Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
famous composers or writers as Edvard Grieg and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson have
sung the praise of these viands. The windows of this three-level restaurant open
onto dramatic views of the fjord. Guests flock here for the big buffet spread
where you'll find at least 65 dishes, everything from jellied salmon to homemade
cakes. Many of the dishes have a strong regional flavor, as exemplified by the filet
of reindeer or the red deer with a rich game sauce laced with herbs. Fish fanciers
gravitate to the flounder or catfish with steamed fresh vegetables. In summer
expect those delectable cloudberries that are similar to a yellow raspberry. They
can be served as a soufflé or (and we prefer this) just fresh with cream.
Lofthus i Hardanger.
&
53-67-00-00.
Reservations required. Buffet 375NOK ($53); main courses 250NOK
($36) a la carte. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon-2:30pm and 7-9:30pm. Closed Dec 22-30.
3 Kinsarvik: Holiday on the Kinso River
119km (74 miles) E of Bergen; 38km (24 miles) S of Voss; 374km (233 miles) W of Oslo
The main village of
Kinsarvik
stands on a glacier-formed ridge at the mouth of
the Kinso River, which flows into four magnificent waterfalls as it drops from
the plateau to Husedalen on its way to the sea. Since early times, Kinsarvik has
been the marketplace for the region.
Kinsarvik was Hardanger's principal timber port in the 17th and early 18th
centuries. When the export of timber was transferred to Bergen in 1750, Kin-
sarvik developed a shipbuilding industry that continued until 1870, when the
village became a center for woodcarving. Today one of its principal manufac-
turers is a pewter factory.
The plot of grass that slopes to a stony beach near the Kinsarvik ferry terminal
is
Skiperstod,
site of a boathouse for naval long ships from about 900 until 1350.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
The
Bergen Railroad
running between Bergen and Oslo
will take you to the Voss station, the nearest terminal to Kinsarvik. There are 14
arrivals and departures a day. From Voss, you can journey to Kinsarvik by bus.
Trip time from Oslo to Voss is 5
1
⁄
2
hours.
Bus
service takes 1
1
⁄
4
hours from Odda,
15 minutes from Lofthus. The bus trip from Bergen takes 2
1
⁄
2
hours, and 50 min-
utes from Voss, the nearest rail connection.
Motorists
can take E16 east from
Bergen to Kvanndal, and then board a car ferry to Kinsarvik.
Boats
leaving from
Kvanndal on the northern coast of the Hardangerfjord take about 45 minutes.
VISITOR INFORMATION Turist-Informasjonen
(
&
53-66-31-12
), in
the village center, is open daily as follows: May 1 to June 20 9am to 5pm, June
21 to August 20 9am to 7pm, and August 21 to September 1 9am to 5pm. At
other times information is available from the
Kinsarvik Library
(
&
53-67-
15-77
), also in the village center.
SEEING THE SIGHTS
Kinsarvik Church
Said to have been constructed by Scottish master
builders at the end of the 12th century, this is one of the oldest stone churches
in Norway. The interior was restored in 1961 to its pre-Reformation condition.
It has a 17th-century pulpit painted by Peter Reimers, a painted and carved
altarpiece, and medieval frescoes. The church is constructed in a vaguely Roman
style, and chalk paintings on the walls show the “weighing of souls” in judgment
by Archangel Michael. The admission-free church is open daily from May to
September 15 from 10am to 4pm.
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