord where the Nærøydalselvi river empties into the fjord. The European route E16 highway passes by the village. Heading southwest on the highway leads to Voss Municipality while heading northeast the E16 enters the Gudvanga Tunnel on its way to the villages of Flåm, Undredal, and Aurlandsvangen. The nearby village of Bakka lies about {{convert|5|km}} to the north. The Kjelfossen waterfall is located just to the southeast of the village.<ref name="snl">{{Cite SNL|Gudvangen|Gudvangen|2025-11-23|Selland|Svein-Gunnar|2024-11-26}}</ref>
==Name== The name ''Gudvangen'' ({{langx|non|Guðvangir}}) comes from the old farm name. The first element is {{wikt-lang|no|gud}} meaning "god". The second element is ''vangen'' which comes from the definite form of the word {{wikt-lang|nn|vang}} which means "meadow" or "grassy area". This likely refers to the open space in front of a place of worship, similar to the nearby places Aurlandsvangen and Vossevangen. In Gudvangen, there have been several places of worship since pre-Christian times.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brekke |first=Arne |title=Farms in Nærøy |url=http://suzuki.websitewelcome.com/~aurland8/index.php?page=naeroy-farms |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213162900/http://suzuki.websitewelcome.com/~aurland8/index.php?page=naeroy-farms |archivedate=13 February 2012 |accessdate=29 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=http://www.dokpro.uio.no/perl/navnegransking/rygh_ng/rygh_bla.prl?enhid=189267&avid=42264&s=n |title=Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Bergenhus amt |date=1919 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=12 |location=Kristiania, Norge |pages=121 |language=Norwegian |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}}</ref>
==Media gallery== <gallery mode="packed"> File:Gudvangen fjord wall.jpg|Gudvangen File:Gudvangen-2005-06-30.jpg|Cruise ship in Gudvangen File:Nærøyfjorden mot Gudvangen.jpg|Looking to Gudvangen from the fjord File:P1000566Gudvangen.JPG|Ferry arriving at Gudvangen </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:Villages in Vestland Category:Aurland Municipality