It’s no secret that the Hardanger area right here in Norway is sort of a picture-perfect postcard. Each nook you flip actually has you feasting your eyes upon one other breathtaking waterfall, camp spot or mountaineering path with a few of Norway’s highest tucked away right here.
My 3 days exploring Hardanger had been a few of my favourites on my 10-day Western Norway highway journey itinerary and I’m excited to delve just a little deeper into simply how a lot journey is on supply on this Hardanger journey information.
Assume bucket record hikes, world-class cider (this was a shock for me too!), once-in-a-lifetime campervan pull-ups and views for days. Critically, this space of Norway is beautiful and also you’ll need to spend a great few days right here, at the very least.
This Hardanger information covers all the pieces it is advisable know when visiting this space. From epic hikes and waterfall suggestions to one of the best locations to eat and drink, plus campervan stopovers. Whether or not you’re exploring by automotive, campervan, or ferry, that is your go-to useful resource for one of the best issues to do in Hardanger.
P.S. When you’re planning a highway journey by means of Western Norway, I’d extremely suggest my Norway Google Map for all of my actual Google Pins and proposals for all times on the highway.
Let’s tuck in, lets?
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering one of the best locations to eat, drink, calm down and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your gadget and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
The place is Hardanger?
You’ll have come throughout the Hardanger area earlier than when researching Trolltunga, one of the crucial photographed rock formations on this planet, and one among Norway’s hottest mountaineering routes. It’s positioned right here in Hardanger!
Positioned only a quick drive southeast of Bergen (round 1 hour drive time), Hardanger is a shocking area in western Norway and is residence to the well-known Hardangerfjord (the nation’s second-longest fjord, stretching 179 kilometres).
It is a vacation spot the place Norway’s pure magnificence takes centre stage and you’re met with an abundance of cascading waterfalls, mountainous panoramas, oh and an off-the-cuff thriving cider manufacturing.
The Hardanger area has some beautiful fjord arms to discover while on the bottom, together with:
- Sørfjorden – Lined with apple orchards, charming villages, and iconic mountaineering trails like Trolltunga.
- Eidfjorden – The gateway to Hardangervidda Nationwide Park, that includes Vøringsfossen, one among Norway’s strongest waterfalls.
- Ulvikfjord – Identified for its cider farms and tranquil boat journeys.
- Granvinfjord – Surrounded by lush forests and historic websites.
Journey tip:
Have some native forex in your pocket and maintain an eye fixed out for fruit stands on the aspect of the highway. This area affords a few of the finest, freshest apples you may get your arms on!
Learn how to Get to Hardanger
- From Bergen: A brief drive of simply over an hour (relying on site visitors) through the E16 and Route 7 brings you on to the fjord.
- From Oslo: Round a 5-hour drive alongside Route 7.
- Public Transport: There are buses that join Bergen and Oslo to numerous factors within the Hardanger area. See extra right here and plan your journey.
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering one of the best locations to eat, drink, calm down and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your gadget and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
Finest Time to Go to Hardanger
Whereas Hardanger is a shocking place to go to year-round, the months of Could to September supply essentially the most beneficial climate for out of doors actions. That is thought-about the height season for a summer season highway journey/mountaineering journey.
While Norway continues to be beautiful within the rain and the waterfalls develop into insanely considerable with the extra water gushing down them, the views and the enjoyment of the hikes right here in Norway peak on these clearer, sunnier days.
The very best time to go to Hardanger is dependent upon your priorities!
We visited on the finish of August and had been unlucky to have 3 days of rain to start out the journey. They hadn’t had any rain for 4 weeks prior! We didn’t need to do the total Trolltunga day hike within the rain and so we hung round Hargandger for a few additional days till the skies cleared.
A silver lining often because this Hardanger journey information was born from that additional time we needed to discover! We did some profitable fishing, discovered shorter hikes, foraged Porcini mushrooms and frolicked studying our books with a view on the fjord entrance.
Watch our highway journey come to life on this Norway vlog:
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering one of the best locations to eat, drink, calm down and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your gadget and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
1. Day hike to Trolltunga
This one has received to be up there on the prime of one of the best issues to do in Hardanger. That is one among Norway’s most iconic hikes, Trolltunga (the “Troll’s Tongue”) and other people come from everywhere in the world to expertise it.
