Stalheim tours

Stalheim is a small village on the west of Norway, lies between Stalheimsfossen and Sivlefossen, in the hamlet of Sivle and Brekke. The most likely explanation of the name is the “garden of Stadall”, of “stand, stand”, the village relates to Voss municipality of the Hordaland county. The view from Stalheim is famous and is among other things known from several paintings. Particularly known is JC Dahl’s oil painting from Stalheim(1842), which is in the National Gallery. The picture shows the view of Nærørydalen, Jordalsnuten, Stalheim, Brekke and Sivlegrden up the hill, and is painted from the royal road in Stalheimshagen / Beitekleiva.

Stalheim is easy to reach from Bergen or Oslo by car. The village is located close to the main E16 road between Oslo and Bergen. From Oslo, your trip might take up to 6 hours, as from Bergen it is much short, just two hours. You can get to Stalheim by bus, it has connections to Voss, Bergen and Gudvagen. If your favourite transport is a train, be aware that the closest station Voss is 36 kilometres away. Bergen Fresland, the closest airport is a two hour away from Stalheim.  

Despite Stalheim remoteness from any possible real party monster attributes such as nightclub, bars or casinos, there is something in this place to see. At first, nature worked here, creating two magnificent waterfalls and cliffs, from which a beautiful view of the valley opens. And then people made their contribution by building over the cliff of Stalheim Hotel with a viewing platform and a winding road Stalheimskleivi (inclination of 18%, the steepest road in Norway). Canyon Stalheim – a deep mountain valley, located in the depths of Sognefjord. The valley is clamped by high mountains, along the way to the canyon there are two waterfalls: Stalheimfossen, with a height of 126 meters, and Silvefossen, whose height is 142 meters. The road down from Stalheim has 13 steep bends. The road leading to the canyon is twisty and has a slope of 18 degrees, a special tunnel is built for the way up. During your walk, you can see incredible Norwegian landscapes and enjoy the mountain air. From Stalheim you can go for long walks in the mountains, you can choose short and long hikes, go fishing or visit the Stalheim Folk Museum. Stalheim is also a good base for excursions by car or public transport.

There are not many places where you could eat in Stalheim. Stalheim Hotel Restaurant and Restaurant Nuten with a spectacular view and international cuisine.

Walking along the Stalheimskleiva is an amazing thing which you could ever experience in your life in case if you are not afraid of heights. Stalheimskleiva is one of Northern Europe’s steepest roads 1.5-km-long which goes through the mountainside from the Nærøydalen valley to the top at Stalheim.

Get some water from the Tvindefossen waterfall, one of the unspoiled travel spots. The giant stepped waterfall Tvindefossen is located near the town of Voss, near the E16 highway. The height of the fall of the water is 150 meters. It looks like the streams of water, cast down straight from the sky, which gives this powerful element of nature unprecedented strength and beauty. Tweendefossen roars, splash for many meters around the foam, not allowing to get closer to it. Sometimes, due to lack of water, especially in summer this majestic waterfall often dries up, leaving tourists without an outstanding view. Twendefossen is interesting with his legend: they say that his water has a youthful power.

Visiting Bakka Church a wonderful place – a mirror of the fjords, waterfalls and steep mountains. Bakka Church is located in a tiny village after the same name on the western shore of the Nærøyfjord, about 5 km north of the village of Gudvangen. In 2000, a 1.7-kilometer tunnel was built from Gudvangen to Bucku to make the journey faster and safer. The name Bakka comes from the Old Norse word bakki, which means “hill”. The final -a is the ending of the dative case, used with prepositions to show the location: “on the hill”. In the XIX century, the name Bakke was distributed. The white wooden church was built in 1859 by the architect Christian Henrik Grosch (Christian Henrik Grosch)A wonderful white church in the middle of the 19th century is in the garden. A little further climb to Rimstigen, from where one of Norway’s best views opens.

Visiting a Viking Valley Njardarheimr . The name of the settlement Njardarheim means “Nyord’s house”. Njord – in Old Norse mythology, the god of wind, sea elements and fertility. It is a reconstruction of an ancient settlement of the Viking Age and a historical museum in the open air. The traveller gets a chance to understand the life of the Vikings, to find out how they communicated and how they lived. In the Norwegian Viking Valley, you can not only participate in interactive performances, talk with the descendants of the Vikings and learn more about the history of Scandinavia, but also taste dishes of that era: soup with warm freshly baked bread, sausages, green salads and fish. Surprisingly, the kitchen at that time was very diverse. Vikings liked to add aromatic herbs to dishes, which were brought from distant hikes

Take a ferry cruise along the Sognefjord. The Sognefjord is the longest and deepest fjord in Norway, and one of its branches, the famous Nærøyfjord, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Towering on the banks of the mountain is a popular place for hiking, kayaking and sometimes fishing.

As you are going to Norway and Norway is a pretty cold place, even in summer, especially in a mountain region, keep in mind this feature of your trip and don’t forget to take warm and comfortable clothes with you. Good hiking shoes will come in handy.