norway

  • Hammerfest, National Highways, Road-trips

    Drive it Yourself: Skaidi to Hammerfest on the Rv94

    Drive it Yourself: The Rv94 from Skaidi to Hammerfest

    This short drive from Skaidi to Hammerfest will take you through an isolated region in Finnmark. Just as you feel you have driven to the end of the world, you turn a bend and there is the modern, thriving city of Hammerfest.

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    Download this guide to have it as a PDF ready to go for your road-trip!

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    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.
    • Interactive Google Map for easier navigation

    The drive: the Rv94 from Skaidi to Hammerfest

    Skaidi

    Town

    Skaidi is a small village and major traffic hub in Northern Norway. In the 1940s, the Skaidi Mountain Lodge and Station was built. Today it’s an important point to stop if you need a rest on the long road journeys.

    Here you’ll find a petrol station, various electric car charging stations, a cafe and a hotel.

    Repparfjorden

    Fjord

    Repparfjorden is a fjord located southeast of the island Kvaløya, where Hammerfest is. The fjord is quite shallow with an average depth of 40-60 metres and a maximum depth of 123 metres. There are strong currents at the bottom of the fjord.

    Kvalsund

    Town

    Kvalsund is a small village and former municipality in Finnmark. It was its own municipality until 2020, when it was merged with Hammerfest. The name directly translates to the whale strait, refering to the whaling that used to take place in the area. The name of the island Kvaløya means ‘whale island’.

    The village used to be known as “Finnbyen”, referring to the Coastal Sami settlement in the area. Until a few hundred years ago, the Coast Sami culture was completely dominant in Kvalsund. Norwegian and Kven immigration soon made the area multicultural, and during the ‘Norwegianisation’ process of the late 19th/early 20th century, most of the culture was lost. One of the only villages to still have the Coastal Sami culture is Kokelv.

    Kvalsund is one of the areas in Finnmark county with the most cabins that are especially used by people from Hammerfest. There is good salmon fishing in the fjord and there are nice hiking trails in the area.

    Kvalsund Bridge

    Bridge

    The Kvalsund Bridge is a suspension bridge over the Kvalsundet strait, linking the mainland to the island of Kvaløya. The bridge is 741 metres (2,431 ft) long and has 11 spans. It is the northernmost suspension bridge in the world.

    Akkarfjord

    Village

    Akkarfjord is a small fishing village with a population of around 80. There is a ferry service to Hammerfest as well as school. The main industry in the village is fish farming. Sheep farming and fishing tourism are smaller industries.

    Hammerfest

    Hammerfest is the northernmost city in the world with a population over 10,000 people. The town has an ice-free harbour and is regarded as one of the oldest cities in Northern Norway (along with Vardø). People have been living and trading here for hundreds of years. Hammerfest rose to prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries due to its proximity to the Arctic hunting areas.

    In town you’ll find the Reconstruction Museum, which documents what happened to Hammerfest during World War II, as well as the subsequent reconstruction of the region. The address for the museum is Kirkegata 19, 9600 Hammerfest.

    There’s also the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, which is neither royal nor ancient (nor are there polar bears in Hammerfest) but it’s a fun little club to commemorate the history of Arctic hunting and trade. Become a member!

    Hammerfest Travel Guide

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

  • Gol, National Highways, Road-trips

    Drive it Yourself: The Hemsedalsfjellet Mountains (Rv52)

    Drive it Yourself: The Rv52 on Hemsedalsfjellet

    The Rv52 goes between Borlaug (the E16) and Gol. It is a relatively short national highway at only 79km long. Historically this was the shortest connection between East and West Norway over the Hemsedalsfjellet mountains. There has been a road here for hundreds of years, but a modern car road was completed shortly after Gol became a traffic hub in 1909 thanks to the construction of the Bergen Railway. The road opened in the 1940s and was kept open with snow ploughs. From the 1950s, the road was open all through the winter.

    In this article...

    Download this guide to have it as a PDF ready to go for your road-trip!

    All downloadable guides come with an interactive Google Map for easier navigation. 

    View on 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.
    • Interactive Google Map for easier navigation

    The drive: the Rv52 on the Hemsedalsfjellet Mountains

    Gol

    Gol is the administrative centre of the municipality. It is also an important transport hub. In Gol you’ll find the Hallingdal Museum, which is part of the Hallingdal Folk High School. As you drive through Gol, you’ll see the replica of the stave church on your right side (if coming from Hønefoss). It’s part of a kids park called Gordarike.

    Hemsedal Municipality

    Hemsedal municipality is a mountainous municipality with a rich cultural heritage. Charcoal dating back to 200AD has been found here, and there was probably a large tribe of reindeer here in old times. This indicates that hunter-gatherers were the first peoples to come to the area. It is possible to spot wild reindeer in the mountains. A stave church has been in Hemsedal since the 13th century, though it was demolished in 1882 to be replaced with the current church. One photograph exists of the old stave church.

    The tallest peak in Hemsedal is Høgeloft (1921m above sea level), and Hemsedal is home to the highest inhabited hamlet in Europe called Lykkja, which is 930m above sea level.

    Hemsedal has a reputation around Norway for being a ski centre. The first hotel was built here in 1900 after there had been a lot of optimism following the upgrade of the historic postal road just a couple decades earlier. Many people started to construct cabins in the area, and in the 1950s the idea of being a ski lift came. Today Hemsedal is one of the most popular ski resorts in the country and has been nicknamed ‘Scandinavia’s Alps’ because of the good ski conditions.

    Hemsedal

    Town

    Hemsedal town, also known as Trøym, is a small town with a population of 944. Hemsedal Church is a small church from 1882. It has space for 420 people.

    Hemsedal Ski Centre

    Ski Centre

    Hemsedal Ski Centre is one of the largest in Norway, with 20 ski lifts and 53 runs of varying difficulty. The ski centre also has facilities for snowboarding and various accommodation types. The Hemsedal Ski Centre has been used for several World Cup races.

    As you drive through Hemsedal, you will see the Ski Centre on the southbound side of the road (it’s easier to see it if you are travelling north)

    Rjukeandfossen

    Waterfall

    Rjukande Waterfall is located north of Hemsedal on the southbound side of the road. There is a parking place and you can walk to the waterfall – the walk takes only 10-15 minutes. Rjukeandfossen is a double waterfall with a height of approximately 18 metres. A suspension bridge is located about 50-100 metres after the waterfall and can be used to cross the river.

    Lærdal Municipality

    Lærdal is a municipality in western Norway. It has a relatively dry climate, with around 600mm of rain a year. Agriculture is one of the biggest industries here. The lower part of the valley has one of the country’s best climactic conditions for growing vegetables.
    The river running through Lærdal is called the Lærdal River and is known as the ‘Queen of the Salmon rivers’ because it is one of Norway’s most famous salmon rivers. In the valley, you can hunt deer, reindeer, and elk.

    Breistølen Fjellstue

    Hotel

    Breistølen Fjellstue opened in 1843 and was formally established as a public transport station in 1891. It is located on the Norwegian Trekking Associations classic trip from Jotunheimen through Skarvheimen to Finse.

    You can view their website here. 

    Borlaug

    Town

    The Rv52 ends at Borlaug. There is a small collection of wooden houses by the road that makes up an open-air museum. From here, you can take the E16 towards Bergen (via Borgund and Flåm) or towards Oslo (via Fagernes).

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

  • Kristiansand, National Highways, Road-trips

    Drive it Yourself: Telemarkveien (Rv41) from Kristiansand to Brunkeberg

    Drive it Yourself: Telemarksveien (Rv41)

    The Rv41, also known as Telemarksveien (or Telemarksvegen) is a truly remote road. This journey from Kristiansand to Brunkeberg takes you through one of the least populated places south of the Arctic Circle. Along the way, you’ll pass historic farming towns and the famous lake Nisser.

    In this article...

    Download this guide to have it as a PDF ready to go for your road-trip!

    All downloadable guides come with an interactive Google Map for easier navigation. 

    View on 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.
    • Interactive Google Map for easier navigation

    The drive: the Rv41 from Kristiansand to Brunkeberg

    Kristiansand

    Kristiansand was established in 1641 and is named after the Danish-Norwegian King Christian IV (who also renamed Oslo after himself to Kristiania). The city is strategically located on the Skaggerak coast and used to be an important military base as all traffic had to pass here in and out of the Baltic Sea. Kristiansand was also an important shipbuilding harbour, and experienced its golden age after the American Revolutionary War and up to the Napoleonic wars.

    Kristiansand Travel Guide

    Tveit

    Town
    Tveit is the first town you pass through after leaving Kristiansand. The town has a population of 1,600 people. It has an Air Force School because of its proximity to the Kristiansand airport. The name comes from the Old Norse word ‘Tveit’, which refers to a separated land or a cleared area of land. Tveit Church (Tveit Kirke) is a stone church from the 12th century. It is clearly marked from the highway.

    Birkenes Municipality

    Agriculture and forestry are important industries in Birkenes. The largest company here is the 3B fiberglass company. The Norwegian Institute for Air Research is located here, and it is one of the most important stations in Europe for measuring trans-boundary air pollutants and climate drivers in Europe. 

    Birkenes Church

    Church
    Birkenes Church is from 1858 and replaced an earlier church on the site. The church is fairly unique for Norway as it is constructed in a Byzantine/Romantic style. The church is located by the highway.

    Mollestadeika

    Famous Tree
    The Mollestad Oak is an oak tree close to the village of Mollestad. It is one of the largest trees in Norway, with a circumference of 9.2 metres (30 feet) and a height of around 12 metres (43ft). Estimates of the age are between 450 and 550 years, but there are also outliers to around 1000 years. The nickname Vetteika comes from the vaettir. She believed that when the farm builder died, he returned as a guardian spirit. The trees that grew around his burial mound were protected and the surrounding land sacred. It was believed that when these trees were damaged this would bring bad luck. To ensure everything went well, sacrifices were made to the tree, including the first brewed beer of the year. The tree is marked with a white sign from the highway.

    Birkeland

    Town
    Birkeland has a population of around 3000 people. A short drive out of town is the Birkenes Bygdemuseum, an open-air museum that is home to the Myhre Peat Litter Factory (Myhre torvstrøfabrik), a museum about a factory that produced peat that was sold to the cleaning works in the cities. Peat litter is used as a component in power, commercial fertilised produced from doe waste.

    Froland Municipality

    Froland Municipality is a largely forested municipality. The coat-of-arms shows a squirrel, which is supposed to represent the forests. An ironworks was founded here in the 18th century and was the main industry until forestry and saw-milling took over in the 19th century. In 2008 there was a forest fire in Froland that is regarded as one of the worst forest fires in history. Over 10,000 acres of forest burned and were fought by around 300 men from the fire brigade, the Home Guard, the civil defence and the red cross. The smell of the smoke could be felt all the way to Thisted in Denmark. Several cabins burned, but no homes were damaged in the fire.

    Åmli Municipality

    Åmli municipality is a forested municipality. The municipality is linked to the beaver, which is clear from the coat-of-arms. It shows a standing white beaver on a blue background. When the beaver was about to become extinct in Eurasia who guys from Åmli were central to saving the remaining Norwegian population. Around 1900, the global population of Eurasian beaver numbered around 1200. The population in Norway was between 60-100. These two men started introducing more beavers and the population grew. In 1918, the population was 7000. Today it is more than 70,000 in Norway and more than 130,000 (originating from southern Norway) in Sweden. Some were also taken to other European countries. The global population has now passed one million. Åmli is home to Scandinavia’s most modern sawmill. The sawmill began operation in 1971 and has been expanded several times.

    Dølemo

    Town
    Dølemo is a historic meeting place. In old times, people would meet here for markets and horse races. The town emerged as a densely populated place around 1880. A surplus of people living in the surrounding farm hamlets, together with the need for other services that could provide livelihoods for people, meant that Dølemo eventually became a centre. Agriculture is the main industry here, and beekeeping has traditionally been an important livelihood with many large producers. Vehus Bigård is still one of the largest honey producers in Southern Norway. Dølemo is known for its annual market, which started in 1980. The market gathers 15,000 visitors a year to a traditional market.

