From the industrial town of Odda by the fjord, to the high, open expanse of the Hardangervidda plateau

The trip starts at Odda – the town surrounded by high mountains at the head of a fjord arm. Odda has a proud history, both as an attractive tourist destination and as an industrial town.

Tourists began visiting Odda in the late 19th century because of its beautiful location by the Sørfjord, the high mountains, the Folgefonna glacier and many of Norway's finest waterfalls. At the start of the 20th century, Odda had 11 hotels and over 80 cruise ship called there during the high season.

At the beginning of the last century, Odda developed into an industrial town, and the number of tourists dwindled. Odda and Tyssedal’s access to running water made them attractive places to develop hydropower, and large companies were established here that took advantage of the readily available power supply.

Kraftlaben Science Centre can be found in the centre of Odda. In this small but exciting science centre, which was established in an old smelting plant’s laboratory, you can explore the secrets of science through experimental and interactive exhibitions, both inside and outside in the science park.

Once you’ve finished exploring, follow the Rv13 road from Odda, along the Sørfjord, towards Tyssedal.

Tyssedal is home to the Norwegian Museum of Hydropower and Industry, found in the beautiful, listed power station down by the fjord. Tyssedal power station is a huge monument to the emergence of Norway as an industrial nation in the early part of the last century. The museum offers visitors an insight into the changes that took place in the transition from being an agricultural to an industrial society. You can learn about the life of the navvies who built the railway, engineering, architecture, and how modern towns grew in the heart of the beautiful Norwegian countryside.

In the summer season, you can walk up to Lilletopp, at the top of the pipeline, where you enter the realm of the navvies. It’s an excellent trip for the whole family and offers panoramic views of the fjord, glacier and further into the now dry water tunnels. You can hear about the pioneers who built the dams, tunnels, pipeline and power station. In parallel with this, they also built a factory in Odda. After a two-year construction period, the power station supplied electricity to the new factory, which in turn supplied the world with carbide and fertiliser.

Trolltunga Active, an activity company in Tyssedal, offers guided tours up Tyssedal Via Ferrata, a spectacular climbing route in the Tyssedal mountains. The climb follows the pipeline in Tyssedal, in the footsteps of the navvies.

If you’re feeling energetic, we recommend a trip to Trolltunga – an iconic mountain overhang about 700 metres above Ringedalsvannet lake in Skjeggedal valley, not far from Tyssedal. It’s a demanding hike and a roundtrip will take about 7–15 hours. If you would like to visit Trolltunga, you should reckon on it taking one extra day. The view from Trolltunga is spectacular, and the feeling you get when stepping out on it is an experience of nature you won’t forget in a hurry.

We recommend that you spend the night at Tyssedal hotel.

From Tyssedal, the trip continues towards the Hardangerfjord and Eidfjord.

Eidfjord is situated wonderfully close to the fjord, and it’s not far from the Hardangervidda plateau and Vøringsfossen waterfall – one of Norway's most visited tourist attractions. It’s a place that’s full of contrasts. In the summer, you can enjoy the sun, warmth and swimming by the fjord, and in just 30 minutes be standing in the wilderness on the Hardangervidda plateau at an altitude of 1,250 metres. It’s place where you can get close to nature, culture and people. There are traces of people from 4000 years ago, and Eidfjord and Vøringsfossen waterfall have been attracting visitors for over 100 years.

Six kilometres from the centre of Eidfjord, in the Simadalen valley, is one of the important facilities in Norway’s industrial history. The visitor centre is temporarily closed, but on the way, on the mountainside high above the fjord at an altitude of 600 metres, you can see the two farms at Kjeåsen. You can either drive or walk up to enjoy the spectacular views.

The watercourses on Hardangervidda plateau have played an important role in the history of Simadalen. In 1973, construction began on the power station, which actually consists of two power stations (Lang-Sima and Sy-Sima), built inside the station hall in the mountain. The power station was completed in 1981. The station hall is situated 700 meters inside the mountain. It is 200 metres long, 20 metres wide, 40 metres high, and large enough to accommodate a 14-story tower block, with about 450 apartments housing 2000 people.

The Norwegian Nature Centre Hardanger, situated in Øvre Eidfjord, is a modern natural and cultural history experience centre for the whole family, with a focus on Norwegian nature, the climate and environment. It comprises three floors of fascinating exhibitions and a modern cinema that screens the spectacular cinerama film ‘Fjord, Fjell og Foss’. The Norwegian Nature Centre is also the official visitor centre for Hardangervidda National Park. Why not have lunch at the nearby Hardangerviddahallen restaurant & café?

Måbødalen Agricultural Countryside Museum manages the cultural history environment in Måbødalen, a valley between Eidfjordvatnet lake and Vøringsfossen waterfall. Buildings, paths and bridges have been restored, and 21 information boards convey the history of the development of the valley and how resources have been used there. You can walk up from Eidfjord to the Hardangervidda plateau on one of the old roads from the car park at Måbø farm, through the historic rows of old farm houses, and then steeply up Måbøberget, on the 1,300 well-preserved steps, and then on down to Fossatromma waterfall. It’s about a 2–3 hour round trip.

Visiting Vøringsfossen waterfall is an absolute must! Watch vast quantities of water plummet 182 meters from the Hardangervidda plateau into the Måbødalen valley. There are spectacular viewpoints at Fossli Hotel, about 1 km from road Rv 7, or the Norwegian Scenic Route Hardangervidda. The flow of the waterfall is regulated because of the Sima power station. The spectacular step bridge across the river was opened in August 2020.

You can take a round trip starting at the viewing platform at Fossli, heading down to the old Vøringfoss bridge dating from 1915, continuing down to the river, and then up the spectacular step bridge to the viewing platform.

Further up, towards the Hardangervidda plateau and at the top of Sysendalen valley, is one of Norway's largest rock-fill dams: Sysendammen. The dam is situated just off the Rv7 road, from where it is clearly visible. The dam is a barrier to Sysenvatnet, the main reservoir feeding Sy-Sima. It is 81 metres high and 1,160 meters long. The dam comprises 3.6 million cubic metres of rock and filling material and took six years to build, up until its completion in 1980.

The water supply to Vøringsfossen waterfall is regulated by the Sysendammen dam. The dam is representative of the large power plants in the mountains and the advanced power-plant development from the 1970s.

After an eventful day, you might want to spend the night at Fossli Hotel near the Vøringsfossen waterfall, or at Vøringfoss Hotel down in Eidfjord.

If you would like to explore the plateau further, the following day you should visit Halne Fjellstugu lodge, which is about 1,000 metres above sea level. Halne Fjellstugu is a great place for excellent dining. The nature on Hardangervidda is generous, and the restaurant uses ingredients that are fished, hunted and harvested on the plateau. If you fancy a bike ride, there are many places to cycle around the mountain lodge. You can start pedalling further towards the national park, experience the beautiful Tinnhølveien road, but reckon on an extra day if you do.

Halne Fjellstugu lodge is the home to Halnekongen, the popular boat route that has operated ever since 1954, when the dam at Sleipa was built. You can start a hike by taking the boat across the Halnefjord, or just take a round trip.