Hjelmeland Municipality, Ryfylke
Start at the pier in Hjelmelandsvågen and walk along the marina towards Bankhuset. This is where Hjelmeland Savings Bank was founded in 1907, and the bank operated here for many years. Today, it is a private residence.
From Bankhuset, take Gamlevegen between beautiful small houses and up the narrow Sæbøstien, then follow Burmavegen to Spinneriet. Inside Spinneriet, you'll find the blue sign that tells the story of the Blacksmith in Hjelmeland, Georg Fjellberg. He was executed by the Germans during the war for hiding weapons, but the poem 'Smeden i Hjelmeland' (The Blacksmith in Hjelmeland) by Leif S Rode lives on.
At Spinneriet, you'll find signs for Spinneriet and Vikingskatten på Sæbø. Spinneriet is an old industrial building currently used for cultural purposes. Vikingskatten refers to the six silver neck rings found at the Sæbø farm in 1769 and sent to the King in Copenhagen. Today, five of the rings are back in the county, at the Archaeological Museum in Stavanger.
From Spinneriet, walk along the river, cross the pedestrian bridge, climb the stone staircase, and head towards Hjelmeland Church from 1858. The great-great-grandfather of former Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Johan Gottlieb Thaulow, was a vicar when the church was built.
From the church, continue to the bank, where Hjelmeland Savings Bank is located today. The new building was erected in the 1980s. Gamle heradstova can be found below the county road, near the restaurant Smaken av Ryfylke. Gamle heradstova is the municipality's oldest school building from 1847. It was also used as a municipal building, and the council (municipal council) held meetings here. The stone slabs on the roof are laid in a way typical for our region.
From Gamle heradstova, walk down to the fjord and follow the promenade back towards the pedestrian bridge and the municipal building. Here, you'll find the world's largest 'jærstol' (traditional Norwegian chair).
On the wall of the municipal building facing the river, you'll find the blue sign for Fyrste bedehuset i Norge (First Prayer House in Norway) and Storflaumen. The first prayer house in Norway was built in 1840 and was called 'Samlingsstova' (The Gathering Place). At that time, the church was also located in this area. The prayer house barely reached its 100th anniversary before it was washed away in a terrible flood in late 1940, which also swept away the bridge, houses, and parts of the old cemetery. Fortunately, no lives were lost.
At the entrance door of the municipal building, you'll find the blue sign for Kommunehuset (Municipal Building), which tells the story of the construction of the municipal building just before the major municipal merger in the 1960s.
Now you are back where you started. The last sign, Enigheds Kobberværk, is displayed on the wall of Vågahuset. Enigheds Kobberværk was an industrial enterprise in the second half of the 18th century, where copper ore was extracted from Lysefjorden and Vats and smelted into copper at the smelting hut located in Vågen.
With the exception of a few 'shortcuts' (from sign 1 to sign 2 and the staircase between sign 3 and sign 4), the route is universally accessible. You can avoid these by following other paved paths.