Valdres

  • Fagernes, Gudbrandsdalen, National Tourist Roads, Road-trips, Valdres

    Drive it Yourself: The Valdresflye National Tourist Road

    Drive it Yourself: The Valdresflye National Tourist Road

    If you are looking for a great scenic road near the mountains, I do recommend Valdresflye. Everyone has heard of the Jotunheimen National Park, but you can’t exactly drive through the middle of it. The best way to see the park is to get out of your car and go for a hike. However, if you take the Valdresflye Scenic Road, you do get a glimpse at Jotunheimen’s beauty.

    Valdresflye is a mountain plateau in the easternmost part of Jotunheimen National Park. Reaching a height of 1,389m (4,557ft), it’s the second-highest mountain pass after Sognefjellet, a road famous for its bad weather. Valdresflye is a lot safer than Sognefjellet, and it is open longer than Sognefjellet.

    Valdresflye Scenic Road is not a long road (49km/30 mi), so you can take the time to park and go for many of the marked hikes. 

    If you are interested in historical sites, along the road you pass many ancient summer farms and mountain pastures.

    I got to do the Valdresflye National Scenic Road in September 2020, when I was travelling from Fagernes to the Gudbrandsdalen Valley. Below you’ll find all the info you need to do the drive yourself!

    In this article...

    Download this Guide

    All of our guides can be downloaded via our online store. 

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    View at the Store

    Online Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the neighbourhood
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Information about facilities along the way

    Downloadable Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the region & towns
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: Valdresflye Tourist Road

    Fagernes

    I recommend that you begin this drive in Fagernes. 

    Fagernes Travel Guide

    Hegge Stave Church

    Stave Church

    Hegge Stave Church is a 13th century stave church located on the hillside near Heggenes village. It has undergone many repairs over the years, altering its appearance dramatically. The staves inside are still original, though. 

    Hegge Stave Church

    Beitostølen

    Ski Resort/Town

    Beitostølen is a small town located 900m (3000ft) above sea level. As of January 2020, the population was 360. It is largely a tourist area, with several large hotels, cabins, shops and restaurants.

    Due to the proximity to Jotunheimen, as well as its height, Beitostølen is among the most snow-sure winter sports resorts in Europe, and ski season usually lasts from November to April.

    There are alpine slopes and cross-country trails totalling 320km. In summer, Beitostølen is very popular with hikers.

    The village has hosted the FIS Cross-Country World Cup and the Biathlon World Cup competitions.

    There is the Beitøstolen Health Sports Centre, a rehabilitation for the disabled. Ridderrennet, an international ski race for the disabled, is held at Beitostølen every year.

    Today Beitostølen is the second largest tourist destination in Innlandet County after Lillehammer.

    Bitihorn

    Mountain

    The most prominent peak you’ll see after starting the scenic road is Bitihorn, which is 1607m high. It’s a popular hike, and there’s a parking lot on the left where you can park. It’s near a Sami camp.

    Here is some info about hikes in the area.

    Bygdin Mountain Hotel

    Historic Hotel

    The history of the hotel goes back to 1867, when two brothers had an idea to build a hotel here and generate tourism. Originally their hotel was in a different location; when the road was finished and it didn’t go past their hotel, they moved it to the current location. The building was completed in 1897 and is now the oldest pat of the present-day hotel.

    Bygdin Hotel quickly became popular thanks to its good standard and location on the mountain pass. In winter, planes would land on the frozen lake with tourists.

    The first major renovation of the hotel was in 1910-1912, and you can still see this renovation in some of the historic rooms, the salon, and the entrance.

    During World War II, the hotel was used as an officer’s quarters. German and Austrian troops came here to practice warfare in the mountains. Up to 20,000 men and 600 horses passed through the area. At the hotel, a lot of furniture, paintings and valuables were confiscated. The piano was recovered after the war; it was found all the way in Trondheim. The piano is in the ladies’ lounge today.

    In 1964 a new brick building was added to the property. New owners took over in 2017, after stopping at the hotel to buy a waffle and deciding to buy it! The new owners are making efforts to preserve its historic character.

    You can stop here for a bite to eat and to admire the hotel.

    Historical info taken from the hotel’s website. 

    Flye1389

    Scenic viewpoint

    This is the highest point on the road, at 1389m above sea level (4557 ft). The cafe inside has food from Valdres and Gudbrandsdalen, plus incredible views over the mountain peaks. You can rent hiking equipment here. 