    Åmli

    Town

    Åmli town is the administrative centre of the municipality. Åmfoss Bridge is from 1918 and is one of Northern Europe’s longest stone bridges. Åmli Church is a long church from 1909. It replaced the previous church that burned down on Palm Sunday in 1907.

    Elvarheim Hunting Museum is a museum all about (you guessed it) hunting traditions in Norway.
    You can find more information on their website:
    https://www.kubenarendal.no/lokale-museer/elvarheim-museum

    Nissedal Municipality

    The municipality surrounds the lake Nisser. There are over 1,750 large and small bodies of water and lakes, so the main industry here is hydropower. The name comes from the folkloric creature Nisse. In the 19th century, M.B Landstad suggested that the nisse came from this municipality because there the gnome tradition must have been so alive that Landstad thought the place was named after them. The municipality is actually named after the Lake Nisser, which comes from the Old Norse word referring to a rushing sea. In any case, now the municipality is associated with the nisse and this is reflected in the coat-of-arms. Beaver, roe deer, badger, elk, red fox, porcupine, marten, lemur, hare and viper are found here. Wolf and lynx are very rare. The main industry is agriculture, forestry, the wood industry, and power production.

    Treungen

    Town
    Treungen is a town with a population of 550. It is located at the southern end of the lake Nisser. The town has been closely associated with the city of Arendal throughout history because the lake was part of the Arendal water system. Treungen was an important hub where timber was towed here on the lake before it was sent on its journey towards Arendal. Tveitsund Bride is a historic bridge from 1919 and is the country’s second-longest stone vault bridge with a span of 51 metres. The bridge is known for its high-class engineering. Before there was a bridge, there was a ferry going across. Many people from the village participated in the construction work.

    Nisser Lake

    Lake

    The Nisser is a lake in the Telemark region. It is the second largest lake in telemark with a length of 35km. The tourist industry began around the lake in the 1960s and is a popular place to go swimming in the summer. Whoever buys a fishing license can fish for trout, char, whitefish, and perch.

    Nissedal Church

    Church

    Nissedal Church (Kirke) is a church from 1764. The church is located by the highway on the northbound side.

    Kviteseid Municipality

    Kviteseid is a municipality in the upper part of Telemark. The municipality has existed since the Middle Ages and was an important administrative centre in Telemark. Kviteseid was originally an agricultural community without any real urban development. The most important industries here are still agriculture and forestry, though tourism is on the rise.

    Kviteseid is known for its distinctive cultural traditions, including folk music, arts and crafts, food and architecture. The dialect in Kviteseid is one of the Norwegian dialects that has preserved the most features from Norse and is close to the most conservative form of nynorsk.

    Kviteseid Bygtun

    Museum

    Kviteseid Bygdetun is an open-air museum that is located by the Kviteseid old church and Kviteseid farm. It is in one of Norway’s oldest rural areas. The site has 12 buildings that have been moved from various farms in the district throughout the 20th century. The oldest building is from the 16th century.

    Kviteseid Church

    Church

    The church is from the 13th century. For long periods, especially in the 17th century, the church was the religious and official centre, and the area has been important since ancient times. The church is built in the Romanesque style.

    The church is located next to the historic Kviteseid farm. The farm has been inhabited for over 1000 years and is in the historic centre of the town. For many hundreds of years the farm was the official farm for the parish priest in Kviteseid. The main building burned down in 1764 and the farm was rebuilt in 1769. Today the yard consists of seven buildings forming a square.

    After the old church you will cross two bridges. The second bridge crosses the famous Telemark Canal.

    Kviteseid

    Town

    Kviteseid is a small town with a population of around 800. It is not where the original town was; the original town was closer to the old church. However, the modern town centre was built here. The opening of the Telemark Canal brought a lot of traffic to the region, and this led from Kviteseid being a small settlement to being a modern village.

    Kviteseid has a long tradition in butter production. The first dairy came in the 1890s, and ever since then the town has been known for its butter production.

    Brunkeberg

    Town

    Brunkeberg is a small settlement. Norway’s first teacher’s school was located here. Today the school building has been moved and is being used as a private cottage. Brunkeberg Church is from 1790.

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

  • Kristiansand, National Highways, Road-trips

    Drive it Yourself: Setesdalveien (the Rv9) from Kristiansand to Haukeli

    Drive it Yourself: Setesdalsveien (Rv9)

    The Rv9 highway from Kristiansand to Haukeli covers southern Norway truly off-the-beaten path. The highway is often nicknamed Setesdalsveien as you’ll travel through the Setesdalen valley. The road itself has been constructed in various stages due to the remoteness and therefore difficulty of the region. The most difficult stretches of road are now tunnels. The Setesdal valley is known for its rich culture and traditions, and the first mention of people in this valley is from the 12th century.

    In this article...

    Download this guide to have it as a PDF ready to go for your road-trip!

    All downloadable guides come with an interactive Google Map for easier navigation. 

    View on 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.
    • Interactive Google Map for easier navigation

    The drive: the Rv9 from Kristiansand to Haukeli

    Kristiansand

    Kristiansand was established in 1641 and is named after the Danish-Norwegian King Christian IV (who also renamed Oslo after himself to Kristiania). The city is strategically located on the Skaggerak coast and used to be an important military base as all traffic had to pass here in and out of the Baltic Sea. Kristiansand was also an important shipbuilding harbour, and experienced its golden age after the American Revolutionary War and up to the Napoleonic wars.

    Kristiansand Travel Guide

    Mosby

    Town

    Mosby is the northernmost part of the Kristiansand municipality and has a population of 2000.

    Vennesla Municipality

    The first people came to this municipality in the Stone Age. Until industrialisation at the end of the 19th century, people here lived on agriculture, forestry and salmon fishing. The river was used as part of the timber export, and many sawmills were located along the river.

    Salmon has been important to Vennesla and early on attracted foreigners to the village to fish. The most famous foreign salmon fishermen from earlier times are the English noble family Hawkshaw. Salmon disappeared in the early 1960s as a result of the river being polluted by emissions from the timber factory Hunsfoss. The river was cleaned in the 1990s and it is now possible to fish for salmon but only with a license. Hunsfoss was the largest workplace until it went bankrupt in 2011 after 125 years of operation. The main industries today are forestry.

    Vigeland Hovedgård

    Historic Site

    Vigeland Hovedgård is a manor house located in the town of Vikeland. The property is from 1847, though it is sitting on the foundations of the old main building that was demolished. The property was built by a Swiss man called Caspar Wild, who owned a sawmill and Kristiansand and wanted a house for the summer. In 1894 the farm was sold to the Englishman John Clarke Hawkshaw.

    Today the building is a restaurant or you can go on a salmon safari here.

    Øvrebo

    Settlement

    Øvrebo is a small settlement. In the period between World War I and World War II, a ski was found in a bog. The ski is the oldest ski in Norway and is on display at the Ski Museum at Holmenkollen in Oslo. It is believed to be from the Bronze Age.

    Hægeland

    Town

    Hægeland is a small town with a population of 364. In older, times, the population would be over 700. Hægeland is known for having a strong Christian congregational life, and the famous healing preacher Svein-Magne Pedersen had his offices here.

    Hægeland Church is from 1830. The oldest mention of a church in history is from 1565. In the 17th century, the church owned several cows that were rented out to farmers. The church was in bad condition by the end of the 17th century and was sold by the King into private hands. The old church was demolished in 1829 and replaced with the present church.

    Evje and Hornnes Municipality

    Evje and Hornnes is a municipality that was created when two separate municipalities were merged in 1960. The municipality is rich in old cultural landscapes and has several distinctive cultural monuments after mining. For example, the Flåt nickel mine, formerly Northern Europe’s largest nickel mine, is located here.

    This is one of the largest ‘moose municipalities’ in Southern Norway. Some landowners run hunting rentals for both deer and small game.

    Evje

    Town

    Evje is the administrative centre of the municipality and has a population of 2,500 people. The town grew in association with mining that took place in the area, especially the nickel refinery that is now a museum. Called the Flåt nickel mine, the mine opened in 1872 and closed in 1946. For a time, it was the largest nickel mine in Europe and was even the world’s largest for a short period in the 1880s. There are several paths that you can follow at the site. This is a short detour out of Evje.

    Another interesting attraction in Evje is the Galteland stone, a rune stone from the beginning of the 11th century. The original is kept at the Cultural History Museum in Oslo, while in Evje there is a replica.

    Otra River

    River

    The Otra is the largest river in Southern Norway. It is 246km long and starts at the high end of the Setesdal valley and empties out into the harbour near Kristiansand. There are salmon in the river and some salmon fishing is permitted with a licence.

    Bygland Municipality

    Bygland is a municipality in the valley and traditional region of Setesdal. About 80% of the municipality consists of mountains, bogs, water, pastures, and forest. The river Otra runs through the valley and the municipality. The coat-of-arms represents the lynx, which can be found in the municipality. The lynx are sometimes hunted if they are causing losses to the sheep herd.

    Byglandsfjord

    Town

    Byglandsfjord is the municipal centre and has a population of 330. The town is a communications hub that developed at the beginning of the 20th century. Here there was a change from transport on land to see. Byglandsfjord station was the end point for the Setesdalsbanen that ran down to Kristiansand. From here, transport was done on boat. The veteran boat DS Bjoren does summer routes from Byglandsfjord via Bygland to Ose. In Byglandsfjord is a Tine factory that produces butter.

    Byglandsfjord station is a historic building in town. The station is built in ‘dragestil’ or the dragon style.

    Grendi

    Town

    Grendi is a small village with an interesting building. The Landeskogen Tuberculosis Sanatorium is in Grendi. It was the first of a series of government health measures against tuberculosis at the beginning of the 20th century. The buildings are from 1912 and the sanatorium opened in 1916. It could fit 134 patients. In 1962, the building was turned into a home for the developmentally disabled, and in 2005 the Pentecostal congregation Filadelfia in Kristiansand opened a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts. In 2010, Aktive Fredsreiser established the non-profit Landeskogen peace centre, which it still is today.

    Årdal Church is an octagonal church from 1828. In the cemetery is a monument for Even Thorkildsen Lande, a politician who was active during the writing of the Norwegian constitution. The current church likely replaces a stave church from before the year 1300.

    Hanehaug

    Historic Site

    North of Bygland is Hanehaug, a burial mound and archaeological site. Here graves have been found from the Stone Age, Iron Age, Bronze Age, Migration Period and Viking Age at Nese in Bygland. The diameter of the bound is 16 metres.

    King Hane is said to have lived here in the 11th century and ruled over the whole of Bygland. Legend says that St. Olav came on a Christian journey to Setesdal. King Hane gathered an army from all the surrounding villages to fight against the King. The battle is said to have taken place in an area north of Bygland. King Hane fell and was buried in Hanehaug. His holy white troll cow, Audhumbla, was buried in a mound next to him.

    The site is marked with a white sign that says “Gravfelt”

    Valle Municipality

    Valle is a largely forested municipality with most of the settlement living along the river Otra. In older times, when the road to the mountains was more important, the communications conditions were such that Valle and the rest of Setesdal was very isolated from the west of the country. At Lysebotn in the western part of the municipality there was a meeting point between the people from Western Norway and the people from Setesdalen. Because of its isolation, Valle has unique cultural traditions. The instrument “Munnharpe” is important here, along with the fiddle. Valle also has a unique folk costume.

    Valle has a special secondary school for students who want to learn to be a goldsmith. Hydropower is an important income for the municipality.

    Rysstad

    Settlement

    Rysstad is a hamlet that is regarded as the cultural centre of Valle. Rysstad is the historic centre of the municipality. In Rysstad you’ll find Hylestad Church (Hylestad Kyrkja) – it’s by the highway. It is an octagonal church from 1839 and seats 200. In the church are copies of the Hylestad Portal, with motifs from the legend of Sigurd Fåvnesbane. The portal came from the stave church that used to stand on the site. Hylestad Stave Church was demolished in the 17th century.

    Sylvartun

    Historic Site

    Sylvartun is a historic building that is on the northbound side of the highway. The folk music environment in Setesdal is in many ways unique with strumming on the Hardanger fiddle and harmonica, kveding and dance handed down in an unbroken tradition. The oldest practitioners today learned everything the old-fashioned way – directly from fellow villagers who were born at the end of the 19th century.