The Trolltunga hike affords a difficult trek and sometimes takes 10-12 hours to finish the spherical journey. The gap provides as much as about 22 km (14 miles) in complete however your complete strolling distance really is dependent upon the place you stroll from (there are a number of beginning factors). When you’re doing this hike as a part of your highway journey and you’ve got a motorhome, your solely possibility for parking is P1 – Tyssedal. When you’ve got a automotive you’ll be able to head as much as P2 – Skjeggedal.
Right here’s what I learnt and didn’t know beforehand should you’re coming by campervan:
- You’ll have to park at P1 (NOK 300 for the day, no in a single day sleeping allowed)
- You’ll then have to guide a return ticket on the shuttle bus to P2 (NOK 200) – guide right here
- From P2 you’ll be able to both stroll (4km steep uphill) or get one other shuttle bus as much as P3 for NOK 150 (the place the hike begins)
The remainder of it’s then free and straightforward to comply with and the view from the Troll’s Tongue (the rock jutting out 700 meters above Ringedalsvatnet Lake) is value each step and penny!
It price us slightly below £100 for the 2 of us with all prices thought-about! Sure it appears steep however they’ve an excellent operation working right here for the quantity of tourism it attracts and it was a fairly seamless expertise!
Fascinating truth
Trolltunga was shaped over the last Ice Age, round 10,000 years in the past!
2. Discover Folgefonna Nationwide Park
Dwelling to the Folgefonna Glacier (Norway’s third-largest glacier, overlaying 168 sq. kilometres), Folgefonna Nationwide Park affords guided glacier hikes appropriate for varied ability ranges. Dive into the glacier’s historical past and witness the mesmerising blue ice formations below the wing of a educated native information for a as soon as in a lifetime journey!
P.s. For snowboarding fanatics, the Fonna Glacier Ski Resort gives summer season snowboarding alternatives with spectacular fjord views.
Be taught extra about guided glacier hikes.
3. Drive alongside the Hardanger Norwegian Scenic Route in daylight
Norway has a number of notable Scenic Routes unfold throughout the nation and the Hardanger Norwegian Scenic Route is one among them.
Truthfully, simply driving alongside the highway that wraps round this fjord is among the finest and most lovely issues to do right here.
The Norwegian Scenic Route Hardanger consists of 4 notable sections: Granvin – Steinsdalsfossen, Norheimsund – Tørvikbygd, Jondal – Utne, and Kinsarvik – Låtefoss.
We travelled from Bergen to Odda and coated the Låtefoss – Kinsarvik part of the route and it was STUNNING.
Tip: Be sure you drive this half within the day time to absorb the insane surroundings.
4. Låtefossen
I instructed you the waterfalls are EPIC when it rains, didn’t i?
Låtefossen is a waterfall positioned simply 20 minutes from Odda (the principle city within the area) so is a superb addition to your highway journey should you’re passing by means of.
Near the highway (making for a fast and straightforward cease off) and main by means of the slender Oddadalen valley, the dual cascades of Låtefossen waterfall plunge down the mountainside and might be each seen and photographed from the bridge.
There are some picnic benches right here ought to the climate allow to get pleasure from your lunch outdoors with a view!
5. Go to Heit Sørfjorden Sauna
Fjordfront saunas are my new favorite factor and the obsession began proper right here in Hardanger. A floating sauna with panoramic fjord views?!? Critically, you can not beat it.
When you’re trying to calm down and rejuvenate (perhaps after doing one of many hikes), guide your self into Heit Sauna, positioned in Sørfjorden, and alternate warmth remedy with some icy fjord plunges!
Guide your sauna expertise right here.
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering one of the best locations to eat, drink, calm down and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your gadget and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
6. Floy Cafe & Bakery
A extremely really helpful cease for espresso lovers and pastry-obsessed people.
Floy Cafe & Bakery opens between the summer season months of Could to September and serves up freshly baked items and native treats on the fjordside. We had deliberate to go after our Trolltunga hike however we didn’t make it in time earlier than they closed – I used to be gutted!
They’re open Tues – Sunday 09:00 – 16:00 so you’ll want to time it with when they’re open and style the buns for me!!!
They’re identified right here for his or her conventional Norwegian “Skillingsboller”—a scrumptious cinnamon bun right here so I’m going to recommend choosing up a pair as you drive by means of pre or post-hike!
7. Style the native cider at Lofthus Sideri
I had no concept that Hardanger was residence to a world-class cider area! We had been really en route to start out a hike in Lofthus and seen the highly effective attract of the shiny crimson apples on the aspect of the highway as we had been driving.
We seen the Lofthus Sideri signal and vowed to cease off after the hike to style the magic.
This ended up being one among my favorite, surprising experiences in Norway. We tasted quite a lot of Norwegian cider at Lofthus Sideri studying in regards to the apple-growing heritage of Hardanger which dates again to the thirteenth century!
Oh and also you get to style the unimaginable apple cider or apple juice with a view over the fjord! Simply one other insane view right here in Norway and positively among the best issues to do in Hardanger.
8. Queen Sonja’s Panoramic Climbing Path
Named after Norway’s Queen Sonja, an avid hiker, this route was really helpful to me by a number of pals as an extremely scenic path. There are insane views over the Sørfjorden throughout the complete hike so should you’re in search of a day hike that boasts one of the best views on the town, second to Trolltunga – I reckon that is it.
This path goes for 16 kilometres and takes round 6-9 hours to finish ranging from Kinsarvik and ending in Lofthus (or vice versa).
View the total route particulars.
9. Go to Vøringsfossen Waterfall
One among Norway’s most famed waterfalls and one of the best issues to do in Hardanger is Vøringsfossen.
Boasting a free fall of 182 meters and simply accessible from the Norwegian Scenic Route Hardangervidda, guests can get pleasure from a number of viewing platforms providing totally different views and photograph alternatives throughout this pure magnificence!
A footbridge was really constructed over the waterfall in 2020, permitting you to get even nearer to the motion!
10. Hike as much as the Hovden cabin
On one among our wet days, pre-Trolltunga, we zoomed in on Google Maps to discover a comparatively quick hike we may do. Consider it like a Trolltunga warm-up.
We drove to Lofthus (go to the bakery earlier than!) and walked the path up by means of the forest following indicators to the Hovden Cabin for what we discovered to have insane views throughout Sognefjord.
We weren’t fairly anticipating what we arrived to if I’m sincere. A free public cabin with bathrooms, books, a fire, blankets and sheltered seating?!?
It was in completely impeccable situation and we had been the one ones up there! Our jaws dropped to the ground as we sat to benefit from the view and signed the guestbook.
Such a shocking piece of structure. We had been dumbfounded by the mutual respect that was evident between hikers and the federal government offering these services. So lovely to witness.
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering one of the best locations to eat, drink, calm down and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your gadget and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
Campervan Suggestions & Finest Stopovers
Hardanger is a incredible cease on a Western Fjords campervan itinerary, providing loads of campsites and well-equipped areas to park up for the evening. Bear in mind, Norway’s Proper to Roam (Allemannsretten) coverage permits for accountable wild tenting in nature, making it a dream vacation spot for these in search of a wild tenting expertise!
Odda: The right place to replenish, replenish and cease over
Odda is a primary hub for these travelling by campervan. Most individuals we met had been staying there and it appears the most well-liked possibility for these travelling by motorhome and wanting to go to Trolltunga.
This small however geared up city affords a number of campsites with important services, together with showers, laundry, and kitchen areas. There’s additionally a waste drop-off and freshwater fill-up should you’re trying to refresh your motorhome!
Odda additionally has your entire supermarkets and out of doors gear outlets to replenish on provides and extra clothes/equipment wanted earlier than heading to Trolltunga or different close by hikes.
FAQ: All the things You Must Know About Hardanger
How lengthy ought to I spend in Hardanger?
3-5 days is good to get the details of curiosity in and get an actual numerous style of what’s on supply right here, nevertheless it is dependent upon what number of hikes you need to do!
What’s one of the simplest ways to get round Hardanger?
A automotive or campervan is essentially the most handy and versatile possibility for exploring this beautiful space, although ferries and buses join key areas and it’s doable.
Can I go to Hardanger on a day journey from Bergen?
Sure, however an in a single day keep is really helpful to totally respect the area.
Is the Trolltunga hike exhausting?
It’s not an EASY hike nevertheless it’s not superior by any means. It requires a median stage of bodily health, should you can, do a few warm-up hikes and ensure you have comfortable strolling boots or trainers with you. You need to ensure you depart sufficient time to get there and again earlier than darkish.
So long as you begin early, you’ve time to tempo it. The shuttles begin from dawn so if unsure, begin as early as you’ll be able to to take the stress off!
Have you ever been to Hardanger?
What are one of the best issues to do in Hardanger in your opinion? Something you’d add to this Hardanger bucket record?
Love as all the time and joyful adventuring…
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering one of the best locations to eat, drink, calm down and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your gadget and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
