Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Unable to contain her creative spirit, Bjørg has paired an eccentric won-
derland experience with her private tour of the Golden House's hidden rooms.
The tour includes a 30-minute movie, either about her art and local nature, or
about Balestrand in winter. Bjørg and Arthur also run the recommended on-
site café, Me Snakkast.
Cost and Hours:
Free entry; optional private one-hour tour-50/kr person,
100-kr minimum, 200-kr maximum; May-Aug daily 10:00-22:00, shorter
hours late April and Sept, mobile 91 56 28 42,
www.detgylnehus.no
.
Strolling King Bele's Way up the Fjord
—For a delightful walk (or bike
ride), head west out of town up the “old road”—once the main road from the
harbor—for about a mile. It follows the fjord's edge, passing numerous “vil-
las” from the late 1800s. At the time, this Swiss style was popular with some
locals, who hoped to introduce a dose of Romanticism into Norwegian archi-
tecture. Look for the dragons' heads (copied from Viking-age stave churches)
decorating the gables. Along the walk, you'll pass a swimming area, a camp-
ground, and two burial mounds from the Viking age, marked by a ponderous
statue of the Viking King Bele. Check out the wooden shelters for the mail-
boxes; some give the elevation (
m.o.h.
stands for “meters over
havet
”—the
sea)—not too high, are they? The walk is described in the
Outdoor Activities
in Balestrand
brochure (free at the TI or your hotel).
