Kjeåsen

Believe it or not, but merely 10-15 minutes of driving from Eidfjord Gjestgiveri you will find Kjeåsen, which is a so cald Mountain Farm. This very beautiful and unique lookout point is 600 meters above Simdalsfjorden and gives you the most incredible sight over Simdalsfjorden and Eidfjord.

The Mountain Farm consists of a few houses, and some of the property is privately owned and not publicly available. You can also drive all the way up through the mountain and park just outside the farm. You must be aware that the road is one trail only. It is managed by half hour intervals. So every half hour it swifts from being downhill drive to uphill. It is very important to uphold these regulations, so you don’t get stuck in the middle of the mountain.

It was not until the 1970’s that the road uphill was build. The road was only built due to the powerplant in Simdalen. Before this you had to take a challenging and dangerous road up the mountain. For those who find the challenge interesting, this road is still existing and works as a hike with an approximate duration of 2 hours.

Do not rob yourself of a trip to Kjeåsen to enjoy the beautiful scenery it offers. Even though it seems impossible that anyone could possibly live there, the farm is still running normally.

Vøringsfossen

The beautiful waterfall in the mountainsides of Eidfjord is one of the reasons that Eidfjord Gjestgiveri was build. Already since the 18^th century, Vøringsfossen has been one of the most seen attractions in Norway, and the waterfall is also one of the most beautiful and sensational waterfalls in the country. The water is coming from the impressive Hardangervidda plateau.

Back in the day there were no roads leading to the waterfall, but small paths that you walked through and later rode on horseback.

Today you can drive all the way up to the waterfall and enjoy the nice custom-made viewpoints. The drive takes 15 minutes from the Gjestgiveri, and you can easily park your car on a parking space, where you can see all of the approximate 180-meter-tall waterfall.

You can also choose to hike to the foot of the waterfall and see it all from below. The hike takes approximately 2 hours (plus the time you use at the waterfall) and the route is perfectly marked and can be done with or without a guide. Most of the trip is in a rocky field with many loose rocks, so be sure to wear proper footwear.

You can watch the waterfall from the little wooden bridge, or hike even further towards the waterfall. Beware that it can be hard and tricky to move around close to the waterfall. If you wish to get in close, you should wear a raincoat.

A beautiful evening walk

After an eventful day in Eidfjord, it can be nice with a small walk near the hotel. We recommend to walk along the mountainside and the long tunnel which you drive through when going to the upper part of Eidfjord. Along the water is a path and this path leads to the first tunnels ever built in Eidfjord. The tunnels has been carved in hand and it is a very impressive piece of work.

You can choose how far you want to walk and can turn around whenever you want to return. The tunnels are quite dark and even though there are lamps inside, it can be good to bring a flashlight. The tunnels are quite chilly, so we recommend a warm shirt or jacket depending on the weather and time of the year.

The walk is incredibly beautiful around sunset and the trip starts just across the hotel on the opposite side of the road.

Trolltunga

If you stay at Eidfjord Gjestgiveri for several days, you can benefit from a day to take a trip to Odda, which is approx. 1.5 hours by car from Eidfjord. Here you can hike out to the beautiful viewpoint, Trolltunga. Trolltunga is one of Norway’s most popular tourist attractions – and for good reason.

This hike is physically tough but only a bit technically challenging. You will experience forests, rocks and snow, and the elevation is very up and down, which can be hard for the body than if the trip was solely uphill and then downhill. You reach a maximum height of 1,200 meters above sea level in the snow-filled mountains, while Trolltunga is 1,100 meters up.
The trip is between 23-27 km long and takes 10-12 hours in total (out and home) + the amount of time you spend at Trolltunga. Therefore, this hike requires you to take a full day out of your schedule. But it is worth it all.

It is only a very small part of the season that allows you to hike without a guide, but we actually recommend a guided tour regardless. It turns out that many tourists who take this hike without a guide find that they cannot locate the Trolltunga starting point, because it is a bit hidden and the markings in this area can be misunderstood. You get a lot of amazing stories about the area and you are guaranteed to be sent on the most beautiful route possible. You can benefit from contacting Trolltunga Active, which organizes several types of hikes and trips to Trolltunga – you can even spend the night up in the mountains and watch the sunset and sunrise, which is an amazing sight to behold. The skilled and well-trained guides make sure you get back and forth safely, the pace adjusted to the group and you get a hike full of high spirits and good energy throughout the entire trip.

A guided tour with Trolltunga Active costs 1,150, – Nok per person, and the price includes a great deal of equipment for the hike itself. However, you will need to bring your own clothes to match the weather as the weather conditions can change drastically in minutes. You can thus experience the sun and heat as well as a blizzard on the same hike. In addition, you should bring REAL hiking shoes (this tour cannot be completed in Nike Free), sunscreen, sunglasses, mittens, hat, first aid kit, a good supply of food for the long trip, 2 liters of water per day, per person (however, it is possible to fill your bottle in the clean and tasty water of the mountains along the way) and of course a camera.

As mentioned above, Trolltunga is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Norway. Therefore, you should consider when in the year you want to take the hike. If you hike in the summer from June to August you can easily experience a queue of up to 3 hours, so you can have your picture taken at the tip of Trolltunga. Consider taking the trip in May, where there is still a chance of good spring weather. This time of year does not offer nearly as many tourists and most often there is no crowding on Trolltunga.

You can park right at the start of the hike – right next to Trolltunga Active’s blue shop. Please note that it costs 500 NOK to park there. You can also park toward the end of the first climb off the ride – Here you have to go through a booth where you pay to get up.

After the hike, you can benefit from driving down to Odda and visit one of the restaurants.

Once you have everything in control, there is only left to say good luck. It will be a tough but beautiful experience.

Hardangervidda

Close to Eidfjord Guest House you will find Hardangervidda. Vidde is the largest high-mountain area in Europe with an area of ​​more than 8,000 km². In 1981, an area of ​​3,422 km² was preserved as Hardangervidda National Park.

If you are hiking, do not miss Hardangervidda. You will find a truly unique natural area with an incredible variety of plants and animals, such as europe’s largest strain of reindeer, mountain goats, snowflakes and many beautiful bird species. Hardangervidda is also known for its rivers and lakes, where there are good opportunities to catch mountain trout.

There are no roads, but only hiking trails and DNT (The Norwegian Tourist Association) have also built tourist cabins in the area, and have also made an extensive route network that will take you from cabin to cabin in one of europe’s largest natural areas. It is very popular to walk between the cabins, and some cabins have service while others do not.