Journey to the Norwegian Mountains

 (A multi-part recap of my early June Scandinavia trip.)

It was time to head for the mountains.  On the 11th day of my Rick Steves Scandinavia tour, my friends and I bid the art-filled Norwegian town of Oslo goodbye and boarded our bus for points north and west. 

Roadside wildflower garden

Tonight's destination was Østerbø Fjellstove, a resort high in the Norwegian mountains.  On the way tour guide Nina had planned stops at Valdres folk museum and Torpo stave church.

More beautiful lupine

Heading out through the freeways and tunnels of the Oslo metro area, it didn't take long before we left the city behind for views of the gorgeous Norwegian countryside.  Multi-colored lupines bloomed wild in the roadside ditches.  Green pastures stretched along wide valleys.  Peaks rose skyward, covered in thick forests.  Even though it was difficult to take photos through a moving bus window, the scenery was so spectacular I tried anyway.  Norway definitely won the "most beautiful" prize amongst the Scandinavian countries.

Today's scenery was outstanding

Our mid-morning potty break was at a local truck stop.  Nina had a treat waiting for us - she'd ordered our group each a bolle breakfast bun.  This yeasty treat was a staple for truckers and others traveling the Norwegian countryside.  It looked like a dinner roll, but tasted sweet, and ours happened to be flavored with chocolate chips.  Nina, being from Denmark, told us the name "bolle" meant something entirely different in Danish - and it apparently wasn't a nice word.  She said the Danes always had a giggle when hearing the Norwegian name for this bun.

Tidy Norwegian farm

After much traveling, our tour group finally arrived at the town of Fagernes and the Valdres Folk Museum.  This place had many displays and activities to educate visitors about traditional Norwegian culture.

Folk Museum sign

After unloading from the bus, my tour-mates and I piled into the museum's main buiding.  While waiting for our tour to begin most of us took advantage of the restroom facilities.  Then we browsed the upscale gift shop full of local crafts and artwork.  I even found a reindeer friend for my Swiss cow Lotti.  The stuffed critter was mighty cute, and I was sorely tempted to add it to my collection.  But the last thing I needed was to schlep two stuffed animals around for the rest of my trip.  So Rudolph remained on the shelf.

Lotti found a friend in the gift shop

After a short wait in the gift shop, a woman dressed in traditional attire appeared and began to tell us about this place that celebrated Norway's vibrant past.  She would be our guide for a tour of the museum grounds.

Listening to our museum guide

After her short introductory speech, our museum guide led us outside and down a walkway to a collection of historic buildings.  The Valdres folk museum had 95 buildings located throughout the property, all original and collected from various farms around the area.  

This hillside was full of wildflowers

Many of the structures in the plaza closest to the museum building were small cabins, but a few were larger buildings.  All appeared to have been constructed from local timber.  Some of these were as old as the 13th century.  All had been moved to the Valdres museum, restored, and put on display.

Walking to the outdoor exhibits

A nearby small hill had been planted with hundreds of native wildflowers.  I noticed a few cabins had sod roofs, the grass growing tall.

The buildings had grass on their roofs

The museum grounds were located on the shore of a large lake, called Strondafjorden (or Stronda Fjord.)  I caught a glimpse of its blue waters through a gap between two of the historic buildings.

Looking out towards the lake

All the structures were built in the traditional style

After many brief explanations of the surrounding buildings, our guide led us into one of the structures  for a musical demonstration.  After everyone was seated inside a man pulled out a unique stringed instrument called the Hardanger Fiddle.

This man played a Hardanger Fiddle for us

This unique Norwegian fiddle looked similar to a violin, but with eight instead of four strings.  Half of the strings lied under the top four, resonating underneath the top strings as the fiddle was played.  The first known example of the Hardanger Fiddle was thought to date back to 1651.  The instrument was usually intricately decorated, with elaborate ink drawings on the main wooden body, mother of pearl inlays under the strings, and a carved animal head on top.

The Hardanger Fiddle is often called the national instrument of Norway.  Used primarily for folk dancing, it was also traditional for the fiddler to lead a bridal procession to the church entrance.  