    Steinplassen

    Monument

    At the same photostop where I took the above photos you’ll see Steinplassen, a monument to all the cairns found on mountains. The mountain range here is the Jotunheimen mountains. 

    Bessheim Fjellstue & Hytter

    Historic Hotel

    Bessheim is a historic lodgings.

    The site was a sæter, which is a kind of old building and base that had everything anyone would need when in the mountains. It was important to those coming to their summer farms, but also for fishers and hunters. They would find equipment here, plus shelter if there was a storm. 

    As the area became more popular for hikers in the second half of the 19th century, the sæter became a good place for those seeking shelter. Eventually the sæter’s (there were three here) grew into lodges. The first building built for tourism was in 1890. The lodge ceased being used for cows and goats in the 1960s – yes, historically these lodges were also for animals! 

    There is one sæter still on the property, Sandnesstuggu, which you can rent for the night.  The hotel has remained in the family since 1890, with the current owner being the great-great granddaughter of the woman who built the lodge in 1890.

    Historic info taken from the hotel’s website (click here). 

    Hindsæter Hotel

    Historic Hotel

    Hindsæter Hotel is a small, historic timber hotel from 1898. Much like Bessheim, the hotel was originally a sæter; a farm that welcomed guests. As more people began to come here in the late 19th century, the farmer owner built a hotel. The landscape is historic, with old timber houses, stone fences, ski guards and grazing animals. The hotel even has its own hydropower plant.

    History taken from the hotels website (click here). 

    Ridderspranget Ravine

    Natural Attraction

    Ridderspranget, or ‘The Knight’s Leap’ in English, is a ravine formed by a river that has gnawed deep into the bedrock, so erosion has only taken place in the riverbed. The name comes from a legend about Sigvat Leirholar, one of the king’s advisers, who received a letter that a beautiful girl was to marry a knight. The girl did not want to marry the knight, so Sigvat decided to set her free! He picked her up and fled with her – the knight cased them but Sigvat jumped after Ridderspranget with the girl in his arms and they were free.

    It is a short and relatively easy walk to get to Ridderspranget. 

    Vågå Municipality

    Randsverk

    Settlement

    Randsverk is a small settlement with mostly cabins and campgrounds. There is a supermarket here, too!

    They have a lovely website, which you can view here. 

    In Randsverk you’ll find signs pointing to Jotunheimen National Park, but keep in mind that the road is gravel. You can also find the road down to Gudbrandsdalen. 

    Vågåmo

    Our final stop is Vågåmo, a picturesque small town located just off the Rv15. Information on Vågåmo can be found via the link below. 

    Edvard Munch & Vågå

    Continue the drive

    Gudbrandsdalen

    After finishing in Vågåmo, we drove east to Otta and then explored the Gudbrandsdalen Valley, 

    Gudbrandsdalen Valley

    Previous Drive

    Numedal Valley

    Numedal is home to a large number of medieval buildings, including four stave churches. 

    Numedal Valley

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Fagernes, Stave Churches, Valdres

    Hegge Stave Church

    Hegge Stave Church

    If you are planning to do the Valdresflye National Scenic Road, I recommend taking a detour to Hegge Stave Church. Located south of Beitostølen, Hegge Stave Church is a grand wooden church that has more or less been here since the 13th century. Like every one of the 28 remaining stave churches in Norway, Hegge Stave Church has a fascinating history. So, let’s get into it!

    In this article...

    The Valdresflye Tourist Road (Fv51)

    This stave church is located on the Fv51, which is also known as the Valdresflye Tourist Road. You can view our guide for this drive by clicking the link below. 

    Valdresflye Tourist Road
    Fagernes Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    The Early Years

    Hegge Stave Church is first mentioned in history in 1327, yet some of the logs date to the early 13th century. Hegge Stave Church is a mix of two previous stave churches. The church got this location in the 17th century.

    Buried Beneath the Surface

    Inside the church, you’ll be able to see the eight free-standing staves that are original from the Middle Ages. At the top of the staves are different facemasks, which we see in several stave churches including Borgund. Also, like Borgund, St. Andrews crosses link the staves together. On one of the staves is the rune inscription “Erling Arnson wrote these runes”. It may be the same Erling whose name we find on a rune inscription in Høre Stave Church nearby.

