Posts In The “Europe” Category
Besides being a sheltered and appealing anchorage, another reason we’d stopped at Bruvik was to climb 1,920-ft (585m) Bruviknipa. The hike is one of the most popular on the island of Osteroy because of its fabulous fjord landscape views. The views from the top were excellent, and we also very much enjoyed the hike over…
After two months of near-continuous cruising in Norway, we’d covered 640 miles and made 33 stops. Yet we had only reached Bergen, a mere 102 miles north of our port of entry at Stavanger. The Norwegian coast is a complex and interesting one, with a seemingly endless number of high-quality anchorages and attractions. We departed…
Hardangerfjord is the second longest fjord in Norway, at 96 nautical miles long, and the fourth longest in the world. The fjord extends in an inverted ‘V’ shape, extending roughly 60 miles northeast into mainland Norway, and then running another 30 miles southeast to its terminus at the town of Odda, with fabulous scenery en…
Steinsdalsfossen is one of the most popular waterfalls in Norway because you can walk behind it and out to the other side. The falls are easily reachable on foot from the harbour at Norheimsund, along a loop trail that circles the lake Movatnet. After visiting the Hardanger Akvasenter fish farm and touring Fyksesund in the…
We’ve seen a lot of fish farms in Norway and around the world, but have never set foot on one. So when we learned about the Hardanger Akvasenter, a working fish farm that is open for tours, we contacted them to find out if we could arrange a private visit. The answer was an enthusiastic…
Spectacular Eidfjorden is the innermost arm of Hardangerfjord, extending 16 nm inland from the mouth of Sorfjorden and branching into Osafjorden, Ulvikjforden and Simadalsfjorden. At the terminus of Simadalsfjorden is the beautiful Sima Valley, where high above is the famous farm Kjeasen. Dubbed the “world’s most inaccessible farm,” Kjseason is 2,000ft (600m) above sea level…
The Ryfylke Scenic Route is one of 18 National Scenic Routes in Norway, and one of the longest and most diverse. The road leads alongside and above steep-sloped fjords, across lake-filled mountain plateaus, and past dramatic gorges and waterfalls. We drove a small portion of the route in 2018 when we visited Pulpit Rock from…
Buerbreen is a glacial arm off the east side of the Folgefonna icefield near Odda, accessible through a relatively easy and interesting hike with excellent views to the glacier en route. We’d already hiked up to the west side of the icefield at Fonnabu, and after hiking to Buerbreen we’ve now stood on both sides….
Norway’s iconic rock formation Trolltunga juts out horizontally 2,300ft (700m) above the lake Ringedalsvatnet, providing incredible photo opportunities of visitors perched way out on the edge. The hike there is one of the country’s most popular, with 80,000 annual participants, but also is among the most challenging. Rated extra-demanding by the Norwegian Trekking Association, the…
The Tyssedal Via Ferrata course near Odda, Norway follows the path of the century-old penstocks that once supplied water to the Tyssedal power plant, with sweeping views along the way. The top of the penstocks is 1,300ft (400m) above sea level, with industrial buildings dating from the early days of the power plant and more…
Voringsfossen is the best-known, most visited and most photographed waterfall in Norway. More than 650,000 visitors arrive annually to watch the falls plunge 597ft (182m) from the Hardangervidda plateau into the Mabodalen valley, alongside twin waterfall Tyssvikjofossen. Platforms built around the plateau provide wonderful views, as does a newly-completed pedestrian bridge over the flow. And…
The hike into the Husadalen Valley is considered one of the most beautiful in Norway because of the the spectacular scenery, including four major waterfalls along the way. The long-time tourist route Fossastien follows the river Kinso, with great views to 337ft (103m) Tveitafossen, 377ft (115m) Nyastolfossen pictured above, 200ft (60m) Nykkjesoyfossen and finally 800ft…
The town of Odda, at the head of Norway’s second longest fjord Hardangerfjord, has been a popular tourist destination since the early 19th century. Visitors have continued to flock there ever since to experience the spectacular natural beauty of Hardangerfjord and the surrounding area, particularly the famous rock formation Trolltunga. Besides the scenery, Odda also…
The Sunnhordland district of Fjord Norway includes the mountainous islands and waterways just north of Haugesund at the mouth of Hardangerfjord. The region is full of beautiful, sheltered anchorages and has many excellent view hikes and other attractions, highlighted in their informative tourism brochure. After three weeks leisurely cruising Ryfylkefjordane directly to the south, we…
After getting closer and closer to the Folgefonna Icefield with each hike, we finally reached the glacier from Sundal at Fonnabu. The hike was challenging, at 8 total miles (12km) one-way from Dirona with an altitude gain of 4,767ft (1,453m), but very much worth the effort. We initially walked on the wide and beautifully maintained…
Sundal has been a major tourist destination since the mid 1800s, when people flocked to the area to ascend the Folgefonna icefield. Initially visitors walked up to the glacier and crossed with horses and sleighs, but by 1890 demand was sufficient to build a carriage road up to the plateau. 150 years later, reaching the…
From the summit of Tysnessata, the complex group of islands we could see along the northwest shore of Stord looked ideal for exploration by boat and tender. We found sheltered anchorage there in the Eldoy Islands, where we stayed for three nights, extensively explored the area by tender and also waiting out a small weather…
Gripnesvagen is a beautiful, nearly land-locked anchorage at the north end of Tysnes with a great view to the islands’s highest point, 2467-ft (752m) Tysnessata. From the east side of Tysnes we cruised through the narrow and scenic channel Lukksund to spend two nights at Gripnesvagen, where we toured the area by tender, hiked up…