    In addition, music and dance have for a long time been mediated through performers at a very high artistic level. Folk music is one of the trademarks of Setesdal that people expect when they come to the valley.

    From its establishment in 1961 until the end of the 2000s, through four decades, Sylvartun was the central sylvsmed and folk music arena in Setesdal. Setesdalsmuseet has seen it as a task to make arrangements so that Sylvartun can welcome visitors again. There are new exhibitions with a focus on musical instruments and visualization of music and dance traditions in Setesdal but with great transfer value to the surrounding area. We call it a center for intangible cultural heritage.

    In addition to being an exhibition arena, Sylvartun is also an activity center and an offer for children and young people in the whole valley with a view to promoting intangible cultural heritage as a practice arena for the playground, cultural school, etc.

    The museum is open in the summer months. https://www.setesdalsmuseet.no/faste-utstillingar/sylvartun/

    Valle

    Town

    Valle is the administrative centre of the municipality and has a population of around 300. The town used to be a popular destination for artists and there were three hotels in the town. Valle is also where the secondary school for goldsmiths is.

    Hovden

    Town

    Hovden is a population of 410 and is a large centre for tourism. Hovden is particularly known for its ski facilities. Before the ski facilities were constructed in the 1980s, the region was mapped and excavated to look for remains from the iron mining in the Viking age. Hovden holds the cold record for the county, with the temperature reaching – 38C in 1982.

    The Hovden Iron Museum is a museum about the history of iron ore in the region. The area was mined during the Viking and Middle Ages.

    Vinje Municipality

    Vinje municipality is a remote municipality with about 1.2 inhabitants per square kilometre. The municipality is located at the northern end of Telemark and extends into the Hardangervidda National Park.

    Haukeli

    Town

    Haukeli is a small settlement. Here you’ll find a café and place to eat called “Haukelo Turisthem”. Haukeli is the last settlement in Telemark you’ll visit before crossing over into the county of Vestland, which is part of western Norway.

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

    Download this guide to have it as a PDF ready to go for your road-trip!

    All downloadable guides come with an interactive Google Map for easier navigation. 

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  • Hamar, Kongsvinger, National Highways, Road-trips, Røros

    Drive it Yourself: Norway’s East Side (Rv2 & Rv3)

    Drive it Yourself: Norway's East Side (Rv2 & Rv3)

    The eastern side of Norway alongside the Swedish border is known for its large forests, remote settlements, and moose population. Not many tourists make it this far east, but for those that do, they are rewarded with charming historic and industrial settlements as well as beautiful stretches of highway through dense pine and oak forests.

    In this article...

    Download this guide to have it as a PDF ready to go for your road-trip!

    All downloadable guides come with an interactive Google Map for easier navigation. 

    View on 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.
    • Interactive Google Map for easier navigation

    The drive: the Rv2 & Rv3

    Lina

    Town

    This drive begins on the Norwegian/Swedish border in a small village called Lina.

    Skotterud

    Town

    Skotterud is a small town with a population of around 1,300. The town is known for the forestry industry and has some sawmills and other timber businesses. Skotterud is located on the southernmost point of the Finnskogen forest. The town is also a stop on the Kongsvinger railway line, which runs from Lillestrøm just outside of Oslo to Charlottenberg on the Swedish border, where it’s possible to change trains and head to Stockholm.

    Matrand

    Town

    The Rv2 passes alongside Matrand, but not through the town. If you want to drive into the town, there is a nice historic church just off the highway called Eidskog Church. Eidskog Church is a small church from 1665 and has a baptismal font from the Middle Ages. It’s believed there was an earlier church on the site that was likely a stave church.

    Kongsvinger

    Kongsvinger is both a municipality and town that you will soon pass through. The town is on the Glomma, which is Norway’s longest river (the guide will cover the river soon). Kongsvinger is an interesting historic town worth spending some time in.

    It’s believed that the town has been an important place since the Viking Age, and several finds from the Stone Age have been found in the area. In the 17th century, the Kongsvinger fortress was constructed by King Christian V of Denmark-Norway to protect the city from attacks from Sweden. The city was redesigned into a grid layout by Johan Caspar de Cicignon, who also designed the street layout for Trondheim.

    When Norway entered into a union with Sweden in 1814, Kongsvinger became an important rest stop for travellers between the two countries. The fortress was more or less shut down in 1823. Railway development reached Kongsvinger in 1862 with the construction of the Kongsvinger Line between Lillestrøm and the Swedish border.

    Today the town is characterised by being heavily forested, so agriculture and forestry-related businesses are the main industries.

    Kongsvinger Travel Guide

    Glomma River

    River

    At 621km (386 mi), the Glomma is Norway’s longest river. It has a drainage basin that covers 13% of Norway’s surface area, all in the southern part of the country.

    At its full length, the river runs from Aursund near Røros and empties into the Oslofjord in Fredrikstad.

    The combination of raw materials, water power and transport has over the centuries encouraged industry along the Glomma. Some of the country’s largest manufacturing and processing businesses are found at its mouth.

    Grue Municipality

    Grue municipality is a largely forested municipality. The word ‘grue’ comes from the Old Norse word referring to a grave or pit, and there have been many burial mounds discovered here as well as finds from the Viking Age. Flint fields that are over 4,000 years old have been discovered here.

    Kirkenær

    Town

    Kirkenær is the administrative centre of Grue municipality. It used to be an important community with timber mills and nailworks but has now lost its importance.

    In 1822 Kirkenær was the scene of the Grue Church fire, a major fire disaster in which at least 113 people died, and which led to a legal order that all doors in public buildings should swing outwards. The current Grue Church is from 1828 and is located on the highway (northbound/Ulsberg side). Kirkenær station is a lovely building, but train traffic no longer goes through here. There’s also a beautiful old building called Kirkenær farm, which is the farm that gave the town its name.

    Arneberg Church & Hof Church

    Historic Site

    On the northbound side of the road is Arneberg Church. The church is from 1878 and was built for the villagers on the east side of the river so they no longer had to travel across to Hof Church on the other side. Shortly before it was decided to build this church, three people drowned trying to get across the river to the church.

    If you want to visit Hof Church, it is located just over the river from the highway. The exit is marked with a yellow sign saying Hof (3km) and a picture of a church. Hof Church is a brick church from 1860, but was built to replace a stave church that was demolished for being too small in 1861. The baptismal font is from the 13th century and the altarpiece comes from the stave church that stands on the site.

    Åsnes Municipality

    Findings from the Stone Age here show that the first settlements came along the river around 1,500 years ago. In the Old Norse sagas, Snorre Sturlason writes about a chieftain who cleared the forest to establish a settlement. Christianity reached the area in the 12th century.

    The name of this traditional region is Solør, which is a well-known agricultural area and is one of Norway’s largest potato districts. The area is characterised by large forests where there are large moraine deposits and gravel deposits.

    Flisa

    Town

    Flisa is the administrative centre of the Åsnes municipality with the Glomma river flowing here. Flisa Bridge is the world’s longest wooden bridge designed for full traffic loads. The bridge opened in2 003 and is 196 metres long.

    Here’s something interesting to see in Flisa – the world’s largest toothpick. The Norwegian company Jordan (the produces toothpicks) has a factory here. If you want to see it, the toothpick is at the end of the bridge on the east side of the Flisa train station. Put “Toothpick Flisa” into GPS – it’s a few minutes off the highway.

    Another interesting thing about Flisa – in summer they are plagued with mosquitos to the extent that the mosquitos are known as “Flisa Mygg” or “Flisa mosquitos”.

    Toothpicks and mosquitos – Flisa has it all!

    Våler Municipality

    Våler municipality is a largely forested municipality, with nearly 90% of the total area covered by forest. though there is a lot of agriculture here. It’s believed the first peoples settled here around 1800BC and they lived by hunting and fishing. The name Våler comes from the word “Vål”, which means piles of branches and tree stumps from cleared land. A legend tells that when St. Olav travelled through the area to Christianise people and came to Våler, he encountered some resistance but his power (and threats, probably) encouraged people to convert to Christianity. Disagreement about where to build the new church led to arguments, to Olav shot his arrow into the sky and where it landed the church would be built. The arrow fell into a bog down by the river, so the areawas called Våler. The coat-of-arms represent St. Olav’s arrow.

    Many Finns settled in Våler in the 16th century. The Finnish immigration was due to the fact that at the time there was war and famine in Finland, and the Swedish king Gustav Vasa welcome the Finns to cultivate the huge unused forest areas on the border. The Finns brought a special culture and way of life, including their special form of agriculture called “svedjebruk”. This method involved setting fire to the forest and cultivating the burnt area which, due to the ash, was very fertile. They grew rye, cabbage and turnips. The Finns also brought language with them. This is why the forest here is called Finnskogen – Finn Forest.

    Shortly after entering the municipality you’ll pass the turn-off for the town of Valer (the sign reads “Valer sentrum”, which is the administrative centre. The highway doesn’t go through the town.

    Elverum Municipality

    Elverum is the next municipality. Elverum is known as the ‘forest capital’ of Eastern Norway and has several timber industry companies, including the head office of the Glomma Forest Owners Association and a regional office of the Norwegian forestry association. The military also has an important presence here that has existed since the 17th century because of the proximity to the Swedish border. A large defence system was built in the late 17th century to protect Norway if war broke out with Sweden. Today there is a military camp here called Terningmoen, which has the Guard School (recruit school for the King’s Guard) and the Weapons School.

    Elverum

    Elverum town has a population of 15,000 and is the administrative centre for the municipality as well as a major hub in eastern Norway. The town is located on both sides of the Glomma River, with the eastern side being where the town grew up in the 17th century. The western side is more industrial with the military base, but also where the Glomsdal Museum is if you want to learn about the history of the area.

    The fortress Christiansfjeld was built in the late 17th century after Norwegian troops managed to stop a Swedish invasion in the area around Elverum, proving this was an important point. The fortress closed in 1742 after the major battled ended. Elverum was also an important market town after the town of Hamar was destroyed by Swedish troops and lost its city status.

    Elverum Travel Guide

    Åmot Municipality

    Åmot municipality is a small agricultural municipality. The name ‘Åmot’ refers to the meeting of rivers, and the municipality has the name because two major rivers meet here.

    Rena

    Town

    Rena is the administrative centre of Åmot municipality. Around 2,100 people live here and the main industry here is agriculture and forestry. The town was built up in the 19th century as communications improved along the river. During World War II, the town was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe because it was believed that King Haakon and the government were hiding here.

    Stor Elvdal Municipality

    Stor-Elvdal municipality is a forested municipality with some mountains towards the west side of the municipality, where the Hedmarksvidda plateau is. In the north is the Rondane national park region. The municipality is characterised by the Glomma river, which flows through it. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson characterised Stor-Elvdal as Norway’s “Rhine Valley”.

    Atna

    Town

    Atna is a small settlement just off the highway. If you are looking for a food/coffee break, Glopheim Café is a protected building and the only one of its type protected in Norway. Unfortunately, at time of writing the café is listed as closed and the microbrewery it helped revive went bankrupt in 2022.

    Rendalen Municipality

    Rendalen municipality is a heavily forested area with some mountains towards the western end. The municipality has a declining population; in the 1960s over 3,000 people lived here. Today, the number is around 1,700. The main industries here are forestry and agriculture.

    Alvdal Municipality

    The coat-of-arms of Alvdal represents skis, indicating the importance of skiing in the area but also the discovery of some of Norway’s oldest skis – dating to the 6th century – in the area. Alvdal is a mountainous municipality with some wild reindeer in the mountains. There has been human activity here since the Old Stone Age (before 4000BC).

    Alver

    Town

    Alvdal is a small town (pop. 2,418) with a long tradition of mining, as is common in this part of Norway. There has been mining in Alvdal since 1656, when the first finds of copper ore were made nearby. Mining didn’t take off until copper was found in Folldal in 1745. The mines in Folldal got into disputes with the mining operations in Røros, including access to timber. Due to the little access to timber in Folldal, a smelting hut was built in Alvdal instead. Alvdal has plenty of access to timber. It was less resource intensive to transfer ore to Alvdal than it was to transport wood to Folldal.

    New mines were built around the area in the 18th century. From 1905, a cable car was used to transport ore to Alvdal. Mining operations declined and have mostly ended now. Today the largest employer is the dairy company, and many people work in agriculture and the timber industry.

