Stavanger
Ryfylke Sauda Setesdal Sirdal round trip
This round trip takes you through some of the most dramatic and beautiful
scenery in Norway, starting and ending in Stavanger, with a minimum
of 2 or 3 more overnight stops although you might want to spend 2 or
more nights at each place for a 1 week holiday. It takes several roads
(marked green) which are closed through the winter.
This is not about finding the quickest route, but showing you
unique scenery, nature and lifestyles .
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2. Stop off at
Utstein
Kloster monastery or
Fjøløy
Fyr lighthouse before continuing on the E39 through another undersea
tunnel to Rennesøy - take the Hanasand road for the Ferry to Finnøy.
Get a ticket for Hanasand - Ladstein and Judaberg - Eidssund
3. Arriving on Finnoy you are now in another world - of
islands connected
only by ferries and fast boats - people commuting by boat to work and
school every day. In Judaberg take the ferry to Eidssund, then drive and
take the ferry for Nesvik (
RV13 north) towards Sand, and
the ferry across to Ropeid.
Alternatively , take the ferry
from Judaberg to Hebsnes and drive to Ropeid
B. Hotel in Sauda: the
Sauda
Fjord Hotel looks out over the fjord at Saudasjøen 3
km from Sauda, with the mountains climbing up behind the hotel towards the
ski resort. This is popular for teambuilding, winter or summer visitors
and summer tourists along the Ryfylkeveien (Ryfylke road)
5. Leave Sauda on the
FV520
road over the mountains to Røldal. This road is closed until
late May because of deep snow. Take your time and enjoy the wild scenery.
You reach the
E134 Haugesund to Oslo road close to Røldal
skisenter. Turn right through
Røldal towards Oslo
6. You now travel on the
E
134 over Haukelifjell and through the many tunnels
- refuges during the winter for traffic waiting for convoys to take them.
This is the only road across for many miles. Coming down into the valley
at Haukeligrend, you turn right again, up the hill on
RV9
, over the top and into the top end of Setesdal.
7. Hovden
is one of the biggest ski resorts in southern Norway, and has plenty to
interest summer visitors, with hiking, cycling and canoeing, for example.
You can also take the chairlift to the top of
Storenos
mountain, or relax in the large indoor leisure swimming pool.
8. Leaving Hovden continue down Setesdal on highway 9 through
Bykle and Valle then turn right onto the
Suleskar
road to Sirdal. This is another road that is closed through the winter,
and the Sesilami ski race follows the same route. In early September there
is great excitement when the sheep are gathered in.
9 . Arriving in
Sirdal,
you have many
leisure options, and can either drive through Hunnedalen (below) or take
the
road
to Lysebotn and Lysefjord. This is another dramatic mountain
road that is closed for half the year. Near the end is the vertigo view
at
Øygårdstolen
of the hairpin bends down to Lysebotn and the walk to
Kjerag
10.
Lysebotn
is mainly a hydro-electric town, accessible only by boat in the winter.
The
Lysefjord
car ferry runs only once a day (twice from 2008) so time it
right and book ahead. This takes you right back to central Stavanger and
passes below
Pulpit Rock,
also known as
Preikestolen
11. Alternatively, take the
RV45 back
to Sandnes and Stavanger passing through
Hunnedalen
- another difficult road in the winter, and impressive all through the year.
Gloppedal terminal
moraine is a short diversion on the way down
