Eik Cemetery which used to be located next to a bridge. On the stone it says: says: it stone the On bridge. a to next located be to used which Cemetery Eik 1873. 1873.

Eikesteinen (Oakstone) is a stone with 1000 year old rock carvings found at at found carvings rock old year 1000 with stone a is (Oakstone) Eikesteinen Blåfjell mines and Ruggesteinen are Geopark location 37. location Geopark are Ruggesteinen and mines Blåfjell railroad in western . The frst steam locomotive was used here in in here used was locomotive steam frst The Norway. western in railroad boathouses, barns for the storage of peat and cowsheds. and peat of storage the for barns boathouses,

STOP 2: EIKESTEINEN 2: STOP large concentrations of ilmenite that were mined in the Blåfjell area. Blåfjell the in mined were that ilmenite of concentrations large on the track started in 1864 and in 1879 it became the frst completed completed frst the became it 1879 in and 1864 in started track the on vibrant coastal activity and a beautiful cultural landscape, with old old with landscape, cultural beautiful a and activity coastal vibrant

known as the Blåfjell-Måkevatne intrusion. This intrusion locally contains contains locally intrusion This intrusion. Blåfjell-Måkevatne the as known Blåfjell mines to Rekefjord from where it was transported by ship. Work Work ship. by transported was it where from Rekefjord to mines Blåfjell the geology of the area has infuenced cultural history. You will experience experience will You history. cultural infuenced has area the of geology the

place of worship for centuries. for worship of place (magma) penetrated the already existing anorthosite. It formed what is is what formed It anorthosite. existing already the penetrated (magma) The railway is 8.5 km long and was used to carry ilmenite ore from the the from ore ilmenite carry to used was and long km 8.5 is railway The paved roads full of natural and cultural experiences. You appreciate how how appreciate You experiences. cultural and natural of full roads paved

have revealed traces of older churches here, indicating that this has been a a been has this that indicating here, churches older of traces revealed have means coarse grained rock. The norite pegmatite formed when molten rock rock molten when formed pegmatite norite The rock. grained coarse means The tour takes you through the varied landscape along winding gravel and and gravel winding along landscape varied the through you takes tour The STOP 4: THE OLD RAILWAY OLD THE 4: STOP

the beginning of the 1300s. This is based on archaeological discoveries that that discoveries archaeological on based is This 1300s. the of beginning the mostly of two minerals: plagioclase feldspar and orthopyroxene. Pegmatite Pegmatite orthopyroxene. and feldspar plagioclase minerals: two of mostly

Dalane. It has been estimated that there has been a church in since since Sokndal in church a been has there that estimated been has It . with a very coarse-grained noritic pegmatite. Norite is a rock that consists consists that rock a is Norite pegmatite. noritic coarse-grained very a with push at the right place! It is northern Europe’s largest rocking stone. rocking largest Europe’s northern is It place! right the at push an earlier mining industry. mining earlier an

Sokndal church was built in 1803 and is located in the centre of Hauge in in Hauge of centre the in located is and 1803 in built was church Sokndal The ilmenite (iron titanium oxide) ore at Blåfjell is found in conjunction conjunction in found is Blåfjell at ore oxide) titanium (iron ilmenite The large boulder weighs 74 tons and can be rocked back and forth – if you you if – forth and back rocked be can and tons 74 weighs boulder large of pre-Christian worship and at Blåfjell there are well preserved traces of of traces preserved well are there Blåfjell at and worship pre-Christian of

STOP 1: SOKNDAL CHURCH SOKNDAL 1: STOP

Here you can visit Norway’s frst protected geological item (1923). This This (1923). item geological protected frst Norway’s visit can you Here Viking hero Orvar Odd was born in this area. At Rossland there are traces traces are there Rossland At area. this in born was Odd Orvar hero Viking

ROUTE 2: EXTRA (PRUPLE) (PRUPLE) EXTRA 2: ROUTE mines at Blåfjell, but not since the 1920´s. the since not but Blåfjell, at mines landmark for sailors during the Viking era. The sagas also record that the the that record also sagas The era. Viking the during sailors for landmark STOP 3: RUGGESTEINEN - A ROCKING STONE ROCKING A - RUGGESTEINEN 3: STOP

employed at Blåfjell mine. Several attempts were made to reopen the the reopen to made were attempts Several mine. Blåfjell at employed

