Hol muncipality has approximately 4.500 inhabitants and covers a area of 1.858,4 km2 in Buskerud. Choose a part of Norway which can give you all you want in the way of nature and activities. The most well known place in Hol muncipality is Geilo. Hol is a mountainous area, with the villages Geilo, Dagali, Hagafoss and Kvisla