The beautiful Hardangerfjord is just 4 hours away from our hometown Jørpeland in Ryfylke. Sørfjorden (the Southern Fjord) may be the most stunning sidearm of the Hardangerfjord. Here, mountain walls rise more than 1,000 meters up from the sea. At their base, you’ll find narrow roads, winding along the fjord’s shoreline, past picturesque apple (cider) and other fruit farms. The summits on the west side of the fjord are blanketed with glaciers forming the Folgefonna ice cap, while the Hardangervidda mountain plateau borders the east side of the fjord. And everywhere you look, you’ll find roaring, steaming waterfalls, tumbling down hundreds of meters.

The last years, Hardanger has fostered a true Norwegian hiking icon: Trolltunga. However, there are tons of stunning mountain hikes all around the fjord.

On this adventure, we used Hardanger Hostel B&B in the cozy town of Lofthus as our base. Outside the summer season, it is a so-called Folk High School. For me, it is where my Norwegian life chapter started in 2006.

From Lofthus, we hiked Dronningstien from Kinsarvik and back, following the rim of the Hardangervidda, offering vistas of the fjord, Lofthus, the surrounding mountains, and the glaciers. Along the way, we visited the Rjukandefoss waterfall, before hiking the hundreds of years-old Munketreppene (The Monks’ Staircase) down again.

In Husedalen Valley, you can hike from Kinsarvik up to the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, passing 4 breathtaking waterfalls along the way.

On the west side of the fjord, we hiked Buførevegen. Parts of the trail are stone-paved by Sherpas from Nepal, and you could call the trail a Stairway to Heaven. The steep parts are rewarded with fantastic views of the fjord, Lofthus, and the east side mountains.

Map

Photos

Click to enlarge

Back to

Other Hiking Posts

Engadin & St. Moritz

The Engadin Valley in Switzerland has more to offer than just St. Moritz. UNESCO railways, glaciers, mountain biking and lots of hiking opportunities.

Madeira

This Atlantic Portuguese island is the perfect hiking destination, combining a great variety of trails through mountainous scenery with a pleasant climate.

Hjelmelandsheiane

5 days of hiking and wild camping in the unknown, stunning mountains of Hjelmeland in Ryfylke. Cloud berries, small creeks, mountain lakes, gorges +++

Iceland

The island of ice and fire offers great hiking in surreal scenery. We spend a full week of hiking Fimmvörðuháls, Skaftafjell, Snæfellsnes and other gems.

Inca Trail

“The trail of all trails”. A 4-day, 43 km long hike through Andean jungle and mountains, past ancient Inca ruins, ending at Machu Picchu.

Chile – Drive & Hike

Driving through the varied Chilean scenery, I hiked Conguillo National Park, Altos del Lircay National Reserve, and Pan de Azucar National Park.

Pucón – Chile

Pucon is the adventure capital of Chile. I hiked Jurassic Park-like Huerquehue National Park, rafted the Rio Trancure, and climbed Villarica Volcano.

Overland Track

According to the Visitor Guide: “The Overland Track is an extraordinary journey through the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.” It...

Hong Kong Trail

Jungle and skyscrapers side-by-side. Hiking the 50 kilometer long Hong Kong Trail is surprisingly stunning. Is it possible to hike the trail in one day?

Patagonia

Exploring hikes in Argentinian Tierra del Fuego and Chilean Torres del Paine. Cruising the fjords of Patagonia, followed by a roadtrip to Santiago. Bacán!