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Larvik to Rosendal
Day 5
After enjoying four days with our friends and exploring their hometown, we set off Monday morning for Rosendal. As we drove further away from the seaside town of Larvik the land became more mountainous. We stopped several times for photos before our first planned stop, Heddal Stave Church.
Heddal stave church, a masterwork of wood, is the largest of the 28 stave churches in Norway and still in use. The building is constructed of ore-pine timber, some of which dates back to around the year 1000, but the church itself was erected sometime in the 13th century.
Along the exterior gallery you can see fantastic wood carvings around the four entrance doors. Powerful symbols are designed to scare off evil powers and invite people into the sanctuary of the church. One door is for men, one for women, one for the clergy and one in the west for processions. Today the west entrance is the only one in use.
Along the exterior gallery you can see fantastic wood carvings around the four entrance doors. Powerful symbols are designed to scare off evil powers and invite people into the sanctuary of the church. One door is for men, one for women, one for the clergy and one in the west for processions. Today the west entrance is the only one in use.
Heddal Stave Church
Heddal Stavkirke
Heddal Stavkirke
Notodden, Telemark
All the buildings on the site have been relocated from the surrounding district. The buildings have been positioned to give visitors an idea of what a thriving farm looked like in this area around 200 years ago.
Rambergstugo is the museum’s principal building, and on the upper floor visitors can admire the decoratively painted living room, known as Uppstogo, painted by the decorative painter Olav Hansson in 1784.
Rambergstugo is the museum’s principal building, and on the upper floor visitors can admire the decoratively painted living room, known as Uppstogo, painted by the decorative painter Olav Hansson in 1784.
Heddal Open-air Musuem Heddal Bygdetun
Notodden, Telemark
Gaustatoppen, which many claim to be the most beautiful mountain in Norway, towers majestically above the town of Rjukan at an altitude of 1,883 metres. On a clear day, you can see all the way south to the coast and east to Sweden. You can see one sixth of Norway from here.
Gaustabanen is a funicular railway inside Gaustatoppen. The first part of Gaustabanen is a battery-powered carriage on rails which transports passengers approximately 850 meters horizontally into the mountain. At this point there is an intermediate transfer station from which a shuttle line runs upwards at an angle of 39 degrees for 1045 meters to a height of 1800 meters above sea level.
Gaustabanen is a funicular railway inside Gaustatoppen. The first part of Gaustabanen is a battery-powered carriage on rails which transports passengers approximately 850 meters horizontally into the mountain. At this point there is an intermediate transfer station from which a shuttle line runs upwards at an angle of 39 degrees for 1045 meters to a height of 1800 meters above sea level.
Gaustatoppen
Telemark
After we departed Heddal, the views became more breathtaking with every turn on the winding roads up the mountains, finally the trees thinned and we could see Gaustatoppen in the distance.
When we stepped into the tunnel of the lower funicular station, the air was noticeably colder. It would have taken a full day to hike up the mountain, yet we were able to ascend to the top within 15 minutes thanks to the cable car completed in 1959.
When we stepped into the tunnel of the lower funicular station, the air was noticeably colder. It would have taken a full day to hike up the mountain, yet we were able to ascend to the top within 15 minutes thanks to the cable car completed in 1959.
From outside the upper station we climbed roughly five stories worth of stone stairs to the highest tourist lookout point, which also served as a helicopter landing pad and roof of a telecom building built in the 1970s. From there we could see in all directions, mountains as far as the eye could see, a small village was to the west and numerous mountain lakes to the east. Halfway up the stairs, there was a turisthytte in which we purchased a waffle with strawberry jam.
After some time enjoying the mountain, Derek asked Linsey which direction was her favorite and she said to the east because it was the greenest and most lush looking. After a second trip up the stairs from waffle hut to the top, Derek said we should go to the flat spot on the other side of the waffle hut where we hadn’t been yet. He started climbing off path over rocks to get to his scoped location as Linsey struggled far behind. Once Derek reached his destination, he shouted back, “the waffle shop has a back door,” preferring the easier path, Linsey walked around and met him.
There we sat for a moment having the spot entirely to ourselves before Derek said he wanted to take a picture. He spent several long minutes (hint hint) setting up the camera in a perfect location as Linsey enjoyed the view. With our own secluded area on the mountain, there seemed to be no better place to ask Linsey for her hand in marriage. Gaustatoppen will forever be a special place for both of us. Truly the happiest moments of our lives.
After some time enjoying the mountain, Derek asked Linsey which direction was her favorite and she said to the east because it was the greenest and most lush looking. After a second trip up the stairs from waffle hut to the top, Derek said we should go to the flat spot on the other side of the waffle hut where we hadn’t been yet. He started climbing off path over rocks to get to his scoped location as Linsey struggled far behind. Once Derek reached his destination, he shouted back, “the waffle shop has a back door,” preferring the easier path, Linsey walked around and met him.
There we sat for a moment having the spot entirely to ourselves before Derek said he wanted to take a picture. He spent several long minutes (hint hint) setting up the camera in a perfect location as Linsey enjoyed the view. With our own secluded area on the mountain, there seemed to be no better place to ask Linsey for her hand in marriage. Gaustatoppen will forever be a special place for both of us. Truly the happiest moments of our lives.
As we drove west toward Rosendal, the landscaped changed many times. We drove past Toak, a seemingly endless lake, and through rolling green hills dotted with houses built in the traditional log and grass roof style. We passed through a mountain tunnel and once we emerged the landscape looked entirely different than it did before. The colors of the mountains and numerous lakes looked surreal, it was like we were driving across a foreign planet, but it was actually the southernmost edge of Hardangervidda National Park.
Hardangervidda is Northern Europe's largest mountain plateau and Norway's largest national park. The plateau can be inhospitable in wintertime but in summertime it is far more welcoming. The terrain is ideal for walking and you have the chance to catch your own dinner if the fish are biting in one of the many wonderful mountain lakes.
Hardangervidda
Hordaland
Rosendal
Hordaland
As we left the central part of Norway, we began to see the western fjords with waterfalls running down the steep mountains. We ended our evening at Rosendal Turisthotell with dinner to celebrate our engagement.
Made with love 💻 Linsey 📷 Derek.