Icelandic sagas tell that the characteristic mountain Hådyr was a famous famous a was Hådyr mountain characteristic the that tell sagas Icelandic

same place as the main route and is about 13 km long. km 13 about is and route main the as place same mining operations here which lasted for 12 years. Up to 200 people were were people 200 to Up years. 12 for lasted which here operations mining original is exhibited in the Archaeological Museum in Stavanger. in Museum Archaeological the in exhibited is original the sea and geology have always been crucial for the population. The The population. the for crucial been always have geology and sea the

also an extra bike trip (route 2) to Blåfjell. Route 2 starts and ends at the the at ends and starts 2 Route Blåfjell. to 2) (route trip bike extra an also The English company “The Norwegian Titanic Iron Company Ltd” started started Ltd” Company Iron Titanic Norwegian “The company English The Today there is a copy of the stone in the town hall at Soknatun; the the Soknatun; at hall town the in stone the of copy a is there Today Sokndal is ’s southernmost municipality and is a place where where place a is and municipality southernmost Rogaland’s is Sokndal

to get to Hådyr the bicycle must be parked and you have to walk. There is is There walk. to have you and parked be must bicycle the Hådyr to get to from 1863 to 1875. There were about 20 large and small mines here. here. mines small and large 20 about were There 1875. to 1863 from This stone with rock carving is one of only two such discoveries in Norway. in discoveries such two only of one is carving rock with stone This

Sokndal (see map: start and end). Route 1 is approximately 28 km long, but but long, km 28 approximately is 1 Route end). and start map: (see Sokndal abandoned railway line. The mining of ilmenite at Blåfjell was most active active most was Blåfjell at ilmenite of mining The line. railway abandoned The stone was found in many fragments but is today almost complete. complete. almost today is but fragments many in found was stone The each other in this tour of discovery through Sokndal. through discovery of tour this in other each

The cycle ride starts and ends in the parking lot at Eigersundsveien in in Eigersundsveien at lot parking the in ends and starts ride cycle The The remains of several old mines are preserved along the course of the the of course the along preserved are mines old several of remains The a bridge in memory of his deceased mother and carved this into the rock. rock. the into this carved and mother deceased his of memory in bridge a vibrant coastal culture and spectacular nature. Great experiences follow follow experiences Great nature. spectacular and culture coastal vibrant

START & END: SOKNDAL END: & START ) MINES ) MOUNTAIN (BLUE BLÅFJELL 5: STOP “For the sake of God, Sakse built this bridge for his mother, Turid.” He built built He Turid.” mother, his for bridge this built Sakse God, of sake the “For A dramatic war story and a forgotten Viking hero and combined with a a with combined and hero Viking forgotten a and story war dramatic A

Hådyr (stop 7) 7) (stop Hådyr INTRODUCTION

Ruggesteinen (Stop 3) (Stop Ruggesteinen The old railway (stop 4) (stop railway old The

ROUTE 2 ROUTE CURVE HEIGHT -

The Mines at Blåfjell (stop 5) (stop Blåfjell at Mines The Different mines entrances in Blåfjell (stop 5) (stop Blåfjell in entrances mines Different

ROUTE 1 ROUTE CURVE HEIGHT -

Magma Geopark Elvegaten 23, 4370 Egersund GEOBIKE [email protected] No. Forente Nasjoner Magma 20 Organisasjon for Utdanning, UNESCO Vitenskap og Kultur Global Geopark www.magmageopark.com Sokndal - Nesvåg - (Blåfjell) - Sokndal

28 km + 13 km SOKNDAL MUNICIPALITY

Photo: Magma Geopark Photo: MAGMA GEOPARK Photo: Richard Larssen Richard Photo:

In Magma Geopark the main rock type is the same as the lighter- Magma Geopark is a unique geological area in southwest Norway coloured parts of the surface of the moon - anorthosite. Anorthosite in comprising fve municipalities: , , , Lund the geopark crystallised in large magma chambers about 930 million and Sokndal. Here you will fnd over 40 sites that present exciting years ago. It developed in the root zone of a mountain range similar geological and cultural features ready to be explored by everyone! to the modern Himalayas. When the ice retreated for the last time, the anorthosite became exposed and is waiting for your footprints. Magma Geopark is part of UNESCO Global Geoparks, a network of more than 127 geoparks (in 2017) from around the world. A UNESCO Global Geopark is a well defned geographical area where the landscape is of international geological importance and which is run for conservation, education and sustainable development. Such an area helps raise awareness and understanding of the geological heritage and its history, geohazards, natural resources and climate change, as well as www.magmageopark.com gender equality and local knowledge.

