Gulen: Gulatinget, Cultural Routes and Nature

If you’re looking for a hotel in Gulen, you can tailor your trip to your interests: in the municipality of Gulen, historic sites, cultural routes and leisure activities take centre stage. The wider Gulen destination also offers museums, landscapes and maritime activities. Consider whether cultural history, hiking or experiences on the water will shape your stay.

Gulatinget: History and Art

The Gulatinget Millennium Site is located at Flolid in the municipality of Gulen. From 900 to 1300, people from western Norway gathered there. Gulatinget was one of the oldest regional assemblies of the Viking Age: those gathered there discussed politics, enacted laws and administered justice. The Gulatingslova is the oldest surviving collection of laws in the Nordic countries.

The Gulatinget memorial park at Flolid opened in August 2005. Its monumental artworks were created by sculptor Bård Breivik. They include Tingveggen, Tinghella and Eldsirkelen. History and modern art stand side by side here as different aspects of the memorial site.

Routes and Leisure in the Municipality of Gulen

The Gulatinget park has a network of paths for hiking and recreation. A cleared hiking trail leads to Guløytoppen; a one-kilometre trail leads to the western cape. There are cultural walking routes in Eivindvik and at Flolid. You can follow them using a mobile phone or iPad. This lets you factor routes and cultural themes into your plans, while recognising that the trails offer different kinds of outings.

A sheltered bathing cove with an access path is suitable for small children and older people. Tusenårsparken also has a boules court and a sand volleyball court. Planning time for these activities can add exercise or time by the water to your stay.

Culture and History in the Wider Gulen Destination

The wider Gulen destination is home to the Gulen Fiskarbondemuseum on Byrknes. It documents the lives of fishing-farming families in Gulen’s coastal settlements. The Våningshuset was built in 1842 and was altered, shaped and furnished by the families who lived there until 1960. It served as a home, a school for the island’s population and a prison for the notorious thief Gjest Bårdsen. A visit to the museum therefore offers a different historical focus from the story of Gulatinget.

Eivindvik also has historic landmarks: the wooden long church Gulen kyrkje, consecrated on 13 December 1863, stands there. The village is also home to two stone crosses that are more than 1,000 years old. A Celtic cross stands outside the church; the Anglo-Saxon cross is located at Krossteigen above the town hall.

Another testament to regional history is the Sellevåg treskofabrikk. It produced wooden shoes until 1972 and is considered an example of small-scale industrial production in Norway. Its machinery and technical equipment have been preserved at the original site, making the factory a cultural heritage site of national interest.

Scenery and Activities in the Wider Gulen Area

From Gulakvila, you can look towards the Gulafjord and out towards the islands by the sea. The day cabin is on Løypingåsen in the wider Gulen destination. The trail from the community centre is 900 metres each way and takes adults around 30 to 45 minutes at a normal walking pace. It follows well-maintained, well-marked paths with a moderate incline.

In Skjerjehamn, Blue Garden is an open-air exhibition about aquaculture. Analogue installations illustrate salmon and trout farming in Norway; the route through the exhibition is about 300 metres long. The subject is quite different from the historic sites and makes a distinct focus for planning an outing.

Activities in Skjerjehamn also include RIB trips. A trip through the archipelago with a visit to a fish farm can be booked in summer; in autumn, it is available by arrangement. A guided tour travels by RIB from Skjerjehamn to Eivindvik and Gulatinget. It includes a historical introduction to the assembly site, the stone crosses and the modern artworks. Check dates and availability before making plans.

Getting There and Practical Information

Gulatinget is located on road Fv605. The express boat quay at Sollibotn is 7 kilometres from the Millennium Site. The wider Gulen destination can be reached from Bergen by scheduled ferry or boat and by car. Check express boat timetables when planning your trip. The private marina at Gulatinget can be used by prior arrangement.

The Millennium Site has a heated and ventilated service building. It has four women’s toilets, three men’s toilets, one accessible toilet, one urinal, seven washbasins and two showers. There is a changing table in the accessible toilet; outside, there is a water connection for caravans and motorhomes. Check that the facilities are currently available before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Dalsöyra, Mjømna, Eivindvik, Ånneland, Åsheim, Byrknesøy, Brekke, Byrknes

Back to the wider travel overview: Gulen.