    There used to be a covered gallery all around the outside of the church. Legend says this is where the Vikings would leave their weapons so they wouldn’t get wet. I don’t know how accurate this is, but it’s an interesting image nonetheless! You’ll see the covered gallery in some stave churches today, like Fantoft and Borgund.

    The staves rise above the ceiling; the flat ceiling is fairly new.

    Today the building is in the basilica style.

    Oh Stave Church, Where Art Thou?

     

    Hegge Stave Church has had many major renovations. Looking at pictures today, you can tell it doesn’t look like a stave church. Sadly, this is common of many stave churches in Norway. At the same time, this restoration work guaranteed their protection from being torn down to make way for new churches.

    As mentioned above, the church was moved to its present location with parts from two previous churches. These parts may have come from two disused churches in Valdres, explaining the different dating’s on the church.

    Restoration efforts took place in 1694, 1706 and 1712, for starters.

    Extensions to the west happened in 1842. In 1844, the church was enlarged so the choir was as wide as the nave. Moreover, in 1864, the sacristy was added, and a flat ceiling covered over the old one, which would’ve looked like an overturned fishing boat. Other stave churches, like Borgund, still have this design. The church was painted white in 1872; the red paint was added later. This means that, unlike most other stave churches, this one is not tarred. I don’t know. I like my stave churches tarred.

    The last major renovation was between 1923 and 1924. Stone foundations placed under the church provide it with more stability. Additionally, the gallery and tower got new stairs.

    Judging from all these renovations, it seems that all that remains of the stave church is its staves.

    Odin, is that you? (Source)

    Interior Decoration

    Inside the church, you’ll find some incredible carvings from the 13th century. They are at the top of the staves and seem to represent kings. There’s a theory that one of them represents Odin, from Norse mythology, but that is not confirmed. The only other original piece inside the church is the baptismal font, made of soapstone from the 1100s. It has lovely decorations around it including trees, human figures and stars.

    There is a vestment from 1686 and a painting of Isaac’s Sacrifice from 1643 that are from the post-Reformation times.

    The altarpiece is famous for its folkloric tale. Four men from the parish went to Gudbrandsdal, the neighbouring valley, to buy or sell some cattle. They got caught in a major storm on the way back. They promised God that if they survived they would each give the value of a cow to Hegge Stave Church. The men survived and paid for the altarpiece. They pulled it to the church the following year on a sleigh. The altarpiece is from 1782 and has two pairs of candlesticks from around 1600 plus three ancient bibles from 1699, 1738 and 1764.

    You can find heaps of photos here.

    Around the Church

    The church has a carved gate from the Middle Ages, but the cemetery around the church is not that old. Hegge Stave Church is located some ways up the hill and stands by the farm Presthegge. You’ll see cows and tractors across the street!

    Hegge Stave Church Today

    The church is still the parish church in the local community. It’s possible to visit the church throughout the year for free, just check the website for the current opening hours.

    There is a large parking lot outside the church, and by the fence are some information boards in English and Norwegian.

    Hegge Stave Church is located just off the Fv51, a little north of the town Heggenes and 15 minutes south of Beitostølen, a winter sports resort and endpoint of the Valdresflye Scenic Road. Close by is the E16 between Bergen and Oslo. If you’re on the E16, you’ll see signs to Beitostølen from Ryfoss. Just follow those until the Fv51, and then turn right towards Heggenes instead of left to Beitostølen.

    The Valdresflye Tourist Road (Fv51)

    This stave church is located on the Fv51, which is also known as the Valdresflye Tourist Road. You can view our guide for this drive by clicking the link below. 

    Valdresflye Tourist Road
    Fagernes Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Stave Churches, Valdres

    Runic Stories at Høre Stave Church

    Runic Stories at Høre Stave Church

    Valdres is a common location in the old Norse sagas. After all, it is the valley you pass through on the ancient royal road from Oslo to Bergen. Naturally, there’s a little history here. And you can read it right on the walls of Høre Stave Church!

    Many stave churches have runic inscriptions, it’s true. Some are graffiti; medieval pranksters engraving their name into history. Yet, some have a story behind them and create more history for these stave churches. Høre Stave Church is one of the stave churches with an insight into the fascinating past of Norway. Especially around and shortly after the time of the Civil War in the 12th and early 13th century.

    In September 2020 I got to visit Høre Stave Church. While I was unable to go inside (the church was in service!) I got to see a lot and learn about this unique stave church. Here’s my guide to Høre Stave Church.