BJERKREIM EIGERSUND FLEKKEFJORD LUND SOKNDAL ROGALAND VEST-AGDER KOMMUNE KOMMUNE KOMMUNE KOMMUNE KOMMUNE FYLKESKOMMUNE FYLKESKOMMUNE Vågan bridge (stop 4) View from Birkeland (stop 8) Øvre Saurdal (stop 11) Haugen at Rossland (stop 12)

ROUTE 1: MAIN ROUTE (BLUE) Hådyr (stop 7) Boathouses in Nesvåg (stop 5) Outcrop of anorthosite (stop 1) View point at Hådyr (stop 7) Hay barns at ÅvendalJohan (stop Feyer 9) Alter at Rossland (stop 12) Erratic boulder at stop 10

STOP 1: ANORTHOSITE There are open mines on both sides at the mouth of the fjord. Pale grey At Engelsholmen there have been a number of ancient fndings that date STOP 6: LØYNINGÅSEN Here you can observe the same rock type that forms the light parts of anorthosite is extracted to the west and dark grey jotunite (which the back to the Iron Age. There is also a local story reporting that the crew of During the Iron Age there was probably a farm here. There are several the moon - anorthosite. Anorthosite consists almost entirely of just one quarry owners call “norit”) to the east. The aggregate from the anorthosite a ship from England buried their unfortunate colleagues who had died of graves and remains of other farms of the same age in the area. To the east mineral – plagioclase feldspar. This mineral sometimes gives the rock a is used for concrete, asphalt and much more. plague in Engelsholmen. The burial site contains 7 or 8 graves. is a farm called Berglyd where, according to the sagas, Orvar Odd grew up. play of colours in blue tones. STOP 3: ODVAR ODD Vågan bridge (from 1932) is 21.4 m long and 3.5 m wide. It is the last STOP 7: HÅDYR STOP 2: REKEFJORD The Viking hero Orvar Odd is known from Icelandic sagas that state that arched bridge that was built of non-reinforced concrete and natural stones The bikes should be parked and the hike made by foot. Rekefjord was formed largely by the action of ice. Glaciers eroded a deep he was born in Sokndal. Odvar Odd raged across large parts of Europe in Rogaland. Hådyr is a beautiful scenic spot with a good view of the sea. The mountain U-shaped valley in the terrain. The valley became flled by the sea when with his three magic arrows that always hit their target and returned to top is painted white because it was used as a landmark for sailors for the ice melted after the last ice age about 10.000 years ago to form a deep the owner. The football club “Odd” has its name from the same Viking. STOP 5: NESVÅG BOATHOUSES centuries. The mountain is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas about Vikings fjord. According to the sagas, Odvar Odd was buried on a mountain top nearby. Nesvåg is located between mountains, which makes it a sheltered harbour. in the area. To the northwest you can see Eigerøy island in the distance Fishing has taken place from here for many generations and there are and to the southeast is the plain of Lista. The rocks around Rekefjord are igneous which means that they have STOP 4: VÅGAN old boathouses and seaside stalls at the very heart of the harbour. Nine crystallized from magma. The Eia-Rekefjord intrusion extends from Vågan is a naturally sheltered harbour, with archaeological traces back boathouses in a row were built during the last part of the 19th century. STOP 8: VIEW FROM BIRKELAND Rekefjord in the the south to Eia in the north. It consists of a fairly coarse to the Stone Age. Here there is a memorial sign that marks the frst shot Here you can visit the Nesvåg Maritime and Motor Museum - a restored The anorthosite landscape extends from Jæren in the northwest to grained rock type called jotunite - a name that comes from Jotunheim in fred against Norway during World War II. The shot was a warning from fshing village from 1883. There is an exhibition of old boat engines, Flekkefjord in the southeast. The landscape is characterized by rounded, Norway. the British warship HMS Intrepid to the German cargo ship Altmark. The fshing gear and maritime objects. bare rocky surfaces. The anorthosite is poor in fertile components (like boarding of the Altmark in Jøssingfjord became known as the “Altmark magnesium and phosphorus) so there is very little vegetation on the rocky affair”. surfaces. It is described as a lunar landscape.

