Hardangervidda Nasjonalpark Things to Do

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The Valley of the Seven Waterfalls (Oddadalen) forms the western border of Hardangervidda. You can see a few of the waterfalls from road 13. The highest of them, Latefossen is the most imposing. 165 m high, it forms two waterfalls thundering down the rocky mountainside, under the bridge and down to the fjord beneath. A most picturesque sight but touristy as well. Of course all the cars stop there and there are souvenir and ice-cream stalls at the foot of the mountain right by the waterfall. Be careful, it's easy to get an unwanted shower if you come too close to the raging water.

The present stone church at Kinsarvik was constructed literally around the smaller old wooden church built in about 1050 during the reign of King Harald Sigurdson, who fell in the battle of Stamford Bridge in England in 1066. Archeological excavations on the site revealed 470 coins, some of them dating from as long ago as 1050. Kinsarvik was then a market town with its own court and a gathering place for the warriors from the whole of Hardanger. It was also the place where the 'leidanskipet', the ship kept for the defence of the area, was moored near the present ferry quay, the equipment for the ship being kept in the church loft. The new church was built by a Scottish master builder a century later, around 1150 - 1160. Completely renovated in the 19th century and in the 1960s, it still looks lovely against the background of the mountains and has kept real treasures inside (see my next tip).

Hardangervidda offers unforgettable views all around. To the north you can see the wild desolate plateau dotted with stones, a lake here and there and, in the distance, snow-topped mountains and glaciers. Not a view you are likely to forget.