    In this article...

    The E16 Highway

    Høre Stave Church is a stop on the E16 highway. You can find my guide to the E16 by clicking the link below. 

    The E16 Highway
    Ryfoss Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    Become Christian, or else!

    We know that the Christianisation of Valdres wasn’t easy. St. Olav, then King Olav, came from the west through the valley. He held farmers hostage and burnt down farms until they agreed to convert. According to the Sagas, Olav had churches built and clergymen appointed. None of these churches remains, but many of the stave churches are on the same spot, including Høre Stave Church.

    In medieval times, Valdres had many churches. There were at least 21 of them; 18 of which were stave churches. To compare, the neighbouring valley Hallingdal had 8 stave churches. Sadly very few remain today.

    Runes with a Story

    Inside the church is a runic inscription that dates Høre Stave Church back to around 1179. These aren’t graffiti runes, which are commonly found in churches, but rather have a story attached to them.

    The runes say:

    “That summer when the brothers Elling and Audun had trees felled for this church, Erling Jarl fell in Nidaros.”

    Erling Skakke is who they are referring to, and he is a famous name from the Norwegian Civil War. The inscription refers to the Battle of Kalvskinnet in 1179. According to the legend, King Sverre passed through Valdres in 1177. He was on the run from Magnus Erlingsson. At the time, there were two sides – the birkebeirne (a group of rebels from Western Norway) and the Baglers (Christians with ties to Danish royalty and located around Oslo). A man named Elling joined Sverre in his fight against Magnus and his father Earl Erling Skakke. When Erling fell in the battle, Elling and his brother decided to build a stave church. It’s assumed this was Høre Stave Church.

    The church and surrounding farms in the 1880s (Source)

    Ties to Norwegian Unity

    The farm next to Høre Stave Church is called Kvie, and this is an important farm in Valdres. The farm is in the old sagas. A woman called Gyda was from Kvie, and she was the daughter of the petty king Eirik of Hordaland. She is known for prompting Harald Hårfagre to unite Norway into one Kingdom. She made Harald promise not to cut or shave his hair until he had united the country. When he did finish uniting the country, he got a nice haircut and they got married.

    Early Use of Høre Stave Church

    Judging from both the rune inscriptions and dating the timber, Høre Stave Church is from around 1179. It was originally a pillar church, with four corner staves. Under the church are graves, some of them children. It wasn’t allowed but common to bury children under stave churches. As they had not been baptised yet, the parents worried the children would not be accepted into heaven. Some foetuses were also found under the church. There is evidence of ceremonial burials under the church, likely from pre-Christian times.

    Hundreds of coins were found during the renovation work. They date back to the time of King Magnus (1035-1047), King Valdemar (1154-1182), and King Sverre (1177-1202). It was common to bury coins under the church as a wish for good fortune, but also coins just fell out of people’s pockets!

    Rebuilding Høre Stave Church

    Looking at the photos, you can see Høre Stave Church doesn’t look much like a stave church today. Like almost every stave church remaining in Norway, it was rebuilt ‘recently’. After all, most of the stave churches were torn down in the 19th century to make way for more modern churches, so we should be grateful this church survived thanks to this massive restoration effort.

    The renovations include a new choir and nave, plus replacing most of the timber. The builders were inspired by nearby Hegge and Lomen Stave Churches, which are similar in appearance. In the late 19th century, the church received a new roof and tower.

    The original stave church somewhat exists today; all that remains is its skeleton. The skeleton is hidden by the cladding. The ship is still the original size, giving a sign of the original size of the church room.

    In 1979, renovations were complete. Today Høre Stave Church has a basilica shape, meaning the nave is higher than the aisle.

    Details inside the church (Source)

    Details Inside the Church

    The newer walls in the church are unpainted, the same as the ceiling and the benches. Beautiful original carvings are left exposed in the church.

    Rich decorations and carvings are on the chancel and pulpit. While they are from 1828, elements from the Middle Ages have been retained. The altarpiece is from 1800.

    There are two medieval portals still on displayed. However, it’s thought they were moved from their original spot in the church. Yet, they still have beautiful old elements. The carvings feature animal heads with vines growing out of their heads, and foliage and branches.

    Besides a thurible, there is no original medieval furniture in the church.

