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The Hvaler Islands

Ride an "island summer-paradise" between more than 800 smaller and larger islands. A fantastic landscape where sea meets land - nature, smooth rock, sunshine and summer, key words connected to Hvaler. Narrow sounds, small islands, sheltered inlets and smooth rock create a special nature atmosphere. Mixed with woodland the variations are many and sudden and makes this a paradise for mt.bikers as well as moderate riders that will enjoy to sit on the rock and watch the sailing yachts or the old boats passing by. This is definitely a place for recreation. Hvaler is the biggest fishing community in the eastern Norway, also meaning that while visiting this area you can be eating all the "gifts from the sea" fresh of the day. In the end of June the local "Festival of Wooden boats" takes place and maybe this is the time you should be visiting Hvaler Islands.
Perhaps nature and closeness to the ocean is what attracts the creative mind and inspire the artists. We start by spending a night in a sjøbu, a traditional fisherman shanties. Have breakfast on the veranda above the sea while the sun rises and the ocean is sparkling, so inviting that a morning dip is simply something you must.

We ride Vetserøya today and meet some of the known artists in this area. We have lunch on the smooth rock and of course we must taste the Hvaler-shrimps that they captured just this morning. You will be surprised the moment we cross the bridge and enter another island to observe that the landscape is so different. The histories of this islands are many and interesting and we will visit a few characteristics points while we are here. During this trip we have been cycling across or around 8 islands. Some of them we catch a ferry to get there. A bike ride at the Hvaler Islands is a sure success for an unbelievable holiday in most likely sunny days from June to September.

Map of Norway ->

Numedal Valley

Let us go to the Numedal valley. We go back in time, to the middle age. We start high up in the mountain with the greatest view and downhill roads awaiting us. Riding through Smådøldalen, a beautiful and very much alive valley with mountain dairy farming at several places is a small fairytale. In Uvdal we find the elaborately decorated Uvdal stave church from the 11th century. In Numedal four of Norway’s 28 beautiful stave churches are located, fascinating most people with their tarred and weather-beaten walls. Now it is time to find a place to spend the night and since we are in the middle age valley we want to sleep at a middle age farm. It is possible, and in carefully restored houses from the 17th century we spend the night yet in a very high standard.
We ride past many small hamlets with its medieval buildings (prior to 1537).

The second larges river of Norway, Numedalslågen is following us most off the trip and we get to know her and her history quite well. One day is set of for a unique experience of fishing in this river. One of Nordics most know fly fishers invites you to his wilderness camp by the riverside and any kind of fishing is possible. If you rather cycle on your day off the bike you can go for a rail tricycle trip just up the road. We make sure you stay happy!

The next day we will be cycling in the open agricultural landscape of Rollag. We pass by the impressive pine barrens of Flesberg. Many nice bathing places are to be found along the river and we have plenty of time to enjoy a nice hot summer day. This particularly trip is stopping in Kongsberg and just before arriving we cycle through the idyllic landscape of Bevergrenda, where the road winds close upon Numedalslågen. The Lia boom is an old monument of timber rafting from 1864. Here large quantities of timber were graded and sent further on. We arrive Kongsberg. According to the legend, two young shepherds discovered a vein of silver in the mountains in 1623. The following year, King Christian the 4th founded Kongsberg. This silver find was the beginning of a several hundred years` era of mining industry, which was brought to an end in 1958. During these years, 1.350.000 kilos of pure silver were extracted. The remains of the mining era still characterize the settlement and district of Kongsberg.

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Lofoton

North of Norway - The midnight sun and the north of Norway have also many magnificent rides to choose from. Lofoton, the “wall” of mountains that rises up way out in the ocean is one of many.

Map of Norway ->

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