Letting our group have a look at the fiddle

The man played a couple of melodies for our enjoyment.  He was certainly a skilled musician and it was fun to watch his fingers travel across the strings while his smooth bow movements created beautiful notes.  The only downside was it was extremely dark inside this building, thus making photography a bit difficult.  But I managed to get a few decent images and even a video of the man's performance.

The man had two fiddles

Upon completion of the fiddle demonstration, our group filed back outside and our lady guide told us in the 18th and early 19th centuries the Norwegian people were quite poor.  They relied upon farming and fishing to survive but the long, harsh winters made it difficult to prosper.  In search of better lives, many Norwegians emigrated to America in the 1800s, a large number of them settling in the midwestern states (especially Minnesota.)

More outdoor scenery

The Valdres museum was supposed to feature exhibitions of traditional handicrafts being made and folk dancing.  But our visit was early in the season and many of the young people hired to demonstrate these skills were still in school.  So the Hardanger fiddle was the only performance we got to see - a bit disappointing. 

Another presentation from our guide

In one corner of the museum grounds I did notice a group of teenagers working on building cabins the traditional Norwegian way.  It appeared that they were being instructed on the construction techniques of yesteryear.  Good to see these old traditions being passed on to the younger generation! 

Youth learning to build the traditional way

Fiddle monument

When our guide finished her tour we were then free to wander the grounds and explore some of the old buildings.  There were also indoor exhibits inside the main museum building that we'd first entered.  Nina said we had plenty of time to check out more of this folk museum, but we were to meet our bus in the nearby town of Fagernes after lunch. 

More interesting buildings

My friends and I wandered around the outside buildings for a few minutes longer.  There was an old gas station from the 1930s and another older wooden building with several pairs of stilts sitting outside its door.  Not sure if the stilts were for show or if visitors could use them.

They even had stilts

Curious to see the indoor exhibits, my friend Kim and I wandered back to the main building and went inside.  We came upon several glass cases displaying colorful traditional Norwegian costumes.

Inside there were displays of traditional costumes

The detail on some of the women's costumes was quite amazing.  I especially liked the colorful embroidered patterns on many of the dresses.  Our guide had told us that the traditional Norwegian costumes are called Bunads and the people of Norway wear them for special occasions, like graduations or weddings or on May 17th, Norway's National Day.  Different regions of Norway have special colors and patterns to represent their specific area.  

Bright colors and intricate embroidery

One section of the museum displayed a few costumes from the opening ceremony of the 1994 Winter Olympic games, held in Lillehammer, Norway.  Do you remember these white, poofy outfits?

One of the costumes from the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics

There were also a few glass cases of men's costumes, but they weren't as colorful nor as interesting as the women's.  

Men's traditional Norwegian wear

So here's a few more women's traditional dresses that I really liked.

The intricate details were impressive

More bright, fancy embroidery

More fancy dresses

At the end of the costume display was a hairy figure that appeared to be sitting on a sled.  It looked like Sasquatch.  But upon closer inspection, it wasn't Bigfoot, only a person of yesteryear bundled up in fur robes to stay warm during a cold winter sleigh ride.

Sasquatch?

The last room in the museum had display cases with many different Hardanger fiddles.  Some of the instruments were very beautifully decorated.  I enjoyed looking at them all.

Beautiful Hardanger Fiddle

After our quick museum tour the time was approaching noon, and my friends and I were getting hungry.  From the folk museum, Nina told us if we followed the main road for a short distance it would take us into the town of Fagernes where there were many local restaurants.

Walking to the village of Fagernes

We easily located the main road, and Kim, Debbie, Alicia and I, along with a few other tour-mates began our walk into town.  Lucky for us, the weather was beautiful - sunny skies and mild temperatures.

Taking the scenic route across the lake

It was a scenic walk.  The green hills above town were dotted with homes and trees.  We discovered a side path the diverged from the main road and took us to a small footbridge spanning a lake.  A good place for photos!

Photo time!

Rocky river 

The rocky river flowing into the lake was quite scenic too.

Good spot for a selfie

Green hills above Fagernes

Past the bridge, we followed a path that skirted the lakeshore, passing by a small campground and a tidy park.  Then the path merged with a local lane that took us to the town's main street.  We passed by one building with a small mural depicting a man playing his Hardanger fiddle.

