ULVIK, NORWAY

From the idyllic Ulvik – often called ‘The Pearl of Hardanger’ – we will take the road which zigzags its way through sloping, mountainside orchards, giving us a lovely view of the fjord and mountains.

From the idyllic Ulvik – often called ‘The Pearl of Hardanger’ – we will take the road which zigzags its way through sloping, mountainside orchards, giving us a lovely view of the fjord and mountains. We pass by the Espeland Lake before reaching the much larger Granvin Lake, a fertile area with pastures used for summer grazing. From here we meet up with the Hardangerfjord again in Granvin and, after a short drive along the narrow, winding roads, we reach the ferry quay at Kvanndal. Reaching Utne by ferry, we will take a stroll to the Hardanger Folk Museum. Here we can hear a short demonstration of the delightful sounds of the Hardanger fiddle – special because it has an extra set of strings, giving tunes played on it a special resonance. If we have time, we may be able to visit some of the collection of 18th and 19th century buildings on display, or wander around the museum (with exhibitions of traditional crafts such as woodcarving and rose painting) and gift shop. We now walk to the nearby Utne Hotel – Norway’s oldest wooden hotel in continuous operation, licensed since 1722 and founded by Sergeant Borsem, who was granted permission by King Christian VII to run an inn as partial payment after the great Scandinavian War. His family took over in 1787, running the hotel up until the end of 1995. Torbjorg Utne (1812-1903), known as ‘Mother Utne’, gave the hotel its distinctive character. Today, the hotel is owned by a foundation and is very well preserved, and remains a distinguished hotel with an intimate atmosphere. Here we will be served the typical local cake ‘krotekake’ with tea or coffee. After a relaxing break, we rejoin our ferry to take us over Hardangerfjord’s southern shores, to Kinsarvik. In the beautifully located Kinsarvik Hotel, we will have a typical Norwegian buffet lunch. Nearby there is an opportunity to buy some pewter souvenirs from Hardanger. The last leg of our excursion takes us partly through tunnels back to Eidfjord, where our ship awaits our arrival.

From the ferry in Utne there is a walk of approximately 300-400 metres (1,000-1,300 feet) on a paved road to the Hardanger Folk Museum (the last part slopes upwards). To enter the museum shop and the Utne Hotel, there are steps. To visit the old buildings there is a fairly steep, 100-200 metre (300-650 feet) slope. The main museum building (housing traditional craft exhibitions) is wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs can enter the Utne Hotel through the back, and the lunch venue has a lift. There may not be time to visit all that the Hardanger Folk Museum has to offer. Sights may be visited in a different order than that described.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2008 NORWAY CRUISES