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Here we are on the second leg of our three-week road trip in Norway: a memorable journey along one of the country’s most beautiful roads, between Suldal to Bergen. Following the majestic arms of the Hardangerfjord, this route offers breathtaking scenery and picturesque villages.

But what really makes this route particularly remarkable is its concentration of waterfalls. Each waterfall is a natural spectacle in its own right, creating a series of unforgettable moments along the way. Prepare to be amazed by the raw beauty and grandeur of Norwegian nature.

Suldal Bergen — Stage 02: Suldal to Bergen

On the road, after our accommodation in Suldal (see previous article).

What to see and do between Suldal and Bergen?

Sommaire

1 | Stop off on the road to see the Flesefossen waterfall

The Flesefossen waterfall is located near Brattland, north of Suldal. It lies along the R13 road when driving from Suldal to Røldal. After the end of the Suldalsvatnet, it’s about 6.2 kilometers from Nesflaten to Flesefossen. It’s a little-known waterfall, but with an impressive height of around 160 meters.

Parking: Free parking is available right in front of the waterfall!

2 | Admire the scenery around Røldal

This is a really cute area to discover. We stopped at several spots to take photos. I can’t remember the exact location, but they’re all along the road around Røldal.

I also recommend a stop in Røldal to discover one of Norway’s oldest standing wooden churches: the Røldal Stave Church.

3 | Stop at the twin Låtefossen waterfalls

The Låtefossen waterfall is located in the Odda valley. It’s easily accessible as it’s directly on the main R13 road between Røldal and Odda. This twin 165-meter-high waterfall is a two-way cascade that will amaze you with its raw power and natural beauty. What’s special about this one is that the water practically hits the road before passing under an old stone bridge. It then flows into the Opo River, which meanders through the “valley of waterfalls”.

Parking: there are a few parking spaces just in front of the waterfall (after the bridge when coming from Røldal).

4 | See the Vidfossen waterfall from the road

The Vidfossen waterfall lies 8 km south of Odda along the R13 road. It’s impossible to miss because it’s so spectacular! The water flows over black rock. There are no parking spaces near the falls, and it’s impossible to park along the road. The best option we found was to slow down to take time to admire and photograph the waterfall from the car (there’s really very little traffic on the road) and to make sure we got a good look at it, we turned around twice!!!

5 | Trolltunga long hike

The Trolltunga hike is one of Norway’s most beautiful, but unfortunately a victim of its own success. Trolltunga, or “Troll’s Tongue”, is the name of this famous rock platform suspended above the beautiful Ringedal Lake 700 meters below. Over the years, the site has become hyper-frequented, and on the busiest days there can be as many as 2,000 visitors. The hike is long and demanding, requiring 8-12 hours of fairly strenuous walking each way (between 20 and 38km, and between 800 and 2000 meters of ascent and descent).

We chose not to do this hike because of the exorbitant prices of parking and shuttles for one day… I’ll detail the prices and parking/shuttle information just below.

Practical information for the Trolltunga hike

Website: https://trolltunga.com/

Parking lots and difficulty of the hike depending on the starting point: as well as being extremely expensive, they are often fully booked by 8 a.m. in high season.
- P1 Tyssedal: 27€/car (300NOK). It’s extremely far and involves walking 2 times 9 km on tarmac in addition to the hike.
  Distance from Trolltunga: 38 km – altitude gain: 2000m.
  No need to book, open all year round.
  ______
- P2 Skjeggedal: This is the most popular parking lot. 44/car (500NOK). The road toll is included in the price. You have to walk 2 times 4 km on the road in addition to the hike.
  Distance from Trolltunga: 28 km – ascent: 1200m.
  No need to book, open all year round.
  ______
- P3 Mågelitopp: Private parking lot with 30 spaces, please reserve in advance only! 53€/car (600NOK) parking and 18€/car (200NOK) toll (before driving to P3 Mågelitopp, you must pay the road toll at the P2 Skjeggedal pay station).
  Distance from Trolltunga: 20 km – altitude difference: 800m.

Note: you can’t drop off passengers at P3! The road to P3 Mågelitopp is narrow. Only shuttle buses and cars with pre-booked parking are allowed – and there’s a roadblock.

Shuttles: you can take different shuttles up to P3. Please note that if you park at P1 and want to go up to P3, you’ll have to take 2 different shuttles and pay each time!