    Tynset Municipality

    Tynset municipality is a historic mining municipality. Tynset was first mentioned in 1211, when the archbishop of Nidaros in Trondheim had a stave church built here.

    Tynset

    Town

    Tynset is located a few minutes drive off the highway, but is a good town to detour into. Tynset is a small town located in the north of Østerdalen, or the Eastern Valley. It is first mentioned in 1211, when the archbishop of Nidaros consecrated a stave church. There is no stave church today; there are parts from an old stave church at Kvikne (more on that below).

    The town is known for its vast areas of forest and mountains, which are ideal for outdoor activities. Tynset is also one of the few places where most of its mountain farms (seter) are in use. You can visit them when hiking, and even rent some for the night.

    Kvikne

    Town

    Kvikne is home to the Kvikne copperworks, founded in 1630, which was one of Norway’s first copperworks. This led to the population in the mountain village rising and laying a foundation for further development. The copperworks was run by the Danish King, and was the largest copper plant in Norway. Eventually Folldal and Røros became more important, and Kvikne was clsoed down in 1812, though operations continued in a much smaller capacity until 1912. Only ruins remain today, but you can visit them.

    Kvikne Church (“Kviknes Kirke”) is from 1654 and seats 203. It has decorated equipment and an interior with a carved altarpiece and pulpit. The crucifix is in the Romanesque style and dates to around 1200. In the attic, stave church planks in the Urnes style (a famous early pattern design on stave churches) have been found, probably from an older church on the site. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson was baptised in the church.

    Close to the church is the Bjørgan vicarage, a museum and former vicarage in Kvikne. It is considered an artists home as Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832-1910) was born here and lived here until he was five. The house is built in 1780 and was a vicarage until 1860. The building was supposed to be demolished, but it was saved in an attempt to make it a museum for Bjørnson. Several items from his time are on display in the museum. 

    Rennebu Municipality

    Rennebu municipality is a mountainous municipality with both the Trollheimen and Forollhogna national parks partly located here. The name Rennebu comes from an old village that was on the road between Oslo and Trondheim.

    Ulsberg

    Town

    This drive ends at Ulsberg, which is where the Rv3 and E6 meet.

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

  • Andenes, National Highways, Road-trips, Sortland, Stokmarknes

    Drive it Yourself: Stokmarknes to Andenes on the Fv82

    Drive it Yourself: Stokmarknes to Andenes on the Fv82

    The scenic drive from Stokmarknes to Andenes on the Fv82 will take you through the Vesterålen region. The traditional region of Vesterålen is not as world-famous as Lofoten, but there’s no denying that Vesterålen is equally as beautiful. On this off-the-beaten path drive, you’ll pass through charming fishing villages and important settlements for North of Norway. This drive connects well with the Lofoten Tourist Road and the Andøya Tourist Road, making it perfect for any Norwegian road-trip!

    In this article...

    Download this guide to have it as a PDF ready to go for your road-trip!

    All downloadable guides come with an interactive Google Map for easier navigation. 

    View on 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.
    • Interactive Google Map for easier navigation

    The drive: Stokmarknes to Andenes

    Melbu

    Town

    Melbu is a small town with a population of 2,250 people. The town is located on the southern side of the Hadseløya island. Melbu is often referred to as the “Pearl of Vesterålen” because of its beauty.

    A large farm at Melbu is mentioned in the Viking Sagas, meaning settlement here is very Melbu has been a trading post for hundreds of years but began to see modern development in the 19th century. Melbu became an industrial centre with a dairy, wool and margarine factories and a large fishing industry. Fishing is still an important industry for Melbu.

    Vesterålen’s largest village museum is in Melbu, with one of the country’s finest collections of traditional costumes from the 18th century. 

    The historic Melbu Farm is a museum that has exhibitions on the history of the region, the bunad, and shows what life was like in the 19th century. The museum is located at the address M. Fredriksens alle 1, 8445 Melbu

    Hadseløya

    Island

    Hadseløya is the largest island in the municipality. The island is hilly. In common with the rest of Vesterålen, there are large areas of flat marshy terrain between the fells. The coastal area in the south west is cultivated.

    The island used to be a popular place for Engishmen to come fishing, and many books were written about the hunters paradise in Northern Norway. The first ptarmigan hunt in Norway using dogs took place on Hadseløya. Hunters from England brought their dogs with them and used the area to train their English setters as hunting dogs. During this period the island was almost cleared of ptarmigan.

    Hadsel Church

    Island

    The church is from 1824 but contains an Olav figure from the early 16th century. The triptych is also from the 16th century and was probably made in Utrecht. It is one of five found in Norway.

    The parish of Hadsel has been in existence since the Middle Ages and at least three churches have stood on the same site since the 14th century. One of these was dedicated to St. Stefanus, the first Christian martyr, and it is thought that the triptych was built for this church as Stefanus is one of the persons depicted in the carvings.

    It is believed that Hadsel was the regional and political chieftain seat during the Iron Age and had a settled population. So far nine archaeological finds have been made; one of them is the largest star-shaped sacrificial monument that has been registered in Norway.

    Hadsel Cultural Heritage Park

    Historic Site

    Close to Hadsel Church, by the highway, is the Kulturminneparken på Hadsel, or the Hadsel Cultural Heritage Park. This park has been excavated, and finds going back to before the Vikings have been found here. This indicates the importance of Hadsel in older times.

    Stokmarknes

    Stokmarknes is the administrative centre of Hadsel and has a population of around 3,500 people.

    Traces of ancient settlements in the area around Stokmarknes with sites from the Iron Age, burial sites and boathouse remains. Received status of ‘privileged trading post’ in 1776. It was strategically placed for vessels sailing along the outer side of Vesterålen, before the shallow Risøyrenna was dredged and opened for shipping in 1922.

    Around 1900 many industrial and commercial innovations occurred. Stokmarknes is regarded as the birthplace of the Hurtigruten as Richard With founded the company here in 1893. In town is the Hurtigruten Museum (address Richard Withs gate 1, 8450 Stokmarknes), which explains the history of the coastal ferry. You can also walk on the old ship M/S Finnmarken.

    Stokmarknes does have an airport and it is one of Norway’s most used regional airports with approximately 100,000 passengers annually.

    Stokmarknes Travel Guide

    Børøy Bridge

    Bridge

    The Børøy Bridge connects the islands of Hadsel and Børøya. It is 336 metres long and has a maximum clearing of 15 metres. The bridge was built in 1967 and was the first of the bridges to be built in Vesterålen.

    Børøya

    Industrial Area

    Børøya is a small industrial area with 500 people from 25 nations working here. The main industry on the island is fish farming and the processing of fish.

    Hadsel Bridge

    Bridge

    The Hadsel Bridge is 1km long and has a maximum clearance of 30 metres. The bridge opened in 1978 and is one of the four bridges built during the 1970s to connect the islands of Vesterålen to each other. Before the bridge, there was a ferry service here.

    Langøya

    Industrial Area

    Langøya is mainland Norway’s third-largest island and is 5km long and 40km wide. The highest mountain is 763 metres high.

    Grytting

    Village

    Grytting is a small village with a population of around 125 people. It is a popular place to go skiing, and there are tracks and ski jumps here. Tufts have been found from the Viking Age after a chieftains farm, and there are burial mounds here.

    Sortland Municipality

    Sortland Municipality is part of the traditional region of Vesterålen. It is located in the southern part of Vesterålen on the islands Langøya and Hinnøya, and the municipality surrounds the inner part of the Eidsfjorden and the Sortland Strait. The midnight sun occurs from 23 May to 23 July, while the polar night is from 30 November to 12 January. The region is popular for observing the northern lights.


    The region is mentioned in the Viking Sagas, where it is written as the home of Karle and Gunnstein, who took part in Tore Hund’s campaign against King Olav. The first church is mentioned in written sources in 1370. Yacht skipper Søren Mørch from Bergen settled here and started a yacht trade in 1659. This is the year Sortland is considered to be founded.


    Sortland is home to the Coast Guard Base in Norway. Tourism is also important, as is agriculture. Parts of the municipality were known in the latter half of the 19th century as one of Norway’s best regions for herring. The herring adventure here helped lay the foundation or the establishment of Hurtigruten. While the herring aren’t as plentiful as back then, there are still fishing in Sortland.


    Sortland has a small Sami population. A Sami family runs reindeer herding on Hinnøya. There used to be a reindeer husbandry, but it was closed in 1972. Some place names in the region come from Sami words.
    Sortland is regarded as one of the best music communities in Norway and the local band Madrugada has been one of the best in the country. The Sortland Jazz Festival takes place every autumn, and some of the world’s leading jazz musicians have taken part.


    Sortland is the only municipality in Vesterålen that has seen a stable increase in the popular over the past 25 years.

    Sortland

    Sortland has a population of around 9000 people. Archaeological finds indicate that the area has been inhabited for as long as 5000 years ago. The hunter gatherer population moved from settlement to settlement. 270 graves have been located from the Iron Age. Over 30 house remains have been found.

    Sortland grew after Risøyhamn was dredged and was opened for larger ships.

    Sortland became the busiest trading post in Vesterålen, schools were built and it became a traffic hub for the local area. The arrival of the Hurtigruten in 1922, the establishing of the Coast Guard and the airports have contributed to Sortland growing.

    Sortland has a small museum located at Strandgata 1, 8400 Sortland.

    Sortland Travel Guide

    Hinnøya

    Island

    Hinnøya is the fourth-largest island in Norway, or the largest if you don’t include the Svalbard archipelago. The island is 80km (50 miles) long and 55km (34 miles) wide, and the highest elevation is at 1262m (4140 ft) above sea level. The best agricultural area is in the northeast, while the southern part is the Møysalen National Park. In the northwest of the island is a nature reserve containing a valley with forests and bogs, including the oldest pine trees in Norway, more than 700 years old.

    Inga Sami Siida

    Sami Site

    The Inga Sami Siida is a Sami visitors centre run by the Inga family, who have been reindeer herding here for 150 years. They began the property in 2009 and in the summer months have a drop-in centre where you can visit the exhibition, meet the reindeer, and have a try and reindeer lassoing. In winter you must prebook the experience.

    View their website here. 

    Andøy Municipality

    Andøy is the northernmost municipality in Nordland, and forms part of the Vesterålen archipelago. The population of Andøya has decreased by 6.8% over the last ten years, and the main settlement is Andenes. The meaning of Andøy is unknown, though the last element means ‘island’.

    The municipality is spread across the island of Andøya and Hinnøya. The mid-section has bogs and marshes known for their Arctic cloudberries, and there are numerous lakes here too. The island is the only place in continental Norway where coal and fossils from dinosaurs are found. The Forfjorddalen nature reserve has some of the oldest pine trees in Scandinavia – some are more than 700 years old. Andøys is also the place where Egga, the edge of the continental shelf, is closest to the land.

    The municipality has a strong connection to aviation, with the 333 Squadron of the Air Force being stationed at Andøya Airport. The Andøya Space Centre is involved in international cooperation of the polar atmosphere and the northern lights. Andøya Airport is proposed to be closed by 2025, with air traffic moving to Evenes Airport.

    The fishing industry is still important to the municipality, and Andenes is one of the country’s largest fishing harbours and one of Northern Europe’s largest port facilities.

    Forfjord

    Town

    The name of the village is Forfjord, which comes from the name of the fjord the village is built around. The nature reserve here has the oldest living pine trees in Northern Europe, with some of them dating back to 830 AD. It is assumed that the forest was a source of timber and tar for Viking ships, and there are settlements and burial sites that are yet to be excavated.

    A famous person in Norwegian exploration came from Forfjord: Hans Jørgen Furfjord. He led the first expedition to stay the winter on Svalbard to hunt silver foxes, walruses, seals and polar bears. Items from his expeditions are on display in museums in Tromsø and Svalbard. Hans also kept diaries describing his adventures, including European monarchs visiting, his being imprisoned by British soldiers for not supplying them for free, barely surviving polar bear encounters, and surviving not freezing to death. He died at the age of 81 at his home in Forfjord. Some of his children emigrated to Canada and the United States, where some of his descendants live today. Some remain in Forfjord. 

