You board in Norheimsund, and the crew greet you at the door.
They tell you what to look for along the way.
Then the boat pulls away, and the fjord opens up.
Look up at the mountains now, says the voice over the speaker.
That is the Folgefonna glacier up there.
From the ice down to the Sørfjord, the apple trees stand close.
The boat runs near the shore, close enough to see every farm.
The Hardanger Bridge passes overhead and falls away behind.
Then it turns into the Ulvikfjord, and you see the quay long before you arrive.
The Fruit and Cider Route climbs from the quay.
The road rises steadily, in among the apple trees.
Turn around, and the fjord lies below you.
Then the same boat comes back down the fjord.
You stand on the quay with a heavier bag than when you stepped off.
The hours went faster than you expected, and still you did more than you thought.
Four hours and forty-five minutes. That is what you get in Ulvik if you take the Norled boat out and back on the same day — and it is enough for the orchards, the farm shops and a museum. Stay the night, and you are not watching the clock at all.
Ulvik sits at the head of a narrow arm of the Hardangerfjord, Norway's second longest fjord, in the country's main fruit-growing region. There is a road, but the boat is the older way in, and still the better one.
Norled's tourist boat leaves Norheimsund in the morning and runs up the fjord to Eidfjord, calling at six villages on the way. The crew greet you at the door, and there is commentary as you go: the Folgefonna glacier above Utne, one of the largest ice caps in the country. The orchards along the Sørfjord. The Hardanger Bridge, which the boat passes beneath before turning in towards Ulvik. On board there is a heated saloon with panoramic windows, an open sun deck, and a self-service kiosk with food, snacks and drinks.
Coming from Bergen? A bus leaves Bergen in the morning for Norheimsund, connecting with the boat, and returns in the evening. It makes a long day — around thirteen hours door to door — but it is a real one, and no car is needed.
More about the route itself and the other stops is in The fjord – the most beautiful way through Hardanger.
The boat reaches Ulvik before lunch and leaves again in mid-afternoon. The hours go faster than you expect, and if you want to walk the cider route and get out on the fjord, it will be tight.
Three fruit farms lie along one road in the hillside above the village, linked as a marked route. The whole loop from the centre is about three kilometres, and the road climbs steadily but never steeply.
Ulvik Frukt & Cideri at Hakastad is 0.7 km from the centre. The farm faces south and catches the sun, and Asbjørn Børsheim runs it as a family business. Alongside the common apple varieties they have planted old Norwegian ones and English and French cider varieties, and it is that mix that gives the juices and ciders from Hakastad their particular character. They also make apple cider vinegar. The farm shop is open all year, and tours can be booked.
Syse Gard is 0.9 km from the centre, two hundred metres further up. The farm has been in the same family since 1888. Today Gro, Hans and Erling run it as the fifth and sixth generations — they work in the production themselves, and they are the ones who meet you in the yard. This is the broadest farm on the route: meat, cheese, jams, cordials, apple juice, and cured lamb and sausage made on site. The farm shop is open from Easter to Christmas.
Hardanger Saft- og Siderfabrikk at Lekve is the last, 1.6 km from the centre. Nils J. Lekve laid down the first commercial cider here in 2004, and today Eirik Lekve Eide and Anna Oppedal Tokheim run the farm, he as the sixth generation. They make apple juice, around twenty different spontaneously fermented ciders, and apple spirits and aquavit from their own distillery. The farm shop is open all year.
Spontaneous fermentation means the cider ferments on the wild yeast already present on the fruit and in the cellar, rather than on a cultured yeast added by the maker. It is the old Hardanger method, and it is why no two farms here taste alike.
Back down in the centre, thirty-three metres from the quay, is the Olav H. Hauge Centre — the only museum in Norway devoted entirely to poetry.
Olav H. Hauge (1908–1994) was one of the most significant Norwegian poets of the twentieth century, and he spent his whole life in Ulvik, working as a gardener. He wrote in Nynorsk, one of Norway's two written standards, in short, plain, concentrated poems that have since been translated into many languages.
The centre tells his life and his work, and shows poetry in several forms and across language borders. One exhibition displays the more than four thousand books he read over his lifetime. There is a guided tour, a shop and a café.
Its position matters practically as well: at thirty-three metres from the gangway, it is the one thing you can do last without watching the clock.
Brakanes Hotel is three hundred metres from the quay. Its restaurant, Draumen, looks straight out over the fjord, and the kitchen works closely with producers in Hardanger — in summer the vegetables come from Undeland and Hauane farms the same day they are picked. General manager Trine Utne-Bacorn recommends the fish and chips or the beef sandwich for lunch.
If you would rather eat up in the orchards, Syse Gard runs a summer café from mid-June to mid-August, serving cured meats, apple cake with ice cream and apple juice. Outside the café season the farm shops are still open, so you can buy something and find a spot by the fjord.
