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The Serene HardangerfjordThe land of waterfalls Nights: 7
Starting point: Fleischer’s Hotel, Voss. Over 100 years old, this is one of the historic wooden hotels of Norway, boasting views over the village’s pretty lake. It retains much of its original character and features, while offering many modern facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, saunas and a jacuzzi as well as facilities for tennis, table-tennis and billiards. Breakfast is a traditional Norwegian buffet and dinner alternates daily between a set menu served at the table and a self-service buffet. Day 1: your first walk is a wonderful introduction to the Norwegian hinterland. Following a cable car ride to the top of Hanguren (pay locally), you cross mountain moorland with the option of choosing the length of your walk, perhaps aiming for the highest point locally at 1,410 metres above sea-level. The cable car runs from mid-June to September; outside these dates you can head up the slopes of Hanguren on foot instead. (up to 13.5kms, 4.5hrs) Accommodation: Fleischer’s Hotel, as above. Day 2: today you take the express bus along the valley. You have two options for your journey: you can either travel all the way from Voss to Ulvik by bus, or you can get off the bus at the church of Granvin and walk along the old post road. This leisurely route takes you through forests and pastureland past isolated farms and the picturesque lake at Vatnaset before descending to the village of Ulvik. (12km, 3.5hrs) Accommodation: Rica Brakanes Hotel, Ulvik. With its huge vista of the great fjord, the setting for this high-quality hotel is simply breathtaking (you can upgrade to a fjord view room if you wish). The hotel also boasts a heated indoor swimming pool, saunas and an exercise room. Activities available from the hotel include boat trips on the fjord and sightseeing by seaplane (pay locally). Day 3: from Ulvik, you take a ferry and a connecting bus alongside the fjord to Kinsarvik, where, having left your luggage at your next hotel, you walk up the Husedalen, a steep, pine-clad valley boasting three huge, thundering waterfalls and tremendous views back down to the fjord as you enter the Hardangervidda National Park. It is up to you how much you walk, as you can turn round and retrace your steps at any point. (up to 12km, 4.5hrs) Accommodation: Kinsarvik Fjord Hotel, Kinsarvik. The smallest of the four hotels on this walk, and again boasting wonderful fjord views, this comfortable, family-run hotel also has a sauna, jacuzzi and fitness room. Day 4: you continue south on the bus to Lofthus, from where a short and easy walk takes you past apple orchards and alongside the rushing River Opo to a viewpoint from where you can gaze towards Norway’s third tallest waterfall. (5.5km, 2hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Ullensvang, Lofthus. This is a top-quality place to stay and another venerable hotel, having been run by the Utne family for more than 150 years and through four generations. Blending old with new, the hotel also offers many modern facilities - a large indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, solarium, indoor tennis and squash courts as well as rowing boats. Edvard Grieg was a regular visitor to the hotel in the late 19th century, and it is easy to see how the scenery might have inspired some of his great compositions. We include rooms overlooking the fjord so you too can take in these spectacular vistas. Day 5: for a dramatic climax to the week, this last walk involves a steep but rewarding ascent above the fjord to the Monks’ Steps, 616 stone steps carved by Cistercian monks from York in the 13th century. You reach Mount Nosi, from where you can survey the Folgefonn Glacier on the other side of the glacier and admire the incredible vastness of the landscape. (10km, 5.5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Ullensvang, as above. Day 6: with the striking views still fresh in your mind, today you journey by boat to Norheimsund, and then by bus to Bergen. You have time to enjoy the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of Norway’s second-largest city, overlooked by forested mountain slopes and set in a wonderful location on the western fjords. Take time to wander around the Bryggen, Bergen’s old trading district, which has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in recognition of its medieval architecture – the wharves and painted wooden wharf-houses make a picturesque sight. Accommodation: Neptun Hotell, Bergen. Located in the centre of Bergen not far from the quayside, your final high-quality hotel has comfortable rooms individually decorated with some interesting artwork. When this is not available, we use the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel and the Norge Hotel, also conveniently located close to the atmospheric harbour. Wherever you stay, you can take your pick of the various restaurants nearby for dinner (pay locally). Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Recommendations for extra nights: the breathtaking setting and beautiful fjordside location of the Brakanes Hotel (Ulvik) make it a good choice as a base for extra walking. Alternatively, you could book additional nights at the Hotel Ullensvang (Lofthus) to make the most of the excellent facilities and great views. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar holidays: Lakes & Mountains (grade 1-2), Lake Lucerne (grade 2), From the Fjells to the Fjords (grade 2-3), A Journey to Å (grade 2) Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended destination airport: Bergen Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):
> Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Spectacular Hardangerfjord, the southernmost of the three great fjords, is blessed by a mild climate and renowned for its glorious colours. On this walk and exhilarating journey, you wander down from the forests and moorland above Voss to reach the deepest, most spectacular fingers of Hardangerfjord as it claws its way into the mountains of Hardangervidda. Journeys by express bus and boat are as much a part of the pleasure of this holiday as the walking. With our travel options, you can enjoy the itinerary with a minimum of walking; following our notes, though, you set off on some amazing routes high above the fjord, with unforgettable views. Whatever you decide, you stay at some of the best hotels in western Norway, three of which have a pool.
Picturesque Ulvik 
