ENGLISH 2016 Tysnes fitjar austevoll kvinnherad stord etne Sveio bømlo www.visitsunnhordland.no Krokeide Bergen JONDAL J OS O Osøyro N Fusa D A L S T U N N E L E Halhjem N Hufthamar FOLG EFO Storebø NN Sundal TU NN Varaldsøy EL AUSTEVOLL EN en d r o Husavik Lunde j Våge Gjermundshamn f Reksteren r Fonnabu e Hatlestrand g Årsnes Odda n Stolmen Bekkjarvik Uggdal a d r Årbakka a Løfallstrand Ølve H TYSNES FOLGEFONNA ODDA Sandvikvåg Rosendal NASJONALPARK Fitjar Brandasund Møsevatnet Uskedalen Dimmelsvik FITJAR Hodnanes Jektavik Herøysund KVINNHERAD Husnes Huglo Fjæra Rubbestadneset Sunde STORD Ranavik Svortland Valen Sørstokken n de BØMLO or Sagvåg Leirvik Utåker fj ra k Matre Åkra Å Halsnøy Røldal Finnås Fjelberg Sydnes Mosterhamn Valevåg Skånevik Etnefjella Utbjoa ETNE Bjoa Etne Førde Sauda Espevær Langevåg Buavåg Vikebygd Ølen SVEIO Haukås Sandeid Sveio Knapphus Haugesund/Stavanger FROM ONARHEIM WITH VIEW AT THE KVINNHERAD MOUNTAINS -MAGNE OVE KLEPPE 3 understanding Content Content the guide 04 Sunnhordland – from the ocean to the glacier Travel tips 8 – 12 Tips for the best adventures and activities in 06 Folgefonna – the southernmost glacier in Norway Sunnhordland. 08 Round trips by car What to do 14 – 29 Sunnhordland offers soft and hard outdoor 13 Transport adventures. During summer you find a lot of cultural events and festivals. 14 Hiking Presentation of the 8 areas 30 – 79 The Sunnhordland region consists of eight 18 Cycling municipalities. Each municipality is presented 22 Boating and fishing with contact information to the tourist information, map over the municipality, activities, sights and 25 Paddling marinas. Overview over tourism businesses 80 – 85 26 Festivals and events At the end of the guide, you will find useful 30 Activities and sights information about the different tourism services in Sunnhordland. 30 Tysnes Map 30 – 79 Every area has it’s own map that shows 38 Fitjar accommodation, attractions and activities, with number reference in the map and the pages. Easy 44 Austevoll to plan your vacation.The map shows ferries, 50 Kvinnherad express boats, marinas/ports and outdoor areas. 58 Stord VisitNorway App - Free 64 Etne Explore sights, accommodation, events and activities where you 70 Sveio travel. 74 Bømlo 80 Accommodation 81 Restaurants / Cafés VISIT SUNNHORDLAND 83 Activities and sights 85 Marinas [email protected] WWW.VISITSUNNHORDLAND.NO 85 Shopping LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION: ZPIRIT REKLAMEBYRÅ - ZPIRIT.NO COVER PHOTO: GLACIER KAYAKING IN MØSEVATNET- FOLGEFONNI BREFØRARLAG CO STÅLE SUNDFJORD 4 Sunnhordland ocean the glacier the from to – STORDFJELLET, VIEW OVER FOLGEFONNA GLACIER, KVINNHERAD MOUNTAINS, HALSNØY AND HUGLO Sunnhordland – where the majestic glacier and the fjord meet the sea In Sunnhordland, the wild sea meets majestic mountainsides and waterfalls, icy glaciers and exposed skerries. There are lots of nature and cultural experiences and activities on offer in these spectacular surroundings. Wonderful experiences await you in the Sunnhordland region! 5 The ocean History Religion Sunnhordland ocean the glacier the from – to In the outermost part of the region, the Like its distinctive and varied scenery, The people of Sunnhordland have always landscape is dominated by the ocean Sunnhordland also has a varied history been god-fearing – both in old Norse and the coastline. Imagine watching the for visitors to explore. Sunnhordland was times and in more recent times. It was no ocean waves pounding against the rocks one of the first areas to be settled in Nor- accident, therefore, that Olav Tryggvason at Bømlo or in Austevoll. Or perhaps you way, and up through the ages the area choose to go ashore in Moster in 995 find it more tempting to watch the sun has had a special place in the country’s AD in order to take over the throne and go down over the sea from Ryvarden history. That is why Sunnhordland is one start the Christianisation of Norway. In lighthouse? No matter the weather, a of the areas with most ancient monu- 1024, Olav Haraldson arrived in Moster trip to these barren but vibrant areas of ments and the richest cultural heritage, accompanied by Bishop Grimkjell, and our region will prove an unforgettable dating back thousands of years. oversaw the adoption of Christian law by experience. Fishermen, hunters the Mostratinget assembly. Moster is still home to one of the The fjord and the islands and boat builders oldest churches in Norway – Moster Old As you move further inland, a fascinat- Fishing and hunting have always been ing island and fjord kingdom opens up important when people have settled in an Church. Erling Skakke built Halsnøy before your eyes. There are thousands area. This is also true of Sunnhordland, Monastery on the island of Halsnøy, one