The Osafjord has a side with no road. Steep mountainsides drop straight into the water, and it is from a boat that you see it. Hardangerfjord Adventure runs a RIB trip from Ulvik at 13:00, under the Hardanger Bridge, into the Simadalsfjord and on into the Osafjord. It takes one hour forty-five, and you are back in good time before the boat leaves. Meet at the Brakanes Hotel reception twenty minutes before, and book ahead.
The museum, lunch and the waterfront make a good day on their own. Everything is within three hundred metres of the gangway, it is flat, and you never once have to look at the clock.
Nor do you have to travel home the same day. The boat runs daily in season, so you can step off in Ulvik, stay the night, and take it on to another village the next day — or back to Norheimsund. Staying over also opens up what will not fit into a single day ashore: Angr offers guided kayak tours, beginner courses and rentals from Brakanes, and Trolltunga Active runs guided fjord kayaking in Ulvik. Both set out in the morning, before the boat has arrived.
The boat leaves Norheimsund at 09:00 every day from 1 May to 30 September. Ulvik at 11:15 northbound and 15:55 southbound, back in Norheimsund at 18:10. Tickets are available at norled.no, on board, or at the Bergen Tourist Information, where you will also find current fares. The tourist office in Ulvik is on Tyssevikvegen, a couple of minutes from the quay, and there are toilets and showers in the basement of the Hauge Centre.
Four hours and forty-five minutes. The boat calls at Ulvik at 11:15 on the way in and leaves at 15:55 on the way back.
Yes. A bus leaves Bergen in the morning for Norheimsund, connecting with the boat, and returns in the evening — around thirteen hours in all, with no car needed. If you would rather not rush, stay a night in Ulvik and take the boat on the next day.
A marked route linking three working fruit farms in the hillside above Ulvik, in Norway's main fruit-growing region. Each farm grows its own apples and makes juice and cider from them; one also has a distillery. The whole loop from the village centre is about three kilometres.
You can walk. The first farm is 0.7 km from the centre, the second 0.9 km, the third 1.6 km. The road climbs steadily but is not steep. Allow two to three hours with stops at all three, which still leaves time for lunch and the museum.
The farm shops are open without an appointment. Guided tours and tastings must be booked directly with each farm. The RIB trip should also be booked ahead.
Daily from 1 May to 30 September, including public holidays. Outside that season Ulvik is reached by road.
The farm shops are open without an appointment — Hakastad and Lekve all year, Syse from Easter to Christmas. Guided tours and tastings must be booked in advance, directly with each farm.
A map and full overview of the route: The Fruit and Cider Route.
One of the Norway's best live bands with one of Norway's best lyricists in front are back at the Poetry Festival! Ticket NOK 550
Tønes' real name is Frank Tønnesen, and many have referred to him as a Dylan in dialect. And they are right! Tønes is a songwriter of a special class who tells subtle and humorous stories in the sonorous Sokndal dialect. Ticket 550,-
The Poetry Festival is distinguished by placing poetry at its centre, with the work of Olav H. Hauge as its point of departure. The festival offers a rich diversity of poetry and takes the pulse of contemporary verse. Alongside leading Norwegian and Nordic poets, well-known and much-loved songwriters and lyricists also take part in the festival.
Ulvik Frukt & Cideri is of the three farms part of the only Fruit- and Cidertrail in Norway. The farm offers tours and samples of their farmyard produce, including apple juice and cider.
The fruit and cider route in Ulvik connects the fruit farms Ulvik Frukt & Cideri, Syse Gard and Hardanger Saft- og Siderfabrikk. Join in on a guided tour for a unique peek "behind the scenes" or sample some scrumptious goods from the farmyard shops.
Syse Gard in Ulvik offers flavorful experiences with cider, fruit in many forms, and traditionally cured lamb. Farm shop and café open in summer.
Olav H. Hauge (1908–1994) is one of our foremost poets and translators, and he lived his entire life in Ulvik. At the Haugesenteret, you can get to know Hauge's life story and poetic works better, and experience poetry in many forms and across language barriers. The museum offers experiences for both children and adults. Located beautifully by the fjord, with views of the mountains from the old municipal building in Ulvik.
Brakanes Hotel sits right at the edge of the fjord in the heart of Ulvik. The hotel has 143 rooms, 80 of which face the fjord. Wake up to the sound of the crushing waves and enjoy hearty meals based on local produce in the hotel restaurant. Fjordside beach, hot tub, sauna and pool.
Two contrasting fjord branches in one memorable journey
A kayak tour – either at Hardangerfjord outside Hotel Ullensvang or at Sandvin Lake – where you get to experience beautiful nature winter edition. All equipment is included, and the guide will teach you paddle techniques.
Ulvik offers a wide network of marked hiking trails through both forest and mountain landscapes—from short walks to demanding high mountain hikes. Here we share a few suggestions, but we recommend using other sources as well. You'll find great route information at UT.no. The Ulvik Tourist Office also has maps and local tips—feel free to stop by for a hiking chat!
