Fyresdal: Treetop Walkway, Lake and Cultural History

A treetop walkway with a trampoline, a museum with historic houses, and Fyresvatn with beach and canoeing options give a stay in Fyresdal a range of different highlights. There are also traces of the past, from burial mounds to a former school building.

Get active at Hamaren Activity Park

Hamaren Activity Park includes Norway’s first treetop walkway, a treetop trampoline, a climbing course, cycling paths, picnic areas and bathing spots. This gives you several ways to spend time outdoors. The accessible circular route, including the treetop walkway, is about 3.5 kilometres long and takes approximately 1.5 hours. These approximate figures can help you plan the route as a separate activity. Klokkarhamaren, the highest point on the route, is 343 metres above sea level. From there, you can enjoy a view of Fyresvatn, Norway’s sixth-deepest lake.

Beaches and islands on Fyresvatn

Bryggeparken is located at Fyresdal’s central pier. It has a commercial area, a café, a beach, barbecue areas, a beach volleyball court and a water trampoline. Options range from taking a break at the café to activities on the water. Nearby, at the northern end of Fyresvatn, you will also find Stykkjevika: the beach is 700 metres long, has a gentle slope and is suitable for children and adults. If you would rather explore the lake from the water, you can paddle to one of the small islands on Fyresvatn after renting a canoe. Spending time at the beach and canoeing are two different ways to make the lake part of your trip.

Building history and traces of the past

Fyresdal Bygdemuseum comprises a total of 14 historic houses from the Middle Ages and later periods. The buildings’ different dates of origin make the historic collection a highlight in its own right. Øyskogen museum park is also home to four pagan burial mounds. Another burial mound from the Iron Age is located at the entrance to Moland Church, built in 1843; it is protected.

Folkestadbyen is a well-preserved architectural ensemble with many houses in the Swiss style and can be explored on a walk around the area. In the centre of Fyresdal, Folkestadbyen has local shops, guesthouses, cafés, a bank and a community hall. Klokkargarden is a sexton’s house built in 1777 and was Fyresdal’s first permanent school building. These buildings and places offer different perspectives on local life and history.

Paths and the history of the municipality

The Moland Cultural Trail starts in the centre of Fyresdal at the museum in Øyskogen. It is suitable for families with children and older people; most of the route is wheelchair accessible. If you would like to learn about cultural history on a walk, this trail has a clear starting point in the centre.

The landscape also tells a story of the forces of nature in the past: Munkhola is a cave in the mountain that was formed during the Ice Age by wave and frost erosion from Fyresvatn. A church service is now held annually in the Trollholene caves in Kilegrend, in the associated municipality. The Moisesberg mining area in Fjellgardane was established between 1541 and 1549 and is considered exceptional in the European mining context. Remains of a slag heap near Prestestranda provide evidence of two iron mines dating from the Early Iron Age and the Middle Ages, respectively. The historic wooden log-floating vessel “MB Teisner” was decommissioned in 1971, brought ashore and preserved.

When looking for a holiday apartment, the kind of trip you want can help you decide: the Cultural Trail starts in the centre, while the beach and canoeing put Fyresvatn at the heart of your visit. You can also discover Hauggrend as another place to visit.

For the broader travel overview: Fyresdal.