Hardanger Fjord

Eidfjord sits at the end of Hardangerfjord, a deep (more than 2800 feet) and long (111 miles) fjord extending inland from the Norwegian sea. At the head of the fjord is the Hardanger plateau and the Hardangervidda National Park. The Hardanger region played a significant role in Norwegian American folk culture. Many immigrants to America came from this region. Regional costume from the Hardanger Fjord became the “standard” Norwegian American costume at festivals and became a symbol of Norwegian pride in the United States. At least that was my experience. If you go to the “Little Norway” festival on May 17^th in Petersburg Alaska that is probably the costume you will see. It was also popular at Norwegian festivals in Minnesota. If you see Norse folk dances at these festivals it would likely be a dance from the Hardanger region, although in the early 20^th century activists like Hulda Garborg worked to broaden the awareness of Norwegian folk culture in America beyond Hardangerfjord. Despite that effort, what many Americans see as Norwegian folk culture comes from this region. The iconic Hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle) comes from here. It’s a short necked violin with 8 strings, four on which you play and four are drone strings beneath the bridge. It has a rich sound and is often ornately carved. A friend has one with a dragon head rather than a fiddle head, and the dragon is sticking its tongue at the player.

While Hardanger Fjord is less popular with tourists than the cities Oslo and Bergen, or than Sognefjord or Geirangerfjord it was the region that pioneered Norwegian tourism with Thomas Cook offering some of the first package tours here in 1875.

Volendam sailed up the Hardangerfjord to Eidfjord near the head of the fjord. Eidfjord is particularly beautiful this time of year as it is in the middle of what we Alaskans call “The Greening” when the leaves pop and the blossoms are at peak.

Now Eidfjord makes its living generating electricity at a large hydro plant, (many of the cars here are electric as well) and also lives from tourism. In the past Eidfjord was a trading center between Oslo and Bergen and the Hardangerfjord Bridge, which we sailed under, carries the traffic between the two cities.

In Eidfjord we took the “Troll Train” on a loop around the town, visiting an overlook, some early burial mounds, and just getting the lay of the land.

One stop was the old Eidfjord Church built in 1309.

Later we took in Ravenheart, a cross between a museum and presentation, there will be a separate post, and then walked the town, enjoying a coffee and cinnamon pastry in a local coffee shop.