Gudvangen is a village in the municipality of Aurland in Sogn og Fjordane county,Norway. It is a popular tourist destination and is located at the end of the Nærøyfjordwhere the Nærøydalselvi river empties into the fjord. The highway passes by the village. Heading southwest on the highway leads to Voss while heading northeast the E16 enters the Gudvanga Tunnel on its way to Flåm, Undredal, and Aurlandsvangen. The nearby village of Bakka lies about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the north. TheKjelfossen waterfall is located just to the southeast of the village.
The name Gudvangen (Old Norse: Guðvangir) comes from the old farm name. The first element is gud meaning a "heathen god". The vang(en) word is still in use referring the open space in front of a place of worship like Aurlandsvangen and Vossevangen. In Gudvangen, there have been several places of worship since pre-Christian times.
