Norway filter: Heddal

September 2, 2015 12:20 PM

So we're planning a weekend trip to Heddal stave church, which is only five hours and six minutes by car from here, as I just found out. What else to do in the area? Where to sleep?

Norway-savvy Mefites, please bring us up to speed: is there a nice Hotel or B+B nearby Heddal that you can recommend? Are there other must-see sites within a range of, say, one hour by Volvo that you specially recommend? I want this to be the highlight of this fall!

posted by Namlit to Travel & Transportation around Heddal, Norway (4 answers total)

Best answer: When I visited Telemark last year, we stayed at the Brattrein Hotel in Notodden. This came recommended to us by a friend who goes skiing in Telemark every year. Heddal stave church is about ten minutes away from the hotel. The surrounding scenery is beautiful, so we went on hikes, biked, and also visited the Telemark canals which are a short drive from Notodden. A friend of ours stayed in Sauland, which is about 20 minutes away from Notodden, but I am not sure if there are any other attractions close to or in Sauland. In general, the Telemark area is absolutely beautiful!

Some things we had heard of in the area but didn't have time to visit: the Telemark Art gallery and an amusement park (which would be fun in the summer, although I am not sure if it is too rainy right now to go).
posted by Everydayville at 12:42 PM on September 2, 2015

Best answer: My wife and I stopped at Heddal on our way to Rjukan, where we stayed at the Gaustablikk hotel and saw the Vemork hydroelectric plant, which was used to produce heavy water during WWII and was the target of several Allied raids.

Rjukan is about an hour's drive from Heddal.

There's also a Romanesque stone church in Seljord.
posted by brianogilvie at 1:46 PM on September 2, 2015

Best answer: Rjukan is worth the trip. You could also visit Gvarv and the respected microbrewery Lindheim Ølkompani.
posted by iviken at 1:55 PM on September 2, 2015

Response by poster: Great suggestions all! Our weekend is safe...Thanks!
posted by Namlit at 3:27 AM on September 4, 2015