NO. LOCALITIES DESCRIPTION STOP 9: HØYLØE ÅVENDAL P Start and end Park at the carpark on the left of Eigersundsveien near Krossen. At Åvendal there are what appears to be small houses - but they lack a 2.3 km from the start (at Støllevik) there is anorthosite on the 1 Anortositt right. sidewall. These are hay barns that were built around 1870-1880. They were 2 Rekefjord Rekefjord can be seen 50 m from stop 1. built of un-cemented stones with tiles on the roof. Hay was dried in these 3 Orvar Odd 2 km further you pass Oddsfjell. buildings in olden times. About 1.5 km from stop 3 you reach Vågan bay. Vågan bridge is 4 Vågan ca. 200 m further on. 5 Nesvåg After 0.9 km you reach Nesvåg. STOP 10: GLACIAL ERRATICS 6 Løyningåsen You cycle past Løyningåsen. These are boulders or stones that have been transported and deposited by Follow the road up from Nesvåg for about 3 km. The trip to a glacier. The erratics are usually “foreign” since they consist of different Hådyr takes just under an hour (2.5 km). Park your bicycles 10 7 Hådyr here. The walk starts on a tractor path at Vatland. The path rock types than the bedrock beneath. Is is sometims possible to identify crosses to a red-marked trail through unspoiled countryside, the source by the special geological nature of the boulder. Angular including marshes and fields. Remember good footwear! 11 8 Birkeland viewpoint 1 km further; viewpoint. 9 boulders have generally not travelled very far – as is the case here. 9 Høyløe 2 km further on are the hay barns at Åvendal. Follow the road and you will come to road 44. About. 3.5 km 10 Glacial erratic STOP 11: OLD FARM AT ØVRE SAURDAL from stop 9 the erratic boulder can be seen on the right. Stop 11 is 3 km from stop 10, 100 m from the main road on The building at Øvre Saurdal is approximately 100m from the main road 11 Old fram at Øvre Saurdal the right. (road 44) on a gravel road. Based on its style it is diffcult to determine 12 Follow road 44 to sign “Rossland” (about 4 km from stop 11). when it was built. The walls are made of stones and it has a tile roof. 12 Rossland Park the bikes and walk up the hill. From road 44, follow the hill until you are back at the carpark about 4 km from stop 12. 8 13 Chruch The church is on the left about 0.8 km from the carpark. STOP 12: THE ROSSLAND GOD 800 meters further on is the square where Eiksteinen 14 Eiksteinen 5 At Haugen there is an altar together with the old Rossland God and two (the Oakstone) was found. After 2.1 km you will see Ruggesteinen, the Rocking Rock, on stone bowls. The Rossland God, a human-like head made of the local rock, 15 Ruggesteinen 6 the left. Løyningåsen Ruggesteinen is 0.61 m high and was found below the altar, together with one of the 4 16 Old railway road You are now cycling along the old railway track. 3 bowls carved out of rock. The head fgure is the only one of its kind found 2.5 km from Ruggesteinen you reach stop 17. Follow the same 17 Blåfjell mines Church in Norway. The altar is a large square stone block that is supported by 4 road back to the carpark. 1 7 smaller stones. The stone bowls may have been used for sacrifcial rites. 2 5 The altar, Rossland God and the stone bowls are linked to the fertility cult GEOLOGY CULTURE GEOLOGY & CULTURE START & END 2 1 - the fertility god Frøy. This is believed to be a sacrifcial site from the Iron 4 Age (500 BC - 550 AD). Rossland is Geopark locality 36. Engelsholmen 4 MAGMA GEOPARK Vågan Free GPS-based game and smartphone guide. Take your family on a guided tour through Magma Geopark sites and learn more about this unique area! 3

Join TURFHUNT! Players fnd different GPS coordinates in the game and answer questions. Suitable for the whole family! 3 km

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