Shuttle fares (2023)
May 19 to September 24, 2023
- Shuttle Odda ⥨ P2 Skjeggedal
  – Odda – P2 Skjeggedal (return ticket): 350 NOK
  – Odda to P2 Skjeggedal (1 trip) : 200 NOK
  – P2 Skjeggedal to Odda (1 trip) : 200 NOK
- Shuttle P1 Tyssedal ⥨ P2 Skjeggedal
  – P1 Tyssedal-P2 Skjeggedal (return ticket) : 200 NOK
  – P1 Tyssedal to P2 Skjeggedal (1 trip) : 100 NOK
  – P2 Skjeggedal to P1 Tyssedal (1 trip) : 100 NOK
- Shuttle P2 Skjeggedal ⥨ P3 Mågelitopp
  – P2 Skjeggedal to P3 Mågelitopp (one way)
  Adult : 150 NOK, 1 trip / Child (over 12 years old) : 50 NOK, 1 trip
  – P3 Mågelitopp to P2 Skjeggedal (return)
  Adult : 100 NOK, 1 trip / Child (over 12 years old) : 50 NOK, 1 trip

Weather: the route is not pleasant when it’s raining, as the rock can be really slippery. Weather conditions change rapidly, so don’t hesitate to take something to cover yourself from the cold and rain. The rock is often windy.

6 | Riding the beautiful roads of Lofthus

Located 32 km north of Odda, Lofthus is one of the country’s largest fruit-growing villages along the Sørfjord, a branch of the Hardangerfjord. It’s a village we really enjoyed discovering: pretty wooden houses in the middle of orchards, on the edge of the fjord dominated by mountains and the glacier.

7 | Stroll along the Vøringfossen footbridges

Vøringsfossen is one of Norway’s most impressive waterfalls, with a 182-metre waterfall tumbling down the mountain into a narrow, rugged valley. You can discover the waterfall via a number of specially-designed walkways. All safe and secure. Since 2020, a new 99-step metal bridge has been installed. It extends 47 meters across the waterfall.

Visit: free admission and open all year round.

Parking: there are 2 parking lots where you can park:

At Hotel Fossli (approx. 1 km from the main road).
At the main parking lot at the top of Måbødalen (along the main road).

Note: The volume of water in the cascade is regulated by a dam. There is a minimum water flow of 12 m³/s, even in summer.

8 | Enjoy a pastry in the village of Eidfjord

Eidfjord is a village on a branch of Hardangerfjord. It’s nothing special, but we really enjoyed the hotel/café/restaurant we booked: Vik Pensjonat. The meals on offer are simple but really good, because they’re made with fresh produce. And there’s a selection of pastries to satisfy even the most demanding palates. If you’re in the neighborhood, I recommend you stop in.

9 | Climb to Kjeåsen mountain farm

This farmhouse, situated 600 meters above Simdalsfjord (a branch of Hardangerfjord), offers a lovely view.

Access (free): to climb up to the Kjeåsen viewpoint, you have two options:

By car – regulated access: you can drive to Kjeåsen through an excavated tunnel. Because of the narrow road, traffic is organized hourly. Traffic goes up to Kjeåsen every full hour (10am-5pm) and down from Kjeåsen every half-hour (9.30am-5.30pm). There are no controls, so it’s up to you to respect the traffic hours. I recommend that you do so, as in some places it’s impossible for 2 vehicles to pass each other. Motorhomes are not allowed on the ascent.
On foot: you can also take the path up the steep mountainside from the Sima power station. It’s a 3-hour round-trip hike, and the path is quite steep!

Parking: no parking problems, you’ll find spaces at the tunnel exit, not far from the viewpoint.

10 | Discover the Norheimsund Boat Museum

As we had time on our schedule, we decided to visit the Hardanger Maritime Museum. It’s a wonderful discovery. More than just a museum of Norwegian naval history, it’s a benchmark for the restoration of old boats, as well as a training center since real boats are built and restored there. I recommend a visit if you have children.

You can discover a variety of exhibitions and activities, such as :

Wooden boat building: the museum perpetuates the local tradition of boat building and displays old wooden boats. Children can even try their hand at building a toy boat.
Rope manufacture
Open workshops: the museum puts the emphasis on activity, with open workshops where you can try your hand at making wooden figures and learning how to tie knots.
Exhibitions on restoration methods
Boat rental

Admission: late April to mid-August, daily, 10 am to 4 pm. The rest of the year, by appointment. Schedules may vary, so please check their website: https://fartoyvern.no/en/visit-us/
Price: 120NOK/adult, 70NOK/child (there is a family rate)

Norheimsund

11 | Walk under the Steinsdalsfossen waterfall

Located around 2 kilometers west of the large village of Norheimsund, this waterfall is one of the most visited in Norway. It is 46 meters high, with a main fall of 20 meters. The unique feature of this waterfall is that you can walk behind it without getting wet! It can be a victim of its own success, with its easy access. Buses therefore drop off tourists en masse right in front of the waterfall…

Parking: free parking right in front of the entrance.

Where to eat and sleep on this route

We stopped for 1 night in Eidfjord, in a charming white house that doubles as a café/restaurant and bed & breakfast. The rooms are a little small, and the bathroom is shared (only with 1 other room), but we enjoyed this place with all the services on offer. We even enjoyed their burgers and pastries!