Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mountaintop restaurant serves refreshments and meals. The hardy take the cable
car up, and then spend the rest of the afternoon strolling down the mountain,
which is our personal favorite of all the walks possible in the area. A round-trip
ride costs 60NOK ($8.50) for adults, 40NOK ($5.70) for children 8 to 16, and
is free for children under 8. Entrance to the cable car is on a hillside, a 10-
minute walk north of the town center. It's open in summer and winter but closes
during the often gray and rainy months of May and September to December.
Finnesloftet
This is one of the oldest timbered houses in Norway, dating
from the mid-13th century. It's located about 1.5km (1 mile) west of Voss and
is a 15-minute walk west from the train station.
Finne.
&
56-51-16-75.
Admission 30NOK ($4.25) adults, 20NOK ($2.85) children. Tues-Sun 11am-4pm.
Closed Aug 16-June 14.
Vangskyrkje
This 1277 church with a timbered tower contains a striking
Renaissance pulpit, a stone altar and triptych, fine woodcarvings, and a painted
ceiling. It's in the center of Voss, a 5-minute walk east from the train station.
Call in advance if you would like to reserve an English-speaking guide.
Vangsgata 3.
&
56-51-22-78.
Admission 18NOK ($2.50) adults, free for children under 17. Daily
10am-4pm. Closed Sept-May.
Voss Folkemuseum
Almost a kilometer (
1
⁄
2
mile) north of Voss on a hillside
overlooking the town, this museum consists of more than a dozen farmhouses
and other buildings dating from the 1500s to around 1870. They were not
moved here but were built on this site by two farm families.
Mølster.
&
56-51-15-11.
Admission 41NOK ($5.80) adults, free for children. May-Sept daily 10am-5pm;
Oct-Apr Mon-Sat 10am-3pm, Sun noon-3pm.
SKIING
Voss continually adds to its facilities, and is definitely in the race to overtake
Geilo and Lillehammer as Norway's most popular winter playground. Its eight
chairlifts, various ski lifts, and aerial cableway carry passengers up 788m (2,625
ft.). In all, there are 40km (25 miles) of alpine slopes, plus two marked cross-
country trails.
The town offers what it calls a “ski circus.” Beginners take the Hangursbanen
cable car; one ski lift (900m/3,000 ft. long) goes from Traastolen to the top of
Slettafjell (with a wide choice of downhill runs); the Bavallen lift is for the
slalom slopes; and the downhill runs are at Lonehorgi.
Lessons at the
Ski School
(
&
56-51-00-32
in winter, or 56-51-34-36 in
summer), at the end of the cable-car run, are moderately priced. The tourist
office and hotels can arrange bookings. All equipment is available for rent.
Children over 7 are allowed on the slopes. A special branch of the Ski School
handles these youngsters. Babysitting is available for children under 7.
OTHER OUTDOOR PURSUITS
This is Valhalla for fishermen, as there are some 500 lakes and rivers in the
greater vicinity of Voss. A local fishing license, costing 50NOK ($7.10), is avail-
able at the post office or the tourist office. You can catch trout and char with
only local tackle. Fishing guides can be booked through the tourist office.
Mountain hikes are possible in all directions. Ask at the tourist office about
how to hook up with the
Bulken Walking Association,
which sponsors “The
Voss Trip” from April to October, a 14km-long (8
1
⁄
2
-mile) marked walking track,
costing 17NOK ($2.40) per person. For the hiker, this is one of the most scenic