    Andøy Bridge

    Bridge

    The Andøyabrua is 750 metres long and 30 metres high. The bridge was built in 1974 and is one of the four bridges built to connect Vesterålen together. The bridge crosses the Risøysundet strait.

    Andøya

    Island

    The island Andøya is the 10th largest island in Norway. In the marshy areas there is peat production and cloudberry harvesting. The only Norwegian deposits of coal outside of Svalbard have been found here, but mining the coal is not seen as economically viable. The island is well-known for its many fossils. Among others, a fossil of a 3m long fish lizard has been discovered. Finds of 11,000 year old charcoal deposits indicate that the island has been inhabited since the Stone Age.

    The island is mentioned in the King’s Sagas with the ancient Norse name Omd, both in the Ynglingsaga and the saga of Olav Trygvason. Omd was the ancestral land of the earls of Hålogaland. Some of the first Viking expeditions took place from here.

    Risøyhamn

    Town

    Risøyhamn is a small village located on the island Andøya. It has a population of 216 and is serviced by the Hurtigruten twice a day – if you take the Hurtigruten southbound you see the village around 11:30am. There are many older buildings in Risøyhamn, including Gammelgården from the early 18th century. There is a small open-air museum here with five buildings.

    Dverberg

    Town

    Dverberg is a small town with a population of around 200 people. Dverberg is known for its theatre club for kids, which has existed for 30 years.

    Dverberg Church is an old wooden church from 1843. Records show there has been a church here since at least 1589, but it was not new at the time. In 1658, the church in Dverberg underwent a major repair, but in 1734 the church was struck by lightning and had to be rebuilt. In 1839, it was decided to build a new church, and that’s the church standing today.

    Andenes

    Andenes is a small fishing community located on the top of Andøya. The village is known as being one of the best places to set off on a whale safari, and it has a direct ferry connection to the famous Senja Island, which we will be taking the following day.

    Andenes is close to the rich fishing grounds and these is evidence of fishing settlements from 500AD. The location means that it is very exposed to the weather. In the Middle Ages, Andenes was a wealthy fishing village with traders from Germany and Holland coming to buy dried fish and the fishermen encountered the German Hanseatic League. It is claimed that the fishermen also caught species of shark the Greenland Shark. The fishermen used dead calves and dogs that had decomposed in barrels as bait.

    In 1520, around 590 people lived on the island. Andenes had its golden age around the year 1600, before a steady decline set in. Andenes was integrated with the Bergen trading monopoy in Northern Norway.

    Today fishing is still important, though tourism is a growing industry thanks to the whale safaris.

    Andenes Travel Guide

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

    Download this guide to have it as a PDF ready to go for your road-trip!

    All downloadable guides come with an interactive Google Map for easier navigation. 

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  • Folldal, National Highways, Road-trips, Røros, Trondheim

    Drive it Yourself: Trondheim to Røros on the Fv30

    Drive it Yourself: Trondheim to Røros on the Fv30

    The Fv30 is a short but scenic highway that travels from near Trondheim across to the eastern part of Norway and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Røros. Along the way, you’ll pass charming agricultural villages and some of the historic mines.

    In this article...

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    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.
    • Interactive Google Map for easier navigation

    The drive: Trondheim to Røros

    Trondheim

    This drive begins in Trondheim, Norway’s third-largest city. 

    Trondheim Travel Guide

    Støren

    Town

    Støren is the administrative centre of the municipality and has a population of around 2,300 people. The village was built up in the mid-19th century and saw growth when the Dovrebanen railway station was constructed.

    In the village you can see Støren Church (address Kjørkvollveien 2, 7290 Støren), a historic octagonal church from 1817. The earliest mention of a church here was in 1432, but the church was not new that year. The first church was likely a stave church from the 12th century. The church you see today is the third church to be on the site.

    You will be following the Rørosbanen train line, so almost every village will have a train station.

    This drive is pretty remote with not too many places to stop at, but it is still a nice drive and Røros is worth it!

    Gaula

    River

    You are following the Gaula river, a 153km long river that runs through central Norway. The Gaula is regarded as one of the top five salmon fishing rivers in Norway.

    Rognes

    Village

    Rognes is a small village with a population of 200. The main industry here is agriculture, but there used to be a shoe factory and mechanical workshops here. One of the farms in the village, Bones Gård, is mentioned in the Old Norse sagas.

    Singsås

    Village

    Singsås is a small village with a population of around 1000. The village is an agricultural village, though some forestry also takes place. Singsås church is from 1884, but the first church on the site is likely from the 13th century. A crucifix in the current church has been dated to 1280, and it’s believed it came from the original church. The original church was likely a stave church but was located about 5km northeast of the town.

    Holtålen Municipality

    Holtålen municipality is a mostly remote municipality with large mountain areas and part of the Forollhogna National Park. The Kjøli mine is located in the municipality and is Northern Europe’s deepest mine.

    The coat-of-arms shows a ptarmigan, which was chosen to reflect the importance of hunting in the municipality.

    Holtålen

    Village

    Haltdalen is a small village located in the upper part of the Gauldalen valley, one of Norway’s longest valley. The Haltdalen Stave Church is from here but is now in an open-air museum in Trondheim. The stave church is from 1170 and is the only stave church of the East Scandinavian style that has been preserved, making it one of the oldest wooden buildings in Norway. The church was replaced in 1704 and then again in 1881 with the current church. The stave church managed to survive all of this and was handed over to Trondheim in 1882.

    Gammelgården is Haltdalen’s first vicarage and was built at the beginning of the 18th century. Today the main building and two storehouses from the 1750s remain.

    Renbygda

    Village

    Renbygda is the administrative centre of Holtålen municipality. In the village is Ålen Church, which replaced a stave church from the Middle Ages. Parts of Ålen Stave Church were used to build Haltdalen Stave Church, for example the west portal and west wall in Haltdalen stave church comes from Ålesn stave church. The current church is from 1881. There are two church bells in the church, the oldest one being from 1736.

    Røros Municipality

    Røros municipality is named after the town of Røros and is a UNESCO World Heritage area for its mining history. More about Røros will be explained when you reach the town.

    Røros municipality is one of the coldest places in Norway, and the coldest temperature recorded was -50C in January 1914. Most of the municipality is at around 630 metres above sea level and is mostly forested with birch. Two national parks, Femundsmarka national park and Forollhogna national park are partly within the municipality.

    The coat-of-arms comes from the old symbol for copper, which was heavily mined in Røros for centuries.

    Historically the municipality was inhabited by the South Sami people, who did reindeer herding here. In 2022 the national government approved a resolution to add an official Sami language name for the municipality: Rosse.

    Røros

    Town

    Røros is one of the most fascinating towns in Norway, and it is also seriously underrated. Located close to the Swedish border, Røros is a well-preserved historic town with charming wooden houses and an important industrial past.

    Røros was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980. In 2010, the listing was expanded to include the Circumference.

    Here’s the reasoning:

    Røros Mining Town and Circumference is linked to the copper mines, established in the 17th century and exploited for 333 years until 1977. The site comprises the town and its industrial-rural cultural landscapes; Femundshytta, a smelter, and the Winter Transport Route. Røros contained about 2000 wooden one and two-storey houses and a smelting cabin. Many of these buildings have preserved their blackened wooden facades, giving the town a medieval appearance. Surrounded by a buffer zone, coincident with the area of privileges (the Circumference) granted to the mining enterprise by the Danish-Norwegian Crown, the property illustrates the establishment of a lasting culture based on copper mining in a remote region and harsh climate.

    “Røros is a unique mining town built exclusively of wood. The town has for 333 years been a melting pot of cultures and influences from Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Trondheim and the surrounding district. This has resulted in a wooden house environment, which represents much of Norway’s finest traditions, and is unique in our country’s industrial, social, cultural and architectural areas. The mining town of Røros and its surroundings is a characteristic example of a special traditional style of wood architecture creating a unique town 600 metres above sea level.”

    Be sure to visit the Røros Museum at Lorentz Lossius Gata 45, 7374 Røros

    Røros

    Welcome to Røros! We made it. Røros is a UNESCO World Heritage Area full of history, charm, and things to do. I recommend parking at the Smelthytta Musuem and exploring Røros on foot. You can spend heaps of time here – be sure to make the most of it.

    Røros Travel Guide

    The Previous Drive

    The Rondane National Park

    The best way to get to Folldal is by taking the Rondane Tourist Road. 

    Rondane Tourist Road

    The Next Drive

    Oppdal to Kristiansund

    On the following day we drove to Kristiansund on the west coast of Norway via Oppdal. 

    Oppdal to Kristiansund

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

  • Norway

    Which Month is Best for Visiting Norway?

    Which Month is Best for Visiting Norway?

    Welcome to my guide that will answer your question: what month is best for visiting Norway?

    In this guide, you’l find a seasonal overview of the weather, what to pack, food, and events. There are also buttons that will lead you to pages dedicated to specific months of the year. 

    If you want to know what month is best for a specific destination, browse my digital travel guide (click here). You’ll find all the places I cover, and when you click on them you’ll find a section for the weather. 

    When should you visit Norway? What month is the best month? When is it warm and sun? When can I see the Northern Lights?

    These are commonly asked questions when travellers are planning to come to Norway. And there are hundreds of articles online giving you various answers, though they all typically say the same thing: July! Warmth! Sun! Pleasant! I read through dozens of these articles and typically read the same advice. However, it doesn’t really coincide with what I’ve experienced actually travelling in Norway.

    I take groups around Norway throughout the year for different purposes, and I’ve found that there is no special month to visit. No month is the ‘best’ month. No season is the ‘best season’. It depends on what you want to experience. Don’t like crowds? July isn’t for you. Don’t like rain? Maybe skip November (but seriously, you have to love the rain if you’re coming to Norway!)

    Choosing which month is best really depends on what you want to get out of Norway. So, in my guide, rather than tell you the ‘best’ month, I’ve put together an overview of what Norway is like each month. That way, you can understand what you can expect and choose your time of year from there.

    I’ve provided a general overview of Norway in each month, but focus also on Bergen. I mean, this blog is called ‘I Love Bergen’ after all! Also I live in Bergen, so I deal with the weather every day. For temperature averages, I focused on the three most commonly visited cities: Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø. But, of course, the weather varies dramatically across the country. If you think I should add a city, let me know.

    You can find weather information for specific cities in my digital travel guide (click here). 

    I’ve also focused on the most recent data for each month. It’s easy to get overall averages, but the weather in Norway is changing: it’s warming up. So I think the recent data is much more realistic than averages built up over time.

    If you think I’ve skipped over anything, or if there’s anything you think I should add, let me know!

    In this article...

    Quick Summary

    • Northern Lights: I’ve had the most success in March and September, though any time between September and March works as long as you put in the effort
    • Winter Activities: Come between December and March, though if you can push it to January do that.
    • Cool Weather: April, May, September, October, November, plus all of winter (of course)
    • Nature Lovers: May or October. Spring or Autumn
    • No Crowds, Open Attractions: May
    • Hot Weather: July. But don’t expect it to be hot like elsewhere in Europe
    • Snow: February/March. March is the month with the deepest snow
    • My recommended month: May

    Winter

    Winter is a lovely time to be in Norway, despite the fact it’s the quietest time of the year. Most of the country turns into a winter wonderland, and the northern lights begin to shine in the skies. While Bergen doesn’t see much snow at this time of year, you just have to travel an hour inland and you are surrounded by some of the most popular ski slopes in the country.

    Skiing has a special place in Norwegian culture and history, and during the winter people of all ages head to ski resorts, forests and mountains to enjoy their national hobby.

    Clothing

    Winter in Norway can, of course, be very cold. Bring layers. Use wool rather than cotton or polyester, and make sure you have waterproof clothing, as well as a coat that is both water and windproof. This is especially important in the coastal areas. If you are visiting a city, you don’t need waterproof pants and a down jacket will work just fine.

    Seasonal Food & Drink

    Winter is the best time of year to eat seafood such as prawns, langoustine, blue mussel, scallop and lobster. Fresh fish is also best in winter, and many restaurants offer cod, halibut, salmon and trout.

    Christmas food will be found on the menus throughout winter. This includes smalahove (sheep’s head), lutefisk (cod soaked in lye), and pinnekjøtt (dried, salted and steamed sheep’s ribs).

