Discover Tuddal: lakeside routes, hikes and culture

Explore Kovstulvann

In Tuddal, you can enjoy an outing by the water, a longer hike and insights into local history. The Kjerringstein loop goes around Kovstulvann and is designed for walkers, cyclists, pushchairs and wheelchair users. This makes it easy to include the loop in your holiday plans in a way that suits how you like to get around. For families who want to spend time outdoors together, it offers a different kind of outing from a several-hour hike through mountain and forest terrain.

On the north shore of Kovstulvann, the loop has a shelter, an accessible fishing spot and a place where you can grill food you have brought with you. If you would like to combine time by the lake with a break, you will find several options here: shelter in the hut, fishing at the designated spot or grilling your own food. The loop and its facilities provide practical options for an outing that is about more than just walking.

A longer hike is the DNT-marked Prestevegen. This marked hiking trail crosses mountain and forest terrain between Hogstul in Tuddal and Juvsmoen in Hjartdal; the walking time is about six hours. This information helps you distinguish the hike from a loop around the lake and set aside enough time for a day on the trail. If you prefer a shorter loop, you can choose the Kjerringstein loop; if you are looking for a route between two places through mountain and forest terrain, that is what Prestevegen offers.

Bygdetun and church history

Tuddal Bygdetun consists of 13 historic farm buildings. It shows what a typical farm in Tuddal looked like in the 17th and 18th centuries. The permanent exhibition focuses on Tuddal’s cultural heritage and includes old Tuddal bunads, rosemaled chests, a stave church portal removed in 1796 and a pre-Christian household idol. The buildings and exhibition offer different ways to explore the past: you can take an interest in both the layout of a historic farm and individual examples of local culture.

Tuddal Church also offers a glimpse into the history of the place. It is a timber-framed wooden church built in 1796. Two stave churches are said to have stood there before the present church: the first burned down in 1369, and the second stood until 1796. If you would like to combine a hike with culture and history, the “Hjartdal – Bjårvatn rundt” route passes through the centre of Tuddal and by the church. Tuddal Church is also named as a stop on this route.

“Hjartdal – Bjårvatn rundt” is an easy hike for the whole family through nature, culture and history. Fossehalli in Tuddal is listed as the starting point. You can consider it as a separate hiking option alongside the loop around Kovstulvann and the longer Prestevegen: it combines nature, the town centre and a named cultural stop, while Prestevegen crosses mountain and forest terrain between Hogstul and Juvsmoen.

Getting here and nearby places

For road directions: from Sauland, turn onto Fv 651 towards Tuddal and Gaustatoppen. If you would like to plan your holiday around hiking, the details about routes and walking times are useful; if you are interested in culture, the Bygdetun and church offer specific places to visit. Consider which of these experiences matters most to you during your stay, and choose Tuddal as your destination when searching for a holiday apartment.

More pages about nearby places: Hjartdal, Sauland.

Back to the main travel overview: Hjartdal.