Valdres

Understand

The municipalities which make up Valdres are Etnedal, Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, and Vang. Geographically speaking, Valdres lies between Gudbrandsdalen to the north and east, Ringerike south east, Hallingdal to the south west and finally Sogn westwards. Valdres sits just beneath Jotunheimen and the Valdres valleys forms a basin at one level above the eastern lowlands and one level beneath Jotunheimen. The local food traditions together with hundreds of mountain farms still run by the locals make the valley complex quite interesting for the tourist off the beaten track. Also, don't be surprised if you run into hotel owners from the Netherlands or Belgium. Quite a few non Norwegian families have settled in this area far away from the densely populated Central Europe.

Getting there

By car From the north: Road 51 Valdresflya From the west (Bergen and Sognefjord) Road E16 from Lærdal Road 53 from Årdal From Oslo and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen Road E16 Road 33 from Dokka From Gjøvik, Lillehamer and Hedmark Road 33 through Dokka From Hallingdal and Hardangervidda Road 51 from Gol

By plane 1 Fagernes Airport, Leirin (VDB IATA) (10 minutes from Fagernes). The local airport operated by DOT with daily connections to Oslo (30 minutes) Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is about 3 hours by car from Fagernes.

By bus Nor-Way Bussekspress (express buses). . Most express buses running through the region are operated by this company. Connections to Oslo, Lillehammer, Sogn, Jotunheimen and Hallingdal Valdresekspressen (express coach), ☏ +47 61 36 59 00, fax: +47 61 36 16 00, [email protected]. . Route (Up to six daily departures): Oslo-Hønefoss-Valdres-Sogn and Oslo-Hønefoss-Valdres-Jotunheimen. Øst-Vest Xpressen (express coach), ☏ +47 61 36 59 00, fax: +47 61 36 16 00, [email protected]. . Route (One departue per day): Bergen-Voss-Lærdal-Valdres-Land-Lillehammer. JVB (local buses), ☏ +47 61 36 59 00, fax: +47 61 36 16 00, [email protected]. 08-16. . Connections to Gjøvik, Gol, Lærdal and Gjende.

Getting around

By car The central route E16 from Ringerike through Bagn,[Aurdal, Fagernes, Vang and Filefjell mountain pass to Lærdal in Sognefjord area. E16 ends in the major city of Bergen on the west coast. Route 51 (county road) runs from Gol through Fagernes, Beitostølen ski resort and Valdresflya mountain pass to road 15 at Vågå in Otta valley.

By bus

By boat M/B Bitihorn (local boat), ☏ +47 61 36 59 00, fax: +47 61 36 16 00, [email protected]. 08-16. . Summer season, route: Eidsbugarden-Torfinnsbu-Bygdin.

By snowmobile Snowmobiles (snowmobile), ☏ +47 61 36 59 00, fax: +47 61 36 16 00, [email protected]. 08-16. . Winter season, route: Tyin-Tyinholmen-Eidsbugarden.

See

1 Lomen stave church (Lomen stavkyrkje). A 12th century stave church in the small village of Lomen in Vestre Slidre municipality. Can be visited outdoor anytime, but the church is close to residential buildings - respect the privacy of residents. The church is without electric light and heating, and it is only used for weddings and church services during the summer season. This small wooden building has survived for 800 years. Lomen stave Church is of the most elaborate type with an elevated mid section. (updated Nov 2018) 2 Reinli stave church. A small wooden stave church from 13th century in Reinli, a village in the Sør-Aurdal municipality. (updated Nov 2018) 3 Valdres folkemuseum (Valdres museum of cultural heritage). There are 95 houses and other constructions, comprising around 20,000 items, and the museum is the fourth largest Norwegian outdoor museum. (updated Nov 2018) 4 Hedal Stave Church (Hedalen stavkyrkje) (Detour from E16 between Nes and Bagn). A 12th century stave church at the settlement of Hedalen in Sør-Aurdal district. The western portal is one of the most elaborate in Norway. The building was originally small and rectangular. In 1699 it was enlarged and changed to cruciform shape, this addition was done with log construction (horizontal planks) as can be seen inside. The tower was added in 1738 and in 1902 the wooden roof cover was replaced with slate. Hedalen valley as presumably deserted for more than a century after the Black Plague around 1350. According to a legend the abandoned and forgotten church was rediscovered by a hunter. Inside the church there is a bear fur-skin from around year 1300. The church owns a Madonna and a reliquary from the 13th century. (updated Nov 2018) 5 Høre Stave Church (Høre stavkyrkje). Wooden Church from 1180, one of less than 30 such remaining from the Middle Ages. Runic inscriptions refers to "recent events" in year 1179. Age of the building has been confirmed by other methods. (updated Nov 2018) 6 Slidredomen (

Do

Valdres hosts several festivals:

Norsk Rakfiskfestival, early November each year - Thursday to Sunday. This festival praises the local food rakfisk. Jørn Hilme-stemnet, a festival devoted to local music, named after one of the most famous fiddle musicians in Norway. Valdres Sommersymfoni, a European chamber music festival for talented young musicians Vinjerock, definitely a kind of its own. Alpine rock festival in Eidsbugarden, Jotunheimen

Sports 1 Beitostølen ski resort (Road 51 from Fagernes). Cross country ski tracks and alpine slopes. Relatively long season from November to late April. Beitostølen is a small village with lots of holiday homes. (updated Nov 2018)

Eat

Valdres Gjestegard (the old prison), Aurdal (between Aurdal and Leira), ☏ +47 61 36 23 61. Beef restaurant: Friday and Saturday nights. This building is a former prison - the cellars still with the prison cells intact. In the beef restaurant you can enjoy a good steak with wine or beer, the tables actually set in the prison cells themselves. Candle lights are lit - and privacy is enforced with the 1 meter thick stone walls. Fagerlund Hotell, Fagernes, ☏ +47 61 36 18 58. Local foods, great beef and a chance of dining outside if weather and temperature allows. Valdresporten (E16 at Nes). Traditional cafeteria targeting drivers on main roads (updated Sep 2021)

Go next

Gudbrandsdalen - Valdres' big brother in the east Sognefjord - the great fjord just west of Valdres Geiranger or Stryn - nice drive across Valdresflya to Ottadalen valley Hallingdal - the parallel valley to west/south Ringerike and Hønefoss at Tyrifjorden lake Gjøvik and Mjøsa lake to the east