Fjord Norway – Hardangerfjord

This September we had the great opportunity to go and discover Fjord Norway! This beautiful region in Norway is well known for its fjords, mountains, glaciers and many outdoor activities. During our road trip we’ve visited different places around two of the main fjords in the area: the Hardangerfjord and the Sognefjord. This blogpost is about places to go around the great Hardangerfjord!

Read more about the Sognefjord here!

Hardangerfjord

The Hardangerfjord is the second longest fjord in Norway. It’s 179 km long and reaches all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the small town of Odda. The Hardangerfjord region is spectacularly beautiful and an absolute must visit when traveling to Norway. The region is easily reached from the city of Bergen, which was also the starting point of our road trip. There are many walks and hikes around the Hardangerfjord, the most famous one is the spectacular hike to Trolltunga.

 

Trolltunga

One hike we couldn’t miss was the famous hike to Trolltunga (the Troll’s tongue). The hike is both breathtaking and exhausting. The Trolltunga trail is 23 km long and the ascent is about 900 meters. It took us 11 hours to finish the whole trail. The hike itself contains some steep parts but it’s doable for most people. The most difficult element of this hike is the length. We were well prepared with enough food, water (you can fill up your bottle in the streams along the route) and good hiking equipment. We did come across some people wearing slippery sneakers and carrying just a plastic bag with two sandwiches. They probably did not have a great time, but if you prepare yourself well then you will definitely love it. Despite the length and painful feet it was so worth it! During the whole trail you can enjoy amazing views! One of the best views is of course Trolltunga itself. It is a bit crowded, so expect a row before stepping onto the stone! Check our photo guide here for more photos of this 22km trail!

 

Mount Oksen

Another beautiful hike is a full day trip to the top of Mount Oksen. From the top you’ll have a panoramic 360 degrees view of 4 fjords! The ascent is about 1000m with almost no flat parts and it took us about 5-6 hours to hike to the top and back down. It’s definitely as beautiful as the hike to Trolltunga, but a lot less touristy! We were accompanied by a guide from Outdoor Norway who could tell us lots about the region. You can actually see us hiking this trail in their movie here!

Folgefonna National Park

We love glaciers, so a glacier hike had to be on our program! We hiked the Juklavass Glacier in Folgefonna National Park and found some really blue ice! The blue color was very bright, light and amazing. Together with a group of 6 and a guide from Folgefonni Breførarlag we hiked across the glacier for about 5-6 hours. We also had the opportunity to descent down into a crevasse! Despite the fog we experienced on the glacier we had some nice views of the fjords and lakes in the area. With a clear sky the views should be even better! The hike started at the Fonna Glacier Ski Resort where you can ski in the summer!

 

Folgefonna National Park is definitely a must see when visiting Fjord Norway! Drive over the narrow roads and hike upon the mountains to get the best views!

 

Rosendal

During our first 2 days in Fjord Norway we stay in Rosendal, which is situated along the shore of the Hardangerfjord. Rosendal has a small harbor which is a perfect place to go and see the sunset. From Rosendal we explored different places around Folgefonna National Park. One of those places was the beautiful Bondhusvatnet. This lake is very peaceful and the boat makes the scenery perfect for a nice picture! You can park your car in Sundal and from there it’s an easy 45 min. hike to the lake.

Voss

Voss is situated between the Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord and is considered to be the city of outdoor adventure! You’ll have forests, rivers, waterfalls, lakes and the two famous fjords nearby. There are lots of activities which you can choose from. We decided to go kayaking on Vangsvatnet lake with Outdoor Norway!  During our stay we slept at the Store Ringheim Hotel. We stayed in the historical room and it was quite something special!

Bergen

Bergen is the perfect place to start your journey into the great Fjords. Bergen is a major Norwegian city with about 275.000 people, but the city center is small enough to explore on foot. You can stroll around the old streets and see Bryggen, the famous old wooden houses. Make sure to go up to Mt. Fløyen with the Fløibanen or Mt Ulriken with a cable car to have a great panoramic view of the city. Unfortunately when we arrived at the top of Mt Ulriken we were in the middle of the clouds.

This post was made in partnership with Visit Norway and Fjord Norway who sponsored our trip to the fjords. All our opinions and photos are our own.