Veitastrond: Seter Landscapes and Glacier Trails

Glacial rivers, seter farms and trails into Austerdalen

Veitastrond combines an impressive glacial landscape with traces of farming life and trails to striking natural destinations. Below Tungestølen, a large river delta spreads out: glacial rivers shimmer emerald green, with several seter farms and grazing livestock in between. Those who enjoy spending time outdoors will find plenty to explore here, as will travellers interested in traditional seter landscapes and distinctive buildings.

Tungestølen and Nystølen are typical seter landscapes: groups of seter houses are surrounded by well-grazed land. Tungestølen has long been used as a summer seter and has operated as a mountain lodge since 1910. At Øvre Tungestølen, the tourist facility consists of six buildings; its innovative architecture is considered a major attraction. This part of the area thus brings traditional land use and modern architectural design together.

The Tungestølen Turisthytte lies at the foot of the striking Skyttarpiggen. The mountain opens access to the Langedalen and Austerdalen valleys in the direction of Jostedalsbreen. The upper parts of both valleys, within the protected area belonging to Veitastrond, are part of Jostedalsbreen National Park. Travellers whose main aim is to experience mountain and glacial landscapes can make these valleys a focus of their trip.

Hiking destinations and glacier views

A trail about 5 km long leads through Austerdalen to Austerdalsbreen. It used to be marked, but is now inadequately marked. This is an important distinction from an easy walking destination: anyone considering this trail should take its described marking condition into account when deciding on their route. Midtnovi is another hiking destination, accessible from Nystølen or Tungestølen. A challenging hike to Skyttarpgiggen also starts from Tungestølen.

The tourist trail to Austerdalsbreen crosses the highest point of the route before reaching the glacier’s edge. From there, there are wide views of the glacier terminus, the scree slopes and two glacier waterfalls. Three wild glacier waterfalls at Austerdalsbreen are known by name: Tor, Odin and Loke. On a glacier hike, the approach from Tungestølen to the glacier front takes a little over 1.5 hours. Equipment is put on there, before continuing over the bare ice with views of the Odin, Tor and Loke glacier waterfalls.

The history of glacier exploration is also part of this landscape. A memorial stone was unveiled at Austerdalsbreen on 13 August 1994, almost exactly 100 years after William Cecil Slingsby and two others first explored this glacier arm. The stone commemorates an early exploration of the glacier, while today’s nature experiences range from valley trails to the bare ice.

Exploring Veitastrondvatnet

Since 2002, the Veitastrondvegen along Veitastrondvatnet has been included in Norway’s national conservation plan for roads, bridges and road-related cultural heritage sites. Along the lake, you can cycle past the tunnels on the old road. This offers another way to explore the area, in addition to the hiking destinations. Kvam Guiding & Service offers a guided RIB tour on Veitastrondvatnet. It lasts two hours, is led by a private guide and is described as easy. Hiking, glacier experiences, cycling and a boat tour each offer a different focus for your stay.

The chapel and finding the right kind of trip

Veitastrond Chapel is a wooden long church with 120 seats. It was built as a prayer house in 1928 and consecrated for church use and designated a chapel on 14 July 1935. As a cultural landmark, it complements the seter landscapes and natural destinations with a glimpse into local church history.

When looking for a holiday rental in Veitastrond, you can first consider which of these aspects you would like to shape your stay: trails and glacier views, the cultural landscape around the seter farms, the road by the lake or a guided boat tour. The experiences described differ considerably in nature. This lets you plan your trip around your own interests without trying to fit every activity into a single itinerary.

For more pages about local destinations, you can also visit Fortun, Skjolden, Gaupne, Marifjøra, Luster, Jostedal, Solvorn and Ornes.

Return to the main travel overview: Luster.