    Around the Church

    There is a rich wooden shed from the Middle Ages with dragon and lion carvings. On the portal is a wrought iron fitting with a brass base plate from the Middle Ages. The iron fitting is similar to ones found on stave churches in Valdres and Sogn.

    As is common with stave churches, there is a separate building for the bell tower. The bell had to be in a separate building as stave churches couldn’t support the weight.

    Høre Stave Church Today

    Høre Stave Church still serves the community as a regular parish church, and there are services here every Sunday. In the summer months, the church is open to the public.

    Up-to-date visitor info can be found here.

    Høre Stave Church is located on the hillside above Ryfoss, a small town on the European Highway 16 between Bergen and Oslo. It’s a short detour off the highway. There’s a large-ish parking lot opposite the church with information boards about Kongevegen (the old road between Bergen and Oslo) and the stave church. Info is in Norwegian and English.

    Høre Stave Church is very close to Lomen and Hegge stave churches, so consider adding them to your trip

    The E16 Highway

    Høre Stave Church is a stop on the E16 highway. You can find my guide to the E16 by clicking the link below. 

    The E16 Highway
    Ryfoss Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Stave Churches, Valdres

    Lomen Stave Church

    Lomen Stave Church

    If you are driving on the E16 between Bergen and Oslo, Lomen Stave Church is by the highway. Located in the historic Valdres Valley, this church has stood here since the 12th century. In the summer months, it is open to the public, where you can go inside and marvel up-close at the medieval detailing. It’s not as famous or as ‘stave-y’ as some other churches, I know, but it’s located in a gorgeous place and bears many similarities to churches like Borgund. Here’s some info about Lomen Stave Church.

    In this article...

    The E16 Highway

    Lomen Stave Church is a stop on the E16 highway. You can find my guide to the E16 by clicking the link below. 

    The E16 Highway
    Fagernes Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    The Building

    Lomen Stave Church

    Lomen Stave Church is from around the year 1192. It has many similarities to nearby Høre Stave Church. They were likely built around the same time. The church is a pillar stave church, meaning the main room has four supporting stave beams. The style and decoration of the church is part of the “Valdres-Sogn” stave churches. This groups many of the churches from Valdres Valley and around the Sognefjord that have the same features. Considering the old King’s Road used to run through the valley to Sogn, they likely shared design tips.

    Like all stave churches, Lomen Stave Chuch has fallen victim to modernisation and renovation. The choir is from a major renovation in the 1750s. During this time, the walls were also expanded to make the main room larger.

    During the last refurbishment, archaeological excavations uncovered 71 artefacts, including jewellery and coins. The oldest coin found here is from King Sverre’s time, 1177-1202.

    Details around the portal (source)

    Today the church, neighbouring bell tower and cemetery are under protection. Many original features of the church remain, despite major renovations. The most illustrative are the portals, which have decorations of dragons, vines, and animal heads. Some of the portals have moved around the church, but they do date back to medieval times. These kinds of decorations are common on Valdres-Sogn stave churches. The roof and wall timbers are also original.

    Interior

    Little remains of the original church on the inside. This is because the pieces are now either in a museum in Oslo or the Folkemuseum in Fagernes. There is a medieval chest leaning towards the wall in the choir. A rune inscription on the chest is still visible. There is also a Madonna head inside; it is a plaster copy of the original from the 1200s. The original is in the Valdres Folkemuseum.

    The interior is painted green from the major renovation in the 1800s. Today, the interior reflects the period between 1750-1850.

    Around the Church

    Lomen Stave Church is located on the western part of the valley. Close by is the old traffic road through the village. No one has been buried in the church for over 100 years; the graves here are very old.

    Visiting Lomen Stave Church

    Today the church is used for weddings and church services during the summer.

    It is open as a museum from late-June to mid-August on weekends. Admission costs 60 NOK for adults. Up-to-date info can be found here.

    There are no shops nearby. With parking, You park further down the hill and have to walk up-hill on a path to get to the church. The photos above were taken from near the parking lot, so you can see how far away the church is.

    The nearest place to stay is Fagernes.

    The E16 Highway

    Lomen Stave Church is a stop on the E16 highway. You can find my guide to the E16 by clicking the link below. 