    Weather

    In winter, the average temperature for the entire country is -6.8 degrees, but the conditions vary a lot. Around Oslo, snowfall is common, and the average temperature is just below zero. In Bergen, the weather rarely goes into the negatives and we get more rain than snow.

    The lower areas of Northern Norway have very cold winters with lots of snow. The snow, strong winds and severe frost is particularly harsh, and may result in road closures.

    The coastal areas are much milder.

    The sun disappears from Northern Norway by the end of November, and until mid-January the region experiences the polar night. This doesn’t mean it’s completely pitch black throughout winter; Northern Norway gets these lovely polar lights; blue, pink and orange skies during the daytime, and then perfect northern lights darkness during the night. In southern Norway, at its worst, we get around 5.5 hours of sunlight a day.

    December is a very quiet month. It is the darkest month of the year, and many choose to have a quiet month centered around staying home and enjoying Christmas traditions. 

    Activities

    • Visit the Northern Lights Festival in Tromso
    • in Tromso they host the Northern Lights Festival

    Weather

    Typically February is the coldest month of the year.

    Northern Lights

    February is considered to be ideal for viewing the northern lights.

    Activities

    Many winter activities are on offer in February. 

    • The Polar Jazz Festival is held in February. It is the world’s northernmost jazz festival, taking place in Svalbard. 
    • Rørosmartnan is Norway’s largest winter festival. It’s held in Røros, one of my favourite places in Norway. 
    • Sami Week is a must if you are coming in February. During the first week of February, Sami culture is celebrated around the country. In Tromsø, they host the national reindeer sledge championship on the main street. 

    Spring

    Hardanger in May

    While Spring technically starts in March, it is still cold and snowy. March, after all, is still a popular month for seeing snow, the northern lights, and taking part in winter activities.

    During April and May, the days are getting longer and the snow is beginning to melt. During May, the plants all turn green and the flowers boom. Birds are starting to build their nests and farmers are delivering their newborn lambs. It’s a lovely time of year to be in Norway!

    Spring is the best time of year to see waterfalls. As the snow is melting, it creates giant waterfalls. By July, their flow has weakened considerably, and in winter they are frozen.

    Spring is also when the birds are at their liveliest. The migratory birds return home in April to enjoy the warmer seasons. The Varanger Peninsula is one of the best places to see birds like white-tailed eagles, gyrfalcons, steller’s eider and Arctic Sea Ducks. If you visit Røst in Lofoten in mid-April, you’ll see thousands of Arctic puffins return to their breeding grouns.

    On the West Coast of Norway, you typically get spring in late April/early May. They have to be a little more patient in Northern Norway, with spring coming in late May or early June, but by then the days are long and bright and the summer days have already started. May is the month when the two-month-long midnight sun begins in the Arctic.

    It’s notoriously hard to predict when spring arrives; technically the spring equinox is around 20 March. Personally, I don’t start feeling the spring weather until May. But even then, May can be a snowy month.

    Winter is a lovely time to be in Norway, despite the fact it’s the quietest time of the year. Most of the country turns into a winter wonderland, and the northern lights begin to shine in the skies. While Bergen doesn’t see much snow at this time of year, you just have to travel an hour inland and you are surrounded by some of the most popular ski slopes in the country.

    Skiing has a special place in Norwegian culture and history, and during the winter people of all ages head to ski resorts, forests and mountains to enjoy their national hobby.

    Clothing

    Dressing in April and May is difficult because the weather is so hard to predict; by the time you’ve put on your jacket, the weather has changed for either the worse or the better.

    It’s good to pack warm clothes no matter what, and a waterproof and windproof jacket is always needed. Make sure you dress in layers so you can adjust according to the weather.

    You typically won’t need snow boots in April, and you definitely won’t need them in May. While we still may get snow, it does melt very quickly and doesn’t affect walking around. In Northern Norway, the snow may sit for a little longer, but it’s not often slippery.

    Seasonal food & drink

    Spring is the time for lamb dishes, usually around Easter, and it’s also when we have the first potatoes, asparagus and wild garlic for the year.

    Fresh fish is always good, and in spring we typically have herring and cod from the Lofoten area.

    Closer to summer, rhubarb begins to appear.

    May is a month of public holidays included the much loved 17 May (Constitution Day), and for that day many Norwegians bake incredible cakes, pastries and breads. The best cakes have lots of fresh berries on them, whereas the popular and much loved kransekake is available for purchase in stores.

    During spring you finish your winter food, and you may come across salted meat and raspeball on the menus. Raspeball is a traditional potato dumlping, though it goes by many dufferent names!

    Weather

    Spring arrives early in Southern Norway compared to the rest of the country, usually some time in April. The days are getting warmer and lighter every day. Spring flowers appear, the trees are budding, birds build their nests and farmers deliver newborn lambs. In early spring the coastal areas of Western Norway have the highest temperatures. In May, it’s normally southern Norway that has the warmest weather.

    Above the Arctic Circle, Spring may not come until late May or early June.

    I’ve always found spring hard to predict. Last year, in May, it was hot and sunny, but this year it’s been cold, rainy and snowy for pretty much all the month.

    In March the days begin to feel much longer. March is also considered one of the best months for visiting Svalbard.

    Activities

    • The Finnmarksløpet is held in March. It is Europe’s longest dog sled endurance race and takes place up in Finnmark
    • The Sami Grand Prix (their version of Eurovision) is held in March
    • Sunfest in Longyearbyen is a celebration of the sun returning to the island

    April is a quiet month in Norway. The weather can be unpredictable and Norwegians are eagerly awaiting May and the good weather that will come. 

    Activities

    • Stavanger Vinfest. In mid-April a large celebration of food and wine is held in Stavanger
    • Trondheim Blues is one of northern Europe’s premier blues events. It takes place in Trondheim. 

    Spring arrives properly in May. All of the flowers begin to bloom, the snow melts, and it is typically one of the sunniest months in the country. 

    Activities

    Many festivals take place in May:

    • Constitution Day. If you are planning a trip to Norway in May, try to come on Constitution Day. The 17th of May is a huge celebration in the city and you’ll get to watch the parade, see people in their bunads, and enjoy true Norwegian patriotism. 
    • The Alta Blues and Soul Festival takes place in late May and has a month-long program of music performances
    • Bergen’s International Festival is one of Norway’s largest cultural events and has a two week line-up of cultural events, including dance, music, and presentations
    • Codstock in Lofoten in May is perhaps the best festival title in Norway. It is the celebration of cod and local music

    Summer

    Summer! Summer is (of course) the most popular time to visit Norway, and why not. The days are long, the sun is shining, and everything is open. The Norwegian summer weather is (for the most part) quite stable, and the temperatures are lovely all over the country. In July, during the summer holidays, you’ll see the locals out enjoying the sun after a long and cold winter. It’s also common for people to go out on their boats. Some have their sailing boats, while most just use their small traditional boats to cruise on the fjords and through the archipelagos.

    Summer is a popular month to go hiking, and all trails typically are open by July. Lots of people also spend nights out in nature camping and take to the ski trails to go cycling. Outdoor recreation is a major part of the Norwegian identity.

    At the same time, summer is the high season. Expect cruise ships, endless bus tours, crowds, lines, and higher prices. Hotels may sell out months in advance, while museums may be overcrowded to the point it’s unpleasant. Everyone comes in summer. The July holidays for Europe sees numerous caravanning Germans or Dutch on the roads, which is a thrill on the narrow fjord roads.

    Clothing

    Norwegian weather is always unpredictable. It may be hot and sunny one day, and then the next day it’s cold and rainy. Always pack windproof and waterproof clothing, but don’t hesitant to pack shorts and a t-shirt!

    Seasonal food & drink

    Summer is a lovely time for fresh berries, and blueberries are commonly found in the Norwegian forests and mountains. In Southern Norway, they tend to ripen in the middle of Summer. In July and August, you’ll see roadside booths offering locally grown strawberries and cherries for sale.

    Norwegians love grilling. Whole sections of the supermarket are dedicated to it. Almost no matter the weather Norwegians will be outside grilling whatever they come across. Vegetables, fish, meat, and poultry on the barbeque is a summer tradition for the Norwegians.

    The first sign of summer is when you see Norwegians outside drinking beer. There is even a Norwegian word for this: utepils. It’s so ingrained in summer that the first opportunity for it will often be mentioned in the press.

    Pick up a lovely plate of freshly caught fish served with sour cream, potatoes and cucumber salad. Or maybe have shrimp straight from the boat, enjoyed right at the dock?

    Weather

    Typically, summer temperatures reach 25 to 30 degrees, and there is hardly any humidity in the area. Even the nights are warm.

    In the last two years, we have had sweltering heatwaves where temperatures have gone over 33 degrees.

    The warm months sound great at first, but Norway is not built for hot weather. Hotels are typically not air conditioned, as are museums and supermarkets. It gets uncomfortably hot during summer, and this can be pleasant, especially if you aren’t used to that kind of heat. I mean, I’m from Australia and I find it unpleasant! So don’t think you have to travel in July because it’s hot and sunny; most of my groups love the colder weather. It’s more Norwegian, right?

    From late June to early August it never really gets dark anywhere in the country. The midnight sun occurs only above the Arctic Circle, and lasts typically from mid-May to the end of July. Below the Arctic Circle the sun does set, but we never really get a true darkness. The sky is more like dusk throughout the night.

    The warmest and most stable weather usually occurs in Eastern Norway, where it’s often very sunny and temperatures are over 25 degrees Celsius.

    The highest temperatures are inland.

    Along the Western Coast, the cool sea breezes keep most heat waves at bay, but keep in mind Bergen can be very rainy, even in summer. A lovely sunny day can be followed by three miserable rainy ones.

    June is when tourism really returned to Norway and it gets crowded very fast.

    It is a good time to go whale watching up in Northern Norway around Andenes. 

    Activities:

    • Voss Extreme Sports Week: Head to Voss in Western Norway for an action packed week of outdoor sports. 
    • Midnight Sun marathon in Tromso: This is the world’s northernmost 42km road race and worth going to watch if you aren’t a marathoner. 

    July is peak tourist season and is very crowded. Still, it is a nice warm month to come and there are some things going on. 

    Activities

    • Moldejazz in Molde is one of Norway’s most famous jazz festivals

    August is when most of the music festivals take place. The weather is still nice and warm, but the midnight sun has ended and the days are getting shorter.

    • International Chamber Music Festival takes place n Stavanger and has some nice concerts
    • Rauma Rock is Norway’s regular mix of jazz and blues
    • Øya Festival in Oslo is Norway’s largest rock festival

    Autumn (Fall)

    The Norwegian autumn comes with a variety of weather. In some parts of the country, summer may last until well into October, while rain and snow can arrive as early as September.

    The best part of autumn is the changing of the colours. The trees and heath turn yellow and red and leaves start to fall off the trees. The colours are at their most dazzling in autumn. The mountains are especially beautiful at this time of the year, and it’s a popular season to go hiking.

    Summer! Summer is (of course) the most popular time to visit Norway, and why not. The days are long, the sun is shining, and everything is open. The Norwegian summer weather is (for the most part) quite stable, and the temperatures are lovely all over the country. In July, during the summer holidays, you’ll see the locals out enjoying the sun after a long and cold winter. It’s also common for people to go out on their boats. Some have their sailing boats, while most just use their small traditional boats to cruise on the fjords and through the archipelagos.

    Summer is a popular month to go hiking, and all trails typically are open by July. Lots of people also spend nights out in nature camping and take to the ski trails to go cycling. Outdoor recreation is a major part of the Norwegian identity.

    At the same time, summer is the high season. Expect cruise ships, endless bus tours, crowds, lines, and higher prices. Hotels may sell out months in advance, while museums may be overcrowded to the point it’s unpleasant. Everyone comes in summer. The July holidays for Europe sees numerous caravanning Germans or Dutch on the roads, which is a thrill on the narrow fjord roads.

    Clothing

    Wind and rain make the outdoors a typically wet experience in autumn, but you may get lucky and see a last glimpse of summer weather. It is difficult to predict the weather in autumn, but you should pack wind and rainproof outer clothing. Underneath wear a couple layers that you can adjust according to the temperatures.