of large and small islands in the region whose inhabitants have shown great of the mightiest Augustinian monasteries – all of them marked by the friendly and prowess in exploiting the area’s natural in Norway’s history. hospitable character of the people of resources. Fish from the sea and the Sunnhordland. Norway’s second longest fjords and game from bountiful hunting The Viking era and the nobility fjord – the Hardangerfjord – starts in grounds have always been important Given its central location, it was almost Sunnhordland. This 179-km-long fjord, to people in this part of Hordaland. The inevitable that Sunnhordland would come often called the ”Queen of the Norwegian people of Sunnhordland have always to occupy a prominent place during the fjords”, also contributes to the distinctive been a travelling people, and boatbuild- Viking era. The region became a central character of the region. ing became an important activity early in base for Viking chieftains who often went the area’s history. It is still an important raiding in the west. There are many plac- industry, although nowadays they build Mountains and glacier es, therefore, where relics of this era can modern ships and the world’s biggest oil Furthest inland in the region, the mighty be seen. The aristocracy subsequently Sunnhordland mountains tower heaven- installations. made their presence felt and the building wards, with some peaks as tall as 1700 of the Barony Rosendal was completed in metres. The mountains surround Nor- 1665 – the only one of its kind in Norway. way’s third largest glacier – Folgefonna. This magnificent glacier is “spread” Popular culture over the mountains of the Folgefonna peninsula like the icing on a cake. Some However, the most important element of Norway’s most spectacular waterfalls in any region is the people themselves. cascade down the mountainsides. Fol- The great activity that has charac- gefonna National Park, the 25th national terised Sunnhordland has of course park in Norway, was opened here in created the basis for a lively folk culture, summer 2005. which has fortunately been nurtured and maintained throughout the region Sunnhordland. 6 Folgefonna FOLGEFONNA GLACIER - SAMARBEIDSRÅDET FOR SUNNHORDLAND Folgefonna – Norway’s southernmost glacier The area on and around Folgefonna, the third largest mainland glacier, became a national park in 2005. The Folgefonna peninsula offers glacier and wilderness, geological diversity, rich plant and animal life, cultural treasures and a beautiful landscape. The area offers a diverse range of experiences and accommodation. www.folgefonna.info 7 Great nature experiences await you on This IS Folgefonna: Folgefonna and around the Folgefonna glacier. Åkrafjordtunet in Odda, Agatunet in Three plateau glaciers: Northern, Ullensvang, Juklafjord in Jondal and Central and Southern Folgefonna. Rosendal serve as fantastic gateways Southern Folgefonna is the third for trips to the Folgefonna National largest glacier in Norway. Park. They provide information about the national park and fun activities in the The highest point is 1,660 metres area. above sea level. For example, you can walk the ‘tourist The ice on the Folgefonna route’ across the Folgefonna glacier peninsula covers an area of from Sundal to Fonnabu and take part in approx. 270 km2. The area is a guided glacier walk across the glacier, divided between five municipalities visit Fonna Glacier Ski Resort (summer in Sunnhordland and Hardanger: ski centre) in Jondal, walk through the Kvinnherad, Jondal, Ullensvang, Buerdalen or Bondhusdalen valleys, walk Odda and Etne. on the restored Buførevegen road that goes from Reisæter across the mountain folgefonna.info just north of Nordfonna and down to Botsvatn lake above Øvre Krossdalen in Jondal. In the Åkrafjord, you can join walks along the fjord or see the geology exhibition at Rullestad. In Rosendal, a visit to the Stone Park is recommended. The new Folgefonna Centre in Rosendal opens in spring 2017. There, visitors will be able to learn about the Folgefonna glacier and the nature in the area from the very bottom of the Hardangerfjord to the national park, and about the climate and its impact on our lives. 8 round trips by car HISKABRUA BRIDGE, BØMLO - TORALV M. BREKKE Adventurous experiences in Sunnhordland Experience Historic Hotels, winners of Bocuse d’Or, local food, and spectacular nature experiences in between islands and fjords. Exciting histories on historical ground from when the Viking kings ruled or be seduces by a magical walk on the glacier Folgefonna! FOLGEFONNA NASJONALPARK Krokeide J O N D A L S JONDAL T OS U N N Os E 9 L E N Hufthamar Halhjem FOL GEF ON NT Varaldsøy UN Storebø NE round trips by car LEN AUSTEVOLL Våge Gjermundshamn ODDA From Leirvik: Husavik Uggdal • Bergen -