    The E16 Highway
    Fagernes Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Fagernes, Valdres

    Fagernes: The Perfect Stop on Your Road-trip

    Fagernes: The Perfect Stop on Your Road-trip

    If you’re driving away from Oslo towards Bergen or the mountains, you may end up passing through Fagernes (Far-ger-nez). At first, it looks like a standard town with a shopping mall, a huge hotel, and tiny main street. However, Fagernes is worth stopping in. It’s the main town in the traditional district of Valdres and is proud of its rich cultural traditions. There’s an excellent museum, walking paths, and festivals here to take advantage of.

    In September 2020, when I was on my 10-day road-trip around Norway, we stopped in Fagernes for the night. We were between seeing the Numedal Valley and the Valdresflye Scenic Road. We absolutely loved Fagernes and had a lot of fun wandering through the town. Here’s a collection of things I learned about Fagernes during my visit, as well as what you should do in the town and where you can go from there.

    In this article...

    The E16 Highway

    Fagernes is a stop on the E16 highway. You can find my guide to the E16 by clicking the link below. 

    The E16 Highway
    Fagernes Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    The Pretty Headland

    Fagernes is not an ancient town, though it is likely farming has been taking place here for thousands of years. Most of the town was underwater until the 18th century. The farms were high on the hillside and the lake Fagernes sits on was much deeper than it is today. When the lake began to retreat, a town emerged. The name means ‘pretty headland’ (Fager = pretty and nes = headland) and it certainly is.

    If you drive on Kongevegen (E16) you’ll see signs just like this at roadside stops

    A Perfect Spot on the King's Road

    The Valdres Valley is part of the King’s Road (Kongevegen), the old road between Bergen and Oslo. The road was built through the valley in the late 1700s and was the most important road in the country. It was also the first road where people could drive a horse and cart between the east and the west. It replaced the old track from the Middle Ages and postal road from the 17th century.

    Because of this position, Fagernes emerged as a trading town around 1857. Otto Stuve (1822-1871) is considered to be the founder of Fagernes, and one of the first names for the town was Stuvenes. He came to the area in 1857 when there was not much here and bought a plot of land. With this land, he built a lavish country store and hotel building. Eventually, others came to the area to establish a small trading business. The downtown area still has many of the old businesses. There are English-language signs on each building explaining its history. Sure, the English version is just a short overview of what the Norwegian part of the text says, but it’s still something.

    Examples of the signs you’ll see on buildings (My Photo)

     

    Tourism is an important industry

    Again, thanks to the King’s Road, Fagernes grew almost immediately as a tourist town. We also have Otto Stuve to thank for this; he did build the first hotel, after all. After his sudden death, his brothers inherited the property and quickly sold it off. The hotel then changed hands many times.

    It was the Fosheim family who gave the hotel some much-needed love. Ole Fosheim bought the property around 1882 and sold it to his son, Lage, who was 23 years old. With his wife Guri, they operated the hotel for 56 years until retiring in 1938. During that time the hotel was expanded and gained notoriety for its facilities and its great location.

    Sadly, the hotel burned down in 1946 and everything in the oldest part was destroyed. Fagernes Hotel did not operate for another 20 years. In 2000, it became the Quality Hotel & Resort Fagernes, and now it is known as Scandic Valdres. It is where we stayed on our trip and I highly recommend it. More on that further down.

    Outside the Valdres Folkemuseum (My Photo)

    Valdres Folk Museum

    The must-see of Fagernes is its open-air museum. I know, travelling around Norway shows that almost every town has an open-air museum. Trust me, the Valdres Folkemuseum is one of the best. Founded in 1901, the museum contains 95 houses and constructions with around 20,000 items. It is currently the fourth-largest Norwegian outdoor museum.

    If you visit in summer, you’ll be treated with folk music festivals, theatre performances and more.

    Some of the buildings inside the museum are very old. For example, Hovistabburet is from the 13th century and has an unusual room called the virgin room. Handeloftet is the main farmhouse from the period 1530-1640. The buildings are beautiful and from the Valdres valley, so they are worth checking out.

    A Town Rich in Traditions, and Rakfisk

    As you can see from the Folkmuseum, Fagernes is proud of its cultural traditions. They have a unique bunad design, dialect, and are well-known for their folk music. Every year the Jørn Hilme Festival takes place. It’s Norway’s oldest folk music festival and is named after the most famous fiddler from Valdres.

    Another important tradition here is the production of rakfisk, a fermented and salted fish. The fish used is typically trout or char, which you can fish in the lakes. It is fermented over two or three months, or even up to a year. It’s eaten without cooking and has a salty flavour and strong smell. You’ll see signs on the road with farmers selling rakfisk, or you can attend the Rakfisk Festival in Fagernes. Each year, they crown a rakfisk champion. The festival usually takes place in November. Click here to view their website.

