TRAVEL GUIDE SUNNFJORD Førde · Gaular · Jølster · Naustdal 2018 – 2019 12 22 28 Photo: Espen Mills. Photo: Jiri Havran. Photo: Knut Utler. Astruptunet The Gualarfjellet Scenic Route Førde Festival Page 3 ...................................................................................... Welcome to Sunnfjord Page 4 ........................................................................ Summer summit hike paradise Page 6 ................................................................................................ O, fair Sunnfjord! Page 7 ..................................................................................... Winter sports paradise Page 8 .................................................................... Jølster – the jewel in our crown! Page 9 .................................................................................. Jølster, the glacier village CONTENTS Page 10 ...................................................................... The Gaularfjellet Scenic Route Page 12 .............................................................. Art and culture – in Astrup’s realm Page 14 ................................................................................................................ Fishing Page 16 ................................ “Take time to eat” – Local food to tempt the palate Page 19 .................................................................................. Out and about in Førde Page 20 ..................................................................................... Day trips in Sunnfjord Page 24 .................................................................................................. Active holidays Page 26 ........................................................................ Cycling holidays in Sunnfjord Page 27 ....................................................................... Day trips by bike in Sunnfjord Page 28 ............................................................................Festivals and annual events Page 30 ............ Sunnfjord’s municipalities: Jølster, Førde, Naustdal and Gaular 2 28 Såtefjellet mountain, Jølster. Photo: Kristine Kjøsnes. SUNNFJORD UTVIKLING Hafstadvegen 42, 6800 Førde Tel. +47 95 73 93 24 [email protected] Welcome to Sunnfjord www.sunnfjord.no Water. Like morning dew on yellow petals as dawn breaks on the butter- Tourist information: Skei Servicenter (Esso), cup night. Like a protective cape in the glacier’s immense blue frost. Like a Skei i Jølster, tel. +47 57 72 82 34 mirror for green meadows and snow-covered mountains to reach towards. [email protected]. Suddenly the surface of the water sparkles gold and silver, then you see a Front cover: trout playing in the sunlight. And so the drops beneath the ice cap become View over Kjøsnesfjorden and rivers, waterfalls and lakes; the moments become hours, days and years. Jølstravatnet lakes. Photo: Atle Lunde, Lunde Turiststasjon. Follow the water and you’ll discover secrets. Allow yourself to be enchan- ted, for a while or for ever. In endlessly beautiful Sunnfjord. Graphic design: Natvik, Florø Map: Ellen Jepson Ålesund Molde Trondheim E 136 E 39 E 6 Tromsø Hellesylt Geiranger Stryn 15 Oslo Nordfjord E 39 Florø Jostedalsbreen 5 Jølster Naustdal Førde 5 Gaular 13 Sogndal E 16 Balestrand Trondheim nefjorden Lærdal Sog Vangsnes Oslo 13 Ålesund Gudvangen Flåm Sunnfjord E 39 N O S E 16 Voss P Oslo E Bergen N J 7 E LL E 13 : T Stavanger Bergen R Hardanger A K Photo: Torje Bjellaas. Odda 3 TVERRFJELLET. PHOTO: ØYVIND HOLSEN FOSS. SUMMER SUMMIT HIKE PARADISE Norway’s summits aren’t just great for ski tours in win- ter; they are there in the summer too, and we in Sunn- SOME SUMMER FAVOURITES fjord are lucky to have some of the best! You’ll find every- thing from easy to challenging, gentle and steep, short • Gallen and long, path and scree, snow and glacier – everything • Bolsetnipa you could wish for! You can walk for hours in the valleys and on the mountains, often without seeing a soul. And • Hamnanova a mountain farm hike is even suitable for the little ones. • Norddyttingen If you enjoy a good walk, the mountains offer many • Drøsinga different summit experiences. Follow one of the pre- • Storehesten pared footpaths with family and friends, or go off piste on the more challenging summits. And it’s not just Jølster • Kabusen that is great for summit hikes – Holsen, Haukedalen, • Lundeskaret/Tverrfjellet Viksdalen, Sande and Naustdal all boast stunning mount- ains too. Why not explore these areas to find a hidden gem? For more information on the hikes, go to www.UT.no Use a map and the weather forecast to plan your hike, and be prepared for the weather to change rapidly even on the most beautiful summer days! Moving safely on glaciers requires special equipment and knowledge of glacier hiking and companion rescue. Don’t forget the mountain code! 4 Favourite hikes Start Duration Difficulty Suitable for Metres Hafstadfjellet 2–3 hours Almost straight up, but the view Førde 706 (via Hafstadkleiva) 5 km is worth it 4–5 hours Bolsetnipa Skei Beautiful views over Jølster 1214 9.5 km Dvergsdals- 1–1.5 hours Hamnanova Panoramic views for all the family 750 dalen 3.5 km 1–1.5 hours Mountain farm hike for all the Flugestølen Vassenden 410 4.2 km family 3 hours Eikåsnipa Eikås Fantastic views 826 5 km 5 hours Venvevvassegga Rørvikfjellet Fantastic hike with great views 1023 11 km 5 hours Kabusen Haukedalen Steep ascent to a unique place 980 5 km Storehesten 7–8 hours Bygstad Sunnfjord’s signature mountain 1209 (Kvamshesten) 13 km 1.5–2 hours Skagestølen Sande A hike for all ages to enjoy 460 3.2 km 3 hours Vindkjegla Naustdal Easy, but steep 688 6 km 5 EIRIK HOLE ON THE WAY UP TO STORAKSLA IN JØLSTER, WITH THE JOSTEDALSBREEN GLACIER IN THE BACKGROUND. PHOTO: ØYVIND HOLSEN FOSS. O, FAIR SUNNFJORD! Over millions of years, glaciers and rivers have carved out some of Norway’s finest terrain for year-round adventures – right here in Sunnfjord! We have valleys winding up and down in all directions, beautiful lakes of all sizes boasting the best trout, fantastic rivers and water- falls, the bluest glaciers and the finest mountains. The mountains and valleys have mountainsides and ridges ex- tending in all directions and of varying gradients – perfect for hiking or running in the summer, and for ski tours in winter. How lucky we are to have this gift of nature! So let’s use it, look after it and value it. Let’s make sure we leave no trace behind us, and pick up our own litter and anything else we come across. Happy exploring! SÅTEFJELLET. PHOTO: GAUTE DVERGSDAL BØYUM. EN ROUTE TO TINDEFJELLET MOUNTAIN IN JØLSTER, LOOKING TOWARDS SKEI AND JØLSTRAVATNET AND KJØSNESFJORDEN LAKES. PHOTO: INGEBORG SOL FURE. 6 HARALD OTTERSTAD ON HIS WAY DOWN THE TROLLEBOTTSEGGANE RIDGES IN JØLSTER, WITH STARDALEN VALLEY IN THE BACKGROUND. PHOTO: ØYVIND HOLSEN FOSS. WINTER SPORTS PARADISE Sunnfjord offers a wealth of mountains and challenges SKIING IN SUNNFJORD for everyone! From summits with easy terrain suitable for Sunnfjord has two floodlit downhill slopes and many all the family to steep, testing routes for experts that de- fantastic cross-country trails to choose from. There are mand a high level of skiing or boarding skills and ava- two ski centres: Jølster Skisenter and Sunnfjord Skisenter. lanche knowledge. Choose the right summits and you Here you’ll find downhill courses to suit all abilities, and can see the sea to the west and glaciers to the east, but they work flat out through the season to offer you and every summit gives you a taste of Sunnfjord’s magnifi- your family the best possible experience every single day! cent scenery! When it comes to snow, we have numer- www.jolsterskisenter.no ous valleys facing all directions, so there is ample oppor- www.sunnfjordskisenter.no tunity for well-preserved snow long after the last snowfall. CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING Conquering summits in winter demands a high level of You’ll find many cross-country trails in Sunnfjord. fitness and good skiing or boarding skills, as well as Along the E39, 10 km south of Førde, is Langeland Ski- knowledge of avalanches, first aid and navigation. If og Fritidssenter, which has several prepared trails, includ- you’re exploring an area for the first time, we recommend ing a lighted one. The cross-country trails around Gjøset the local guides “tilfjells” and “Bre og Fjell”. They offer mountain are prepared when skiing conditions are good, complete packages and tailored experiences in Jølster, offering trails of 10 and 20 km via Fausestøylen mount- and will always find the best snow for you – on the ain farm (the trail to Kalsetrennet). mountain’s terms! The Gjesdalsdalen valley at Vassenden in Jølster offers If you’re heading out without a guide, plan carefully fantastic outdoor experiences all year round. In winter, using the avalanche warnings on www.varsom.no, the you can follow machine-prepared trails suitable for all ski weather forecast and a map! And don’t forget the mount- disciplines. There are two entry points for the trail: either ain code. The book “Toppturar i Sunnfjord” [in Norwe- at the car park by the shelter or by driving up to the Holt- gian] contains all the information you could need on ane hyttefelt ski area and starting from the car park. Sunnfjord’s best ski tours. Instedalen Skianlegg in Naustdal is a good place for Local favourites include Tindefjellet, Bjørsetfjellet and cross-country skiing. Not all of the cross-country trail is Olahansen. www.tilfjellsas.no lit, so it’s a good idea to have a light