Kjeåsen Mountain Farm is situated on a mountain side, 530 meters above Simadalsfjorden at the innermost part of the Hardangerfjord.
The mountain farm is now vacated, but people do live there in summer who maintain the beautiful cultural landscape around the farm.
Kjeåsen Mountain Farm
It is known that Kjeåsen has been inhabited from as early as 1650 AD. and perhaps even earlier than that.
The road to Kjeåsen was built in 1974. Until then, those who lived there or were going to visit Kjeåsen had to walk the steep and exposed trail from the fjord up to the mountain farm. For those who lived on the farm, it was a hard life. The children’s road to the school was long, dangerous and tiring. In summer, the children went to and from school in Simadal every day, but in the winter they stayed with relatives down in the valley.
Kjeåsen is today a popular place to visit for both locals and tourists, and the view from the viewpoint and down to the fjord and the surrounding mountains is fantastic.
NOTE – It is not allowed to enter the private properties at Kjeåsen. Respect privacy.
The road from Simadalen up to Kjeåsen Mountain Farm
Eidfjord in the eastern part of the Hardangerfjord is a great base for nature experiences and activities.
Kjeåsen is one of the most popular places to visit. To visit Kjeåsen, you must travel from Eidfjord to Simadalen from where the road up to Kjeåsen starts.
From Simadalen you can drive the steep road up to the parking lot which is close to Kjeåsen Fjellgård. From there there is a short walk to the viewpoint where you can enjoy the great view down to Simadalsfjorden and to Eidfjord and the innermost part of the Hardangerfjord.
NOTE – You need to drive on a steep and narrow road and through a 2.6 kilometer long tunnel up to Kjeåsen. The tunnel is also steep and narrow. Due to this, traffic to and from Kjeåsen is regulated so only one direction can be driven at a time. There may be some waiting time because of this. You need to have this in mind when planning the drive in both directions. It is forbidden to walk or bike through the tunnel.
SEASON – Summer, see Visit Hardangerfjord website.
WINTER – The road up to Kjeåsen is closed during winter.
The road between Eidfjord and Simadalen
It is just under eight kilometers to drive by car from the Eidfjord Tourist Office in Eidfjord to the “Waiting Parking” in Simadalen. At the parking in Simadalen you have to wait until it is your turn to drive up to Kjeåsen. This is not a parking lot, so you have to park along the road.
Please note that parts of the road between Eidfjord and Simadalen are prone to rockfalls. Many of the roads in Western Norway are prone to landslides and rockfalls, especially in rainy and snowy weather. The road between Eidfjord and Simadalen is one of these exposed roads. Take the weather into account, both where and when you drive and when you are out in nature.
Below you can see a video from a drive by a car along parts of the road between Simadalen and Eidfjord. This was filmed on a fine summer’s day.
The Hardangerfjord Area – What to See and Do
The Hardangerfjord area, Norway’s orchard, is known for its spectacular fruit tree blossoms in spring. Lake Bondhusvatnet and the Bondhusbreen glacier in Kvinnherad by the Hardangerfjord were among the first places visited by English tourists when they discovered Norway in the mid-19th century. See Vøringsfossen in Måbødalen, Låtefossen in Oddadalen and all the other beautiful waterfalls in the area around the Hardangerfjord. The Hardangerfjord is Norway’s second longest fjord and is located in Vestland county, near Bergen, in the middle of Western Norway.
Visit Hardangerfjord – Visit Sunnhordland
Visit Hardangerfjord and Visit Sunnhordland are the official destination companies for the Hardangerfjord area.
Hotels and Accommodation in Eidfjord
Hotel Vøringsfoss – Eidfjord
Eidfjord Hotel – Eidfjord
Vik Pensjonat – Eidfjord
References
Visit Hardangerfjord
Wikipedia