The Hardanger Fiddle is everywhere

The majority of our tour-mates were heading into one particular cafe.  It looked like a good place, but with the addition so many people, it now was awfully busy.  So my friends and I ducked into another nearby restaurant that had no customers.  We hoped the lack of business didn't mean it wasn't a good place - but with limited time for lunch we also wanted quick service.

Lotti enjoying a beer with lunch

Tour-mates Michele and Larry joined the four of us ladies in the restaurant.  We sat down at a large table and had a great time chatting while waiting for our food.  I even let Lotti order a beer!

Enjoying lunch with tour-mates Michele and Larry

Since we were the only customers in the place, our food came quickly - and it was actually pretty tasty.  Either that or we were all really hungry!

Main street Fagernes

After lunch we all piled back out onto main street.  A group of our tour buddies were strolling along the sidewalk, window shopping.  My friends ducked into one of the local boutiques.  Meanwhile, not interested in expensive clothing, I was waiting outside when one of my tour-mates told me of a pretty waterfall he'd visited that wasn't very far away.  

Following this lovely stream to a waterfall

Hmmmm.......I had 20 minutes before I needed to be on the bus.  Could I make it there and back in time?  My tour mate assured me I could.

Admiring the roadside wildflowers

So off I went, hoofing it down the main street to the river crossing.  From the main highway bridge, I found a dirt path paralleling the river.  My tour-mate had told me to follow the path upstream and I'd come to the waterfall.  Walking quickly, I passed a local fisherman, and noticed a huge patch of wild lupine blooming on the opposite river bank.  The river was quite scenic and I had to restrain myself from stopping and taking photos every other step.  

A beautiful waterfall, worth the quick trip

After about a five-minute walk I came to the waterfall.  It was quite lovely.  The water cascaded down a series of boulders forming white, lacy tiers.  It had been worth the quick trip to see!

Roger likes Lotti too!

But now I had five minutes to make it back to the bus.  Speed walking as fast as my legs could take me, I raced down the dirt path, back to the highway bridge, and practically ran down the main street.  Reaching the bus in the nick of time, I hauled my sweaty, gasping self up the front steps.  Bus driver Roger was sitting at the wheel, so I took the opportunity to ask him if he'd like to pose for a photo with Lotti.  Not only a great bus driver, Roger was a such good sport he hammed it up with my little cow.

Torpo Stavechurch

Museum visit and lunch over, it was time to move on.  Our next destination was a stave church in the village of Torpo.  To get there Roger followed a narrow, curvy mountain highway through dense forests of Norway spruce.  I have to say he did an excellent job navigating our bus through all the twists and turns of that roadway!

I loved the roof shingles

In the meantime, to keep us all entertained during the bus ride, Nina played a collection of Norwegian music on the PA system.  Her playlist included works of Edvard Grieg, one of the most famous Norwegian composers of all, who had written well-known pieces such as "Morning Mood" and "Hall of the Mountain King."  After hearing many other beautiful classical numbers from other different composers, Nina announced the next melody was one that "people of a certain age" might recognize.  Then she played the song "Take on Me" by the Norwegian band "A-ha."  Of course all of us remembered this tune from the 80s.  Debbie and I happily grooved in our seats, loudly (and annoyingly) belting out the chorus.  

Intricately carved front door

Finally our bus pulled into the tiny town of Torpo.  From across the parking lot, we could see the grand wooden stave church rising into the sky.  A more modern white chapel was sited right next door.  Apparently the white church was used for worship, while the stave church was now a tourist attraction.

Selfie with Lotti

These tall, wooden, pagoda-like houses of worship are Norway's most distinctive architecture.  Most were built in medieval times, from the 12th century until the arrival of the plague in 1349.  It's estimated that as many as 1,000 stave churches were built in Norway during this time.  Wood was plentiful, and due to lots of shipbuilding, most people were expert woodworkers.  

