EIDFJORD, NORWAY

Sima Power Plant, situated at the end of the Hardangerfjord in Sima Valley, is the biggest power production unit in Norway, and it is open to the public. The production hall itself is situated 700 metres (2,300 feet) inside a mountain, and from there the production room is 200 metres (650 feet) long, 20 metres (65 feet) wide and 40 metres (130 feet) high.

Sima Power Plant, situated at the end of the Hardangerfjord in Sima Valley, is the biggest power production unit in Norway, and it is open to the public. The production hall itself is situated 700 metres (2,300 feet) inside a mountain, and from there the production room is 200 metres (650 feet) long, 20 metres (65 feet) wide and 40 metres (130 feet) high. Water resources from Osa Mountain, near Ulvik, are used for the Sima Power Plant, which opened in 1980. Sima has four main water reservoirs, holding some 660 million cubic metres of water. A number of tunnelled waterways supply these reservoirs with water from surrounding lakes in the drainage area. The complete system is more than 27 kilometres (17 miles) long. Two large tunnels lead water from the reservoirs to a valve chamber above the power plant, located inside the mountain of Kjeasen – 600 metres (2,000 feet) above the Simafjord. Two pressure shafts take the water from the valve chamber down to the power plant, where each shaft splits in two and thus feeds each of the four turbines. Having spun the turbines, the water is emptied into the Sima Fjord through an 800 metre (2,600 feet) long tunnel. After this visit we continue our tour on a road that zigzags up the mountainside. We can sit back in comfort as our driver skilfully negotiates the hairpin bends. En route we drive through the tunnel which was built to give the farm at Kjeåsen its first road connection. The farmers of this inaccessible place always had to take the challenge of the climb. The path up is still safe, but most people nowadays cheat and use the five kilometre (three mile) road that was made to establish power lines in the areas behind Kjeåsen. The road is narrow, and half of it runs through a steep and dark tunnel, ending up just behind the farm. Because of the narrow road, there are rules to abide by: you can drive upwards every hour, and downwards every half an hour between 9am and 5.30pm. The drive takes ten minutes. Arriving at a spectacular viewpoint at the top of the mountain, we will have time to admire the breathtaking scenery. Our guide will explain the living conditions on the farm through the centuries. Way back in the 1340’s, Black Death killed 25 million people in Europe. It came to Norway on a ship from London to Bergen. Half the population died, and only approximately 22,000 of the original 55,000 farms in Norway were populated after the plague. Survivors escaping this terrible period established two isolated farms by Eidfjord, 600 metres (2,000 feet) above the Simadalsfjord (in inner Hardanger) – one of them, Kjeåsen (Goat Hill), is still active today and makes a living from sheep and tourism. We will travel back to our ship along the shores of the fjord and the bay of Simafjord.

This tour involves some walking: at the Sima Power Plant Information Centre (which is suitable for wheelchairs) – approximately 50 metres (165 feet) in the production room – and around the farm at Kjeåsen – an approximate 15 minute stop is made, during which you can choose whether to stroll with the guide along a partly gravelled road and pathways in the meadow (the pathways are steep and rough). This tour will present spectacular views, even if you choose to remain in your seat. Please note this tour includes a journey with hairpin bends, therefore it may not be suitable for passengers who suffer from vertigo.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2008 NORWAY CRUISES