Discover Eidfjord: trails, church and fjord

Eidfjord offers several points of interest to help you plan your trip: a stone church dating from 1309, historic burial sites, trails with different stated distances, and activities on the fjord. The destinations below will help you distinguish between these highlights.

Church and burial sites

Eidfjord Old Church is located in Lægreid, Eidfjord. The stone church dates from 1309 and is dedicated to St. James. It is probably the only surviving St. James’s Church in Norway. The Hæreid Iron Age burial site is considered the largest collection of ancient burial sites in western Norway and includes 350 graves dating from 400 to 1000 AD. Eidfjord thus has two very different kinds of heritage side by side: a single stone church and an extensive burial site.

Trails in the village

The Hereidsvegen–Hereid–Hodna–Eidfjordvatnet trail starts in the centre of Eidfjord. It follows Hereidsvegen and passes through Hereid, then runs along the Eio River to the Hodna viewpoint. The route is about 5 kilometres long; from Hodna, you can see a large part of the village. This route therefore links several place names and the river with a viewpoint overlooking Eidfjord.

The Lægreid trail also starts in the centre, runs along the fjord and offers a view of the Old Church, built in 1309. The walk is listed as taking about one hour. The two trails have different highlights: the Lægreid trail focuses on the view of the church, while the Hodna viewpoint offers a panorama over a large part of the village.

The Trolltrain also takes you to destinations around Eidfjord. Its route goes to the Hæreid Terrace and then stops at the Lægreid Terrace. From there, you can walk back to the centre of Eidfjord in ten minutes. Check the timetable before your trip. This makes it possible to plan this tour differently from the trails, where the distance or walking time is the main consideration.

Swimming area and places by the quay

Kråkeskarvet is a municipal swimming area on Simadalsvegen, about 0.5 kilometres from the centre of Eidfjord. The site has a diving board, swimming pier, outdoor shower, play equipment, changing room and toilets. A sauna opened there in June 2024. Check the current condition of the facilities before your visit.

Ostangen is a designated recreational area at the cruise quay, next to the sand volleyball court. Ostangen Park has a five-metre-high swing.

Fjord trips and arrival by water

Hardanger Fjordsafari tours start at Eidfjord harbour and head either into Simadalsfjord or towards the Hardanger Bridge. The 30-minute RIB boat tours are designed for groups of 15 to 24 people. The route depends on the current programme and conditions; check the details before booking.

Not every fjord trip starts in Eidfjord: a fjord cruise departs from the quay in Norheimsund and travels along the fjord to the village of Eidfjord. If this option suits your plans, check departure times and the season separately. The departure point and destination are therefore different from those of the tours that start at Eidfjord harbour.

In the wider Eidfjord destination

In the wider Eidfjord destination, Vøringsfossen plunges 182 metres from the Hardangervidda plateau into Måbødalen. The waterfall site has more than one kilometre of well-secured paths; parts of the site are closed in winter. Before setting out, check which areas are open seasonally. The Hardangervidda National Tourist Route also runs from the plateau through Måbødalen to the fjord landscape of Eidfjord.

For planning your time, the Kjeåsen trail offers another point of comparison: the round trip is about 2 kilometres long, takes 2.5 hours to walk, and climbs from 0 to 550 metres. By comparison, the Lægreid trail takes about one hour. These two time estimates help you distinguish between shorter village trails and a longer hike in the wider Eidfjord destination. Route details may change; check them before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Vøringsfoss, Øvre Eidfjord.

See the overview of the wider destination: Eidfjord.