SIGHTS
Baroniet Rosendal (baroniet.no; Rosendal)
Norway's only baronial mansion dates back to 1665 and sits on a gentle rise above the town.
The period interiors include a collection of tapestries, an intact library and beautiful examples of Meissen and Royal Danish porcelain. Outside there is a stunning Renaissance rose garden. Admission to the manor includes a guided tour, and in summer there are evening concerts.
Borgund Stave Church (
stavechurch.com/en/borgund; Borgund)
Some 20 miles southeast of Lsrdalsoyri along the E16, this 12th-century stave church was raised beside one of the major trade routes between eastern and western Norway. Dedicated to St Andrew, it's one of the best known, most photographed and certainly the best preserved of Norway's stave churches.
Its simple, inky interior and sublimely rustic altar are deeply moving. Beside it is the only free-standing medieval wooden bell tower remaining in Norway.
Vøringfossen waterfall in the municipality of Eidfjord
COMPILED BY CATRIONA GREW AND RORY GOULDING, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OLIVER BERRY.PHOTOGRAPH: JUSTIN FOULKES
Coast Museum (kyst.museum.no; Brendoyvegen)
A catch-all museum covering the whole of Sogn og Fjordane county, this museum explores the coast in all its varied forms. One of the buildings is dedicated to fishing, with a model of a 20th-century fishing family's home, as well as exhibits on the foundation of the island as a small herring trading post barely 150 years ago. Another part of the complex houses a collection of coastal boats.
Hardanger Folk Museum (hardangerogvossmuseum.no; Fergekai)
This excellent open-air museum is a repository for the cultural heritage of the Hardanger region. Wander through its collection of historic homes, boats, shops, outhouses and a school, and explore exhibitions that document the exquisite local folk costume and embroidery, wedding rituals, the famed Hardanger fiddle and fiddlemaking, fishing and orchard keeping. There's also a cafe with home-baked cakes.