    Seasonal food & drink

    Autumn is harvesting time. This is when the menus change once again, and Norwegians favour local ingredients and slow-booked and rich dishes suited for a chillier climate.

    Fårikål, Norway’s national dish, is popular in autumn; there’s even the Fårikål Feast Day in September.

    The Norwegian word for autumn is høst, which literally translates to harvest. Gathering fruits, berries and mushrooms is a popular hobby. Lots of Christmas treats are prepared in autumn.

    Apple Day is also celebrated in September. The season’s apples are perfect as jams and pies.

    Other popular foods are lamb, moose and other wild beasts, which go well with lingonberries and cream sauce. Potatoes, sweet carrots and crispy chanterelles also are found on menus.

    The crowds and cruise ships begin to disappear in September, so it can be a nice time to visit. However, the weather can be a little unpredictable. 

    In October the temperatures are dropping. You get the nice fall colours in October. 

    Activities

    • Bergen International Film Festival is one of Norway’s largest festivals. It is largely a documentary festival

    November is a quiet month for tourism and the winter can start to come. Winter activities don’t typically begin now because there isn’t stable snow on the ground yet. 

  • Folldal, National Highways, Road-trips, Rondane, Røros

    Drive it Yourself: Folldal to Røros: A Scenic Drive Through the Industrial Region of Eastern Norway

    Drive it Yourself: Folldal to Røros: A Scenic Drive Through the Industrial Region of Eastern Norway

    I love Røros. I’m fairly positive I begin each article about Røros with that statement, but it’s very true. Røros has an incredible history and is a very well preserved town. I’m surprised more travellers in Norway don’t go there.

    When we are visiting Røros in September 2020, we were driving up from Ringebu via the Rondane National Park. The road to Røros isn’t direct, but we didn’t mind. Little did we know that we were actually driving through a historic mining region. The road from Folldal to Røros is a very old mining area – mining began here in the 17th century. Many of the towns you pass through on this drive were established thanks to Røros Copperworks – the main mining company here.

    Even if mining isn’t of interest to you, don’t pass up a chance to drive through this gorgeous part of the country.

    Here’s my drive from Folldal to Røros via Alvdal on Highway 3 in Norway.

    In this article...

    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: Folldal to Røros

    Folldal Mines

    Historic Site

    We begin at the Folldal mines, an old 18th century mine that is today heritage listed in Norway.

    Mining was the main industry in Folldal from the 18th century until 1993.

    Folldal Works (Folldal Verk) was founded in 1748, the same year the main copper mine opened. Copper, mine and zinc was all mined in Folldal. It was then transported by horse carriage to the neighbouring Alvdal municipality, where there was a smelter. In 1906, a 34km-long cable car (North Europe’s longest) was built to transport goods to the smelter.

    The main mine closed in 1941, but smelting continued using ore from other deposits until 1968. Business closed in 1993.

    Today the mines are a museum.

    The museum has short opening hours – late June to mid-August. They have some really interesting attractions and ticket combos, so I will be back!

    You can drive up to the carpark and wander around outside for free.

    Click here to view their website.

    On their website you’ll find opening hours and ticket fees.

    Vassaga

    Historic Site/Detour

    Vassaga is a preserved sawmill from 1900. It is powered by water and is unique because it has a special device for sawing shavings. This is the only known instance of a sawmill having a device for shavings. The shavings are used in roofing in the area.

    You’ll see signs pointing to it from the highway.

    Folldal Church

    Church/Detour

    Folldal Church is located on the road that leads to Vassaga. The church is a typical rural church from the late 19th century. The altarpiece inside is from the 17th century.

    Grimsbu

    Village

    Grimsbu is a tiny town; when I was researching it, some of the top hits on the web were for the IKEA furniture named after the town!

    There is a campsite in Grimsbu – the Grimsbu Turistsenter – that has everything you’ll ever need when camping. From Grimsbu, there are hiking and skiing trails plus spots for fishing.

    There is an ancient road in Grimsbu called Byveien. It is a route over the mountain that from around 1050 until the Reformation connected the pilgrims routes through Gudbrandsdalen and Østerdalen. In the 12th century, the road was laid out as a pilgrimate route from Innlandet to Nidaros. The road was forgotten for many centuries, but now there is an active effort to restore the road. The trail is north of Grimsbu. An image of it can be seen here. 

    Grimsbu also has an old BP petrol station that looks as it did when it was put there in 1955. There used to be a country store on the property – it dates back to 1900 – but in the 50s they modernised with a petrol station. A website for it is found here (also the image source). 

    The BP station is by the Fv29 and across the street from the Grimsbu Turistsenter – a hotel/cafe/shop building.

    Einunna

    Historic Site

    When Norway was invaded on 9 April 1940, a group of Norwegians mobilised in Alvdal. They organised a defence at Einunna Bridge by blowing it up.

    When the Germans arrive on 26 April, they inspected the bridge and the Norwegians surprised them with gunfire. A fight commenced, but the Norwegians were buried in snow and hard to see. The German tanks managed to keep the Norwegians down so most of the Germans could get out. They tried to advance, but it was impossible. The Germans did eventually occupy Alvdal, but they came in via another road.

    From 2020, the bridge is being rebuilt.

    There was a rest area, but when I visited it was closed due to the construction work.

    Info about the WWII battle

    Musea i Nord Osterdalen link

    Alvdal Municipality

    You cross into Alvdal Municipality.

    Alvdal

    Town

    Alvdal is a small town (pop. 2,418) with a long tradition of mining, as is common in this part of Norway (and the focus of our drive!).

    There has been mining in Alvdal since 1656, when the first finds of copper ore were made nearby. Mining didn’t take off until copper was found in Folldal in 1745.

    The mines in Folldal got into disputes with the mining operations in Røros, including access to timber. Due to the little access to timber in Folldal, a smelting hut was built in Alvdal instead. Alvdal has plenty of access to timber. It was less resource intensive to transfer ore to Alvdal than it was to transport wood to Folldal.

    New mines were built around the area in the 18th century. From 1905, a cable car was used to transport ore to Alvdal.

    Mining operations declined and have mostly ended now. Today the largest employer is the dairy company, and many people work in agriculture and the timber industry.

    Glomma River

    River

    At 621km (386 mi), the Glomma is Norway’s longest river. It has a drainage basin that covers 13% of Norway’s surface area, all in the southern part of the country.

    At its full length, the river runs from Aursund near Røros and empties into the Oslofjord in Fredrikstad.

    The combination of raw materials, water power and transport has over the centuries encouraged industry along the Glomma. Some of the country’s largest manufacturing and processing businesses are found at its mouth.

    Tynset Municipality

    You cross into Tynset Municipality.

    Tynset

    Town

    Tynset is a small town located in the north of Østerdalen, or the Eastern Valley. It is first mentioned in 1211, when the archbishop of Nidaros consecrated a stave church. There is no stave church today; there are parts from an old stave church at Kvikne (more on that below).

    The town is known for its vast areas of forest and mountains, which are ideal for outdoor activities. Tynset is also one of the few places where most of its mountain farms (seter) are in use. You can visit them when hiking, and even rent some for the night.

    Kickers/kicksleds (Norwegian: spark) are produced here. The world’s largest kicker is in the main square of Tynset; it is four times life-size.

    Kvikne

    Historic Site/Detour

    Kvikne is home to the Kvikne copperworks, founded in 1630, which was one of Norway’s first copperworks. This led to the population in the mountain village rising and laying a foundation for further development. The copperworks was run by the Danish King, and was the largest copper plant in Norway. Eventually Folldal and Røros became more important, and Kvikne was clsoed down in 1812, though operations continued in a much smaller capacity until 1912. Only ruins remain today, but you can visit them.

    Kvikne Church is from 1654 and seats 203. It has decorated equipment and an interior with a carved altarpiece and pulpit. The crucifix is in the Romanesque style and dates to around 1200. In the attic, stave church planks in the Urnes style have been found, probably from an older church on the site. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson was baptised in the church.

    Close to the church is the Bjørgan vicarage, a museum and former vicarage in Kvikne. It is considered an artists home as Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832-1910) was born here and lived here until he was five.

    The house is built in 1780 and was a vicarage until 1860. The building was supposed to be demolished, but it was saved in an attempt to make it a museum for Bjørnson. Several items from his time are on display in the museum.

    Kvikne is a 40 minute drive from Tynset, so it is quite the detour but worth doing.

    Telneset

    Town

    The next small town along the Fv30 is Telneset. It is not an old town; it was actually built up alongside the establishment of the Røros Line in 1877. A small community was built up around the train station, and soon there was a post office and a sawmill. The sawmill made materials for building houses, and soon there was a concrete foundry to supply roof tiles and pipes, plus a carpentry to make windows, doors and furniture.

    Telneset saw a dramatic event take place here during World War II. On 24 April 1940, the Germans were coming up Østerdalen while a train with Norwegians was in retreat. The train was shelled and had to stop at Telneset. German planes came and dropped 13 bombs on the train and the damage was great; six Norwegians were killed.

    Today Telneset is a small agricultural community.

    Tolga Municipality

    You cross into Tolga Municipality.

    Tolga

    Town

    Our next stop is Tolga, which was built up around the Tolga smeltehytte (smelting cabin) in the 1660s. The smelter was operated by Røros Kobberverk and it was in operation until 8171. Tolga was a suitable location because it had waterfall power plus a good supply of timber.

    Today many people work in agricultural, though the municipality is the largest employer.

    In the town centre you’ll find an old farmstead called Dølmotunet. During the summer there are tons of activities thee, and an exhibition has items from the Stone Age to the 19th century.

    You can learn more about the smelter here. 

    Os

    Town

    Os is a small village with about 25% of the population working in agriculture. The timber industry is also important to the region.

    A skirmish took place here duing World War II. It was the last skirmish in the region before the Germans were able to occupy the area, and it was one of the few fighting operations where Swedish and Finnish volunteers participated in fighting against the occupying forces in 1940. The Germans burned down eight farms as reprisals.

    In Os you’ll find a museum with objects preserved from the region. The Forollhogna National Park is also nearby. The mountain peaks are popular for skiing in the winter.

    Trøndelag County

    You cross into Trøndelag County.

    Røros Municipality

    You cross into Røros Municipality.

    Røros

    Welcome to Røros! We made it. Røros is a UNESCO World Heritage Area full of history, charm, and things to do. I recommend parking at the Smelthytta Musuem and exploring Røros on foot. You can spend heaps of time here – be sure to make the most of it.

    Røros Travel Guide

    The Previous Drive

    The Rondane National Park

    The best way to get to Folldal is by taking the Rondane Tourist Road. 

    Rondane Tourist Road

    The Next Drive

    Oppdal to Kristiansund

    On the following day we drove to Kristiansund on the west coast of Norway via Oppdal. 

    Oppdal to Kristiansund

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

  • Bergen, History, World War II

    The Most Haunted Places in Bergen

    Haunted Places in Bergen

    I love haunted stories. Every time the husband and I travel somewhere, we do a ghost tour. No, I do not care for ghosts or scary stories. Instead, I like the stories of the everyday and the weird that makes a town sound more unique. Typical walking stories tend to focus on kings, the upper class, and famous people. Ghost stories focus on the lower class, the merchants, the poor. It’s fascinating. So, in the spirit of Halloween, I had to seek out the most haunted places in Bergen.

    Like any good ghost story, the haunted places of Bergen are local legend and not really written about in English. I had to dig through newspapers, Norwegian blogs, and other websites to find the good stuff. Bergen has some crazy stories, as this page will tell.

    If you know any ghost stories in Bergen (or surrounds) add them in the comments!

    In this article...

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    Criminals in the Rosenkrantz Tower

    The Rosenkrantz Tower is intimidating in its own right, but anyone who has been inside knows how eerie the basement is.

    A little bit about the tower. It was originally built in 1270 as an apartment for the King, Magnus the Lawmender. When Bergen was part of Denmark, the Danish lord Erik Rosenkrantz built the tower in its current form. There have been alterations to the tower before Rosenkrantz, but his is the most famous. The dungeon was added around the year 1500.

    The dungeon is 4m x 1m, and the ceiling is just high enough to stand up in. Light only comes through a crack in the walls, which are very damp. Imprisoned here were the worst prisoners. The cell was in use from the 16th until the 19th centuries.