Church interior

The "stave" church gets its name from the frame of tall, stout pillars, which Norwegians call staves.  The churches were built on stone foundations to prevent the wooden structures from rotting.  Most stave churches were constructed of specially grown pine.  As the trees grew, workers cut off most of the branches, leaving just the trunks.  This allowed the sap to penetrate the wood, strengthening it.  One the church had been erected, the wood was covered with black tar, to protect it from weather and insect infestation.  Most stave churches were decorated with elaborate carvings - dragons on the exteriors and carved X-shaped cross beams inside.  Today, only 28 stave churches have survived across Norway.  These remaining churches have been restored to their former glory and are maintained by local preservation groups.

Colorful artwork above the altar

The stave church we were to visit today was believed to have been constructed around the middle of the 12th century.  It was preserved on its original site.  Waking up to the building itself, I was awed that a structure so old was still standing.  The church's wooden front door was embossed with intricately carved patterns.  It was also accented with iron details - a door knocker, hinges, and a large keyhole.

Our tour group checking out the stavechurch

A man representing the preservation society met us at the entrance.  After giving us a bit of historical information, he opened the door with a large, ancient key and let us inside.  The interior was quite dark.  We learned stave churches have few windows.  The ceiling stretched unobstructed all the way to the building's very top.  Tall wooden pillars lined the first floor, and X-shaped carvings adorned the rafters.  

Beautiful carvings in the rafters

A tall, arched vault soared above the nave area of the church.  It was beautifully painted with images depicting Christ, his apostles, and the legend of St. Margaret.  Our guide estimated this artwork was created in the latter half of the 13th century, and is thought to be some of the oldest decorative paintings in Norway.

Church view out the window

I really enjoyed visiting this amazing ancient stave church.  Being from the US, we never see structures that are this old.  I was especially intrigued that the wood was able to be preserved for so many centuries.  It was such a graceful, lovely building!

The best view of both churches was from the restroom building

Being right up next to the two churches, the structures were so large it was hard to fit the entirety of each building into my camera's viewfinder.  However, after visiting the nearby restroom, which was located a fair distance away, I noticed there was a great view of both structures just outside its door.  I think it was the best vantage point of the entire area.

At the very beginning of the tour, Kim found a funny meme on social media showing three cats posing for a selfie in front of a Norwegian stave church.  When we learned our tour would be visiting one of these churches, my friends and I all agreed we had to stage a re-creation of the meme.  So while visiting the Torpo stave church, Kim, Debbie and I created this copycat image.

Did we nail it?

Roadside photo break

After we'd all had enough time to take photos of the churches and surrounding graveyard, it was time again to board our bus, this time bound for our day's final destination - a resort high in the Norwegian mountains.

Breathtaking mountain views

Our route would now traverse a tall mountain range.  The higher we climbed, the sparser the trees grew.  Massive, snowy peaks began to tower over the landscape.  We made one roadside stop at a scenic pullout next to a large lake.  Mountains rose from all sides.

Lots of photo ops!

My tour-mates and I wandered along the grassy lake's edge, vying for the best viewpoint.  A series of electrical wires coming from a nearby hydro facility marred the otherwise pristine landscape.  But I discovered if I crouched down low enough, I could crop them out of my images.  My tour-mates saw what I was doing and tried it for themselves.

Bright blue lake

Back into the bus, now bound for our resort, we drove higher towards a mountain pass.  The mountain scenery was absolutely stunning.  People were clicking numerous photos out the bus windows.  Sadly, most of the good stuff was on the opposite side of the bus from where I was sitting.

I sat on the wrong side of the bus for mountain views

We traveled above treeline, where the surrounding landscape was composed of barren, rocky areas.  This high alpine tundra was the mountain pass our road was crossing.  

 

Barren land above the treeline

More rocky landscape near the pass

As we came back down the other side of the pass, trees began to return to the hills.  I spotted a long, lovely waterfall stair-stepping down a rock face (which was thankfully on my side of the bus for a change!)

Long waterfall

After what seemed to be a very long time, our bus finally pulled into Østerbø Fjellstove, a mountain resort where we'd be spending the evening.

We arrive at Østerbø Fjellstove

The resort's location was absolutely stunning.  High mountains rose from all sides, many still sporting a bit of snow.  A large lake sat nearby.

Exploring the resort area

Small cabins dotted the adjacent hillside.  One large building housed the dining hall.  A couple historic structures, decorated with deer horns, sat nearby.  For those wishing to rough it, the place also offered a campground.

Old cabin with deer horns

Great spot for a cabin!

Views in every direction

Our hotel for the night

Our group had all the rooms in the nearby hotel building.  It was a cute wooden structure, and every room had its own little balcony so you could sit outside and enjoy the mountain views.  Sadly our tour was only scheduled to be here for one night.  It was such a beautiful area, I wanted to stay here forever!

Lotti approves

Our group enjoyed a buffet dinner in the resort's dining hall (roasted pork again!)  Afterwards, Kim and I checked out the rest of the building.  They had a bunch of stuffed (taxidermy) animals in the main lodge area.  One of them was a huge polar bear!  And one was a grizzly bear.  Oh the selfie opportunities......

I do my best polar bear impression

Eeek!  There's a bear in the dining hall!

Dinner in our bellies, Kim and I joined Debbie and Alicia for a walk around the resort grounds.  We followed a gravel road that took us to the lake's shore.  Oh what fabulous mountain views!

Fantastic scenery 

Perfect selfie spot!

Several overturned rowboats and canoes sat in one area.  I assume resort patrons could use them to paddle around the lake.

The place was situated along a large lake

Me in my usual photo-taking stance

The colorful watercraft also made good photo ops.  Lotti was hoping to go for a boat ride, but it was getting too late in the evening.

Lotti wanted a boat ride

My friends and I decided to follow the old road as it circled the lakeshore.  The road was lined with lovely deciduous trees, their new leaves a bright color of green.  We hadn't gone very far when it become apparent we weren't alone.  

We spotted a herd of cows ahead on our trail

A herd of cows stood in the middle of our trail.  My friends and I weren't about to try and walk past these beasts.  However, Alicia wasn't afraid at all.  She sauntered right up to these black bovines.  I was concerned one of them might charge at her, but thankfully the cows were pretty docile.

Alicia went to say hello

Of course, I had to introduce Lotti to her fellow moo-moos.  Swiss cow, meet Norwegian cows!

Introducing Lotti to her fellow bovines

A bunch of folks from our tour group had gathered at the boat landing area.  It was getting cold at this high elevation, so most of us had donned heavier jackets and knit hats.

Evening light on the mountains

Although the official sunset wasn't until nearly midnight, the sinking sun slipped below the mountains, providing an early glow.  This light illuminated the nearby peaks with a rosy hue.

Bright blue lake

My friends were ready to go inside for a drink at the lodge.  But knowing this was likely my only chance to explore, I wanted to hike a bit of the area.  So I struck out on my own, following another path that weaved between the resort buildings before climbing up one of the nearby hills.

View of the resort from a nearby trail

The wide path intersected with a rough, rocky trail.  From here I began to climb rather steeply.  Huffing and puffing I dodged rocks and roots while ascending through a lovely forest.

The view when I climbed higher

I got a few nice views of the resort area and surrounding mountains.  But mostly I was deep in the forest.  

A rough, but pretty trail

I'd heard there was a nice viewpoint on the very top of this hill.  However, the trail began to get quite rough.  Dodging large rocks and tree roots, I realized if I fell and hurt myself, it wouldn't be good.  Darkness was fast approaching and I was alone.  Help likely wouldn't come until Kim missed me.

Large rock outcrops

So after about a mile of climbing I made the decision to turn around and head back.  Gingerly I picked my way down around the boulders and slippery tree roots.  Even though I didn't go very far, the views of the mountains and forest in evening light were terrific and very much worth it.

Sun is sinking behind the mountains

Back at the wider trail, I noticed a sign pointing in the opposite direction.  Apparently there was a waterfall nearby.  I followed this abandoned road until I came to a bridge over a small creek.  There upstream was a tiny, but gorgeous cascade.  The waterfall's white rivulets of water stair-stepped down a rocky shelf.  Small but mighty!  It's always a good day when you can see three different waterfalls. 

 

I discovered a small waterfall on the way back

Returning to the hotel room, it was time to call it a night.  Kim and I snuggled under our comforters, ready to recharge our batteries.  Tomorrow was a big day - our tour was taking a boat cruise in Norway's famous Sognefjord.  Coming in my next post, the spectacular scenery of a Norwegian fjord.  You won't want to miss this one!