    Fagernes is proud that there are many summer farms in the surrounding area, and you can visit many of them yourself. There, the farmers give an overview of the old Norwegian farming traditions. This is a great opportunity to see the real Norway. Click here for more info.

    Fagernes (My Photo)

    Close to Norway's Natural Beauty

    The biggest reason people come to Fagernes is because of its proximity to some of Norway’s most beautiful places. Fagernes has good connections to the Valdresflye Scenic Road, the Jotunheimen National Park, the West Norwegian fjords and the Gudbrandsdalen Valley. The nearby resort Beitostølen is famous in Norway for its great skiing facilities, and is very popular in the winter. In the summer, people come here to hike the king’s road.

    Vesleøya

    There are places to walk in Fagernes itself. The town sits on the lake Strandefjorden. There’s a walking path that goes along it from Scandic Valdres to the Folkemuseum and beyond.

    In Eastern Norway, you’ll see a lot of lakes called ‘fjords’. In Norwegian, fjord can mean many different types of bodies of waters, and they don’t necessarily have to be connected to the sea.

    From this walking path, you can take a bridge over to an island called Vesleøya, which is absolutely beautiful.

    The most popular hike in Fagernes is to Kvitberg, a historic farmstead high on the hill that was inhabited until 1936. The remains are still there today. It’s a hard but short hike, and the signs start from the tourist information office. Click here for more info.

    Where to stay

    As mentioned above, Scandic Valdres is by far the largest hotel in the area. While it is a little dated, we found the hotel to be clean, cosy, and the staff to be incredibly friendly and helpful. There’s a lovely restaurant inside (where you can try rakfisk) as well as a bar. Almost every room has a lovely view. There’s a huge parking area outside, and you’re a stone’s throw from walking paths and the Folkemuseum. Also, in 2019 the hotel won the prize for having the best breakfast in Norway. I can attest to this; the breakfast is great.

    There is a camping ground located in Fagernes right next to the Folkemuseum. If you don’t have a caravan, they have very cute cabins with private bathrooms from 795 NOK for a night.

    Many people from Oslo own cabins in Valdres. If you want to experience Norwegian cabin life I recommend getting on AirBnB and finding a Norwegian cabin.

    Where to go from here

    As mentioned above, Fagernes is in a good spot with road connections to many wonderful places. Fagernes is on the E16 (European Highway 16) which follows the King’s Road from Oslo to Bergen. If you keep following the E16 you’ll reach Vang before crossing the mountains to Borgund, where you can see the famous stave church. From there, it’s easy to get to Flåm and Bergen.

    If you follow the E16 towards Oslo and then turn-off and follow the Fv33, you reach Lake Mjøsa, the largest in Norway and home to popular towns like Hamar and Lillehammer. From there, it’s a short drive to the Gudbrandsdalen valley.

    If you follow the Fv51 south, you reach Gol and eventually Geilo, Norway’s oldest ski town. There you can cross the Hardangervidda Plateau to Eidfjord and the Hardangerfjord, the second-longest fjord in Norway.

    Lastly, and what we did, is follow the Fv51 north. You’ll reach Beitostølen, the popular ski resort, and then be at the Valdresflye Scenic Road, one of Norway’s national tourist roads. On the other end of this road is the E15, which links you to Geiranger and the famous Geirangerfjord. Or you can continue on the E6 to the E136 and onto Åndalsnes (a very famous road with Trollstigen) or towards Trondheim.

    After we did Valdresflye, we crossed over to Gudbrandsdalen before making our way to Røros. Just note that the Fv51 closes in winter.

    As you can see, there are so many options from Fagernes. It’s a great stopover town when leaving Oslo and heading into the countryside. Spend the afternoon and night in Fagernes, and on the next day continue onto somewhere wonderful in Norway 🙂

    You can see my videos of the drive from Fagernes to Vang (the King’s Road) and then from Beitostølen to Gudbrandsdalen on my YouTube channel. Hopefully, I’ll be able to record more videos of the area, just got to convince the husband we need to do another road-trip!

    The E16 Highway

    Fagernes is a stop on the E16 highway. You can find my guide to the E16 by clicking the link below. 

    The E16 Highway
    Fagernes Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide