Vartdal

Vartdal offers several ways to spend time outdoors: you can hike along trails through deciduous and spruce forests, or choose destinations with a different character. Cross-country skiing, a ski lift and a recommended swimming spot are also among the options. Which holiday apartment in Vartdal is right for your trip therefore also depends on whether you want to focus on hiking, winter sports, water or a cultural visit.

Hiking to Risanakken

The Vardehornet via Risanakken route starts at a junction in Sætrefeltet in Vartdal and passes Risanakken, a popular hiking destination. From Sætre or Sætrefeltet, you can reach Risanakken by following a blue-marked trail through deciduous and spruce forests. You can follow the blue markings along the way.

The terrain around Risanakken can be wet in places, while the trail is good further up. The spot makes a good rest stop with views of Vartdal. On the Vardehornet via Risanakken route, the view extends across the entire fjord. This hike therefore combines a forest trail with a stop for the views. If you choose accommodation as a base for hiking, you’ll find specific destination names and trail features here to help guide your own excursion planning.

A steep hike to Bergehornet

The hike to Bergehornet offers a different kind of trail: it is quite steep, but has no exposed sections. The approach starts from Vartdalsvegen in Vartdal, via the signposted turn-off to the shooting range. From there, cross a bridge and follow a gravel road to the power station at Fosshola; the trail starts there. This sequence helps you understand the described approach when planning your day, without assuming a walking time or trail length.

From Bergehornet, you look directly down at Vartdal. Compared with the hike via Risanakken, the steep trail and views of the village are the main features here; on the Vardehornet via Risanakken route, the forest, rest stop and views across the entire fjord are defining features. This lets you choose between different hiking experiences rather than deciding by destination name alone.

Winter trails and a swimming spot

In Vartdal, cross-country ski trails are maintained by dedicated volunteers. There is also the Vartdal skitrekk, a child-friendly ski lift. If you are travelling with children and planning winter sports, you can take these two options into account when considering your destination.

Gopetjønna, also known as Årsethølen, in Årsetdalen in Vartdal offers a very different option: the spot is recommended for a refreshing swim. Alongside hiking trails and winter activities, water and swimming are therefore also options to consider for your trip. The various destinations can be considered as individual ideas for your stay; their descriptions do not imply a shared route.

Getting around and a cultural visit

During the day, FRAM routes 100/101 run through Vartdal hourly. These routes offer a useful reference for getting around the area as you plan your stay. Nearby, in Nordre Vartdal, you’ll also find Vartdal kyrkje, a wooden long church consecrated on 8 April 1877. The church contains an altarpiece painted by Lars Kinsarvik in 1907. If you would like to include a cultural destination alongside trips into nature, you can add this church to your travel ideas.

For further orientation, you can also find Øye, Sæbø, Sætre, Storestandal, Barstadvik, Norangsfjorden, Ørsta and Bjørke.

Back to the main travel overview: Ørsta.