    Eternal Guest at the Radisson Blu Hotel

    Maybe you’ll be staying at the Radisson Blu on your stay? Skip this section if so.

    Okay, for those of you who stayed. Before a major renovation at the Radisson Blu, the staff observed strange things. The events took place on the second floor near the nightclub.

    Staff saw the ‘eternal guest’ often. In the mornings, they saw him with a beer glass. The revolving doors into the kitchen also moved without anyone being there. Some employees even reported seeing a shadow following them in the corridors. Sometimes a figure would be seen on the dance-floor after closing time.

    The staff elevator is one of the most affected places. It can only be used with a code, and it links the party rooms to the kitchen. Occasionally the elevator would stop by itself on the second floor. The doors would open and everything was completely dark. No one had been to this floor.

    So, there’s a beer-loving disco ghost wandering the party rooms of the Radisson Blu.

    Hauntings at Bryggen

    Bryggen Tracteursted

    Bryggen Tracteursted is a restaurant located behind Bryggen. It’s in a schøtstuene (assembly room) built in 1708. Of course it’s haunted.
    One night a chef was working while playing some music. Suddenly, the pans from the shelves fell off. The chef is sure that something supernatural was the cause of the events.

    The Hanseatic Games

    Bryggen in general feels very haunted. After all, this is where people have Bergen have lived since the 11th century. It’s the Hanseatic times (1360-1754) that have some creepy stories. In particular are the games that the apprentice merchants would play. One is the water game, held in May. The new boys went to ships on the bay. Their clothes were taken off and a rope tied around their waist. They were then tossed into the water and hoisted up. They repeated this several times. Out at sea, several older men waiting with a rowing boat, armed with sticks. They tried to hit the wet boys. After the ceremony, the boys went back to continue serving the dinner party. One boy is believed to have died when his belly was torn open by a protruding nail outside the ship.

    There are so many stories of these games. Another one is the smoking game. Older boys made a fire, and the younger boys were tied up in ropes and lifted up above the fire. While hanging, the boy was asked questions that he should know the answer to, mostly about the business. If he got the answers right, he was released. If he got an answer wrong, he was lowered further into the fire. One boy is said to have died. The statue outside Svensgården represents that the boy came out of the fire looking he had multiple eyes and noses.

    Lonely Mother at St. Jørgens

    St. Jørgen’s Hospital is one of the best preserved leprosy hospitals in Europe. The Nonneseter Abbey constructed the hospital in the 1300s to treat the growing number of patients. Over the years it developed into one of Bergen’s most important hospitals. Armeur Hansen discovered the cause of leprosy in Bergen and worked near the hospital.

    The patients of St. Jørgens had to live in the hospital. They were self-sufficient with their own vegetable gardens and livestock. They would share rooms roughly 2m x 2m, but had a large kitchen and common area.
    One of my friends once told me a story about the hospital. Now, every time I walk through the hospital grounds (it’s part of my walking tours) I am reminded of this haunting story. A woman was admitted to St. Jørgen’s for having leprosy and had to remain on the property. Every Sunday, a nanny would bring the woman’s children to play in the park across from the hospital. The children had been told their mother had died, and they were unsure why they were playing in this park. They were brought here so their mother could see them.

    Today St. Jørgen’s is the leprosy museum of Bergen, with exhibitions and guided tours.

    Cemeteries around Bryggen

    Cemeteries are always creepy. They are also always haunted. St. Jacobs has an interesting story. Established in 1629 as a cemetery for the poor, it is the oldest cemetery in Bergen. Back then it was very uncommon to bury the poor in marked graves. So, between 60 and 70 percent of the dead had unmarked graves. Meanwhile, the wealthy were buried inside the churches – often in the floor or crypts in the basement.

    In the 19th century, it became less common to bury the wealthy in the church. After all, imagine the smell coming from the church? Eventually, St. Jacob’s became a cemetery for the upper class. The graves of many famous Bergenser’s are there.

    An honourable mention goes to the cemetery around the Bergen Cathedral. That cemetery was the leprosy cemetery. It got so full that they made cemeteries like St. Jacobs.

    Further down the road is the Assistant Cemetery. In 2016, when they were doing work on the railway, they found skulls belonging to 50-60 people. They were likely buried in the 19th century.

    Bergen Prison

    The prison in Bergen was built in the mid-19th century. A reform in the country meant new prisons based on the Philadelphia system. This meant one prisoner per cell, and harsh treatment of each prisoner. The Bergen prison did built one cell for each prisoner, but it became known for being nice to the prisoners. During the 1916 fire, the prison was in peril. The prison management let the prisoners go, asking them to come back the next day. With one or two exceptions, the prisoners returned after the prison wasn’t lost in the fire.

    The Gestapo took over the prison in 1940. One of the Gustapo’s prisoners was Gunvor Mowinckel, who was imprisoned here 1944-45. She and her husband were sheltering refugees during the Norwegian resistance and arrested for this. After an interrogation and torture by the Gestapo, they are imprisoned here. Gunvor wrote:

    “At a point in the Gestapo HQ I was asked by Kesting (Gustapo) how many children I had. When I answered, Kesting said that the children of such a terrible individual weren’t worthy of life.

    Later that day we were transferred to the Bergen County Jail. It was a horrible time. I think the fear for the children and what was coming next was the worst.”

    The prison is now abandoned and certainly has a creepy vibe about it. While the stories aren’t exactly scary, there’s something eerie about the building.

    Town Hall Prison

    The town hall prison is creepier than the main prison. The basement had a cell for 12 prisoners and a room for the mentally ill. There was no fresh air. If they had the opportunity to move around, it was in the corridor outside their cell. No outdoor area was available to them. It wasn’t a prison but a holding cell before sentencing. Prisoners could wait up to two years in this basement cell with stench, darkness, no light, no heat, and no comfort.
    When they were sentenced, they were sent to prison or executed.

    Executions were commonplace. For example, in 1630 they executed a woman for stealing from the parish clerk. In 1632 they accused a girl of causing a shipwreck – she was clearly a witch. After torture, the girl pointed the finger at another woman for causing the disaster. This woman was also executed. If the crime was petty, prisoners were deported to Northern Norway. In 1692, wealthy merchant Jørgen Thormøhlen got permission from the King to take prisoners to his colony in the West Indies.

    As mentioned above, there was a bedlam next to the holding cell. They likely received no treatment. Back then, the mentally ill were treated poorly. For example, in 1634 they executed a man for helping treat someone back to their sanity.

    A room is still preserved in the basement, but it’s seldom open to the public.

    The Apprentice

    Kløverhuset is a shopping mall located on Strandgaten in Nordnes. The shopping mall made news many years ago for noises that were coming from it at night. The noise was so intense that the locals complained to the press. It gained so much attention that a clairvoyant came to inspect the mall. The clairvoyant said she spoke to a figure named Albert Albertsen. Turns out, he was an apprentice to Johan Petersen, the man who started Kløverhuset in 1852.

    No reportings of Albert have been made in recent times, but maybe he’s still there?

    Gestapo Headquarters

    The Gestapo was an executive branch of the German security police during the Second World War. Germans occupied Bergen during the war. The Gestapo had their headquarters in a building close to the theatre. The building became known as a torture site and a symbol of the oppressive occupying power in Norway. Brutal methods when interrogating people became a trademark of the Gestapo.

    Following the drama in Telavåg in 1942 (click here to read about that), the Gestapo brought in the villagers for interrogation. One woman, Martha, did not want to tell the Gestapo about what was happening in Telavåg. She also didn’t want to identify the Norwegians who were part of it. To force a confession, the Gestapo beat Martha with wooden sticks until she lost consciousness.

    800 to 900 prisoners were subjected to violent interrogations by the Gestapo, where they were tied up and hung up in meat hooks in the basement or in offices further upstairs. A total of six resistance fighters died as a direct result of the Gestapo’s torture. 

    The Gestapo tortured many victims to death. To avoid breaking during interrogation, several prisoners jumped to their death from the 4th and 5th floors.

    After the war, the Gestapo in Bergen were convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death. Today a memorial stands outside the building for those who were tortured and died.

    A museum is currently being developed on the fourth floor, where four graves have been preserved. Read more here

    Octavia the Friendly Ghost

    Every theatre has a ghost, and Bergen’s is the friendliest. Her name is Octavia Sperati, and she is one of the female actors from the theatres early days. She is a useful ghost, taking care of the building and the people working there.

    There are several sightings of Octavia. She is observed as a woman in a white dress flying around the corridors. There are reports of knocking noises, footsteps in corridors, and paintings falling off the wall. Some even claim to hear her voice.

    If you want to see her, there is a portrait of her in the lobby. The painting has survived fires and bombings, so people think she’s the ghost.

    Ghosts in the Natural History Museum

    Rakkerdammen is a swamp area located close to the Natural History Museum. The swamp is gone, the remnants are now a pond. The site is an old execution site; ‘rakker’ means ‘executioner’. In the old times, children were told to avoid the swamp as the ghosts could take them into the swamp.
    It’s believed the ghosts haunt the Natural History Museum.. After all, it’s built on the old court square next to the execution site. Unusual activities are said to be the ghosts of those executed. The last execution was in 1803. Anders Lysne was beheaded for leading a farmers’ revolt against forced military service.

    Some of the objects inside the museum are also haunted. The Egypt department has 5,000-year-old statues on display that turn and move. This is even though they are behind glass. Observations of a monk have also been made. The old monk is moving around in the church exhibition area.

    Sibling Drama

    There’s sightings of ghosts near the old Munkeliv Monastery in Nordnes. It’s not from the monastery itself; the monastery is today a park. Rather, it comes from one of the houses close by. Yes, Bergen has a haunted house. The story goes that two siblings were romantically involved with one another and living in a house in Nordnes. The sister got pregnant, which is of course a bad thing. The couple killed the child when it was born. Then it is said the brother killed the sister before hanging himself.

    The park over the monastery is also said to be haunted. After all, the soil was taken from an old cemetery where Bergen’s worst criminals were buried. We’ll explore them now.

    Execution on Nordnes

    The majority of executions took place on the Nordnes Peninsula. There are two separate sites: Galgebakken and the area close to the aquarium.
    Galgebakken means ‘gallows’, and it’s where some executions took place. It is also where pillories were to punish and humiliate prisoners.

    The site close to the aquarium is famous for its witch burning. Over 100 women burned at the stake for being a witch in Bergen. The most famous is Anne Pedersdatter Beyer, who was the widow of priest Absalon Beyer. During the witch trials, it was very uncommon for upper class women like Anne to be accused of witchcraft. Typically, witches came from the lower classes. Being accused of witchcraft could be due to ordinary, everyday accidents. The worse accusations involved women taking part in accidents, most often shipwrecks. It’s believed they burned Anne for being a witch because she was unpopular in Bergen. After all, once you are accused, it was hard to fight that.

    Later on, the site was used for executions. Between 1842 and 1902, 1888 people were sentenced to death in Norway but only 20 were executed. Four people were beheaded in Bergen after 1814 on this site. One was the counterfeiter Jens Fenstad. Another was murderer Jakob Alexander Jakobsen Wallin. The latter was the last public execution in Bergen in 1876. 5,000 people were present when Jakob was executed. Those present were from the lower classes. The upper classes had read in the newspaper to stay away from the execution.

    St. Pauli Cemetery

    The site where St. Pauli Cemetery used to be is said to be the most haunted place in Bergen. The cemetery was established around 1650 for the poor and criminals of Bergen. It is often said that there were ghosts both inside and outside the walls. This is because they buried the poor in the walls. Meanwhile they buried the executed criminals outside the walls. Jens Fenstad, the counterfeiter, was buried outside the wall. A stone slab was over his grave until the end of the 19th century. A courthouse used to stand next to the cemetery.

    Ever since the cemetery was built over and the area got gas lanterns (and now modern lighting), the ghost activity has calmed down. Additionally, in the late 19th century the remains were moved to Møllendal Cemetery. The soil was used to built Nordnes Park, which they think has hauntings from the criminals.

    Resources

    histos.no / An excellent website with historical stories about Bergen

    Nordnes Republikken / A blog about the Nordnes Peninsula

    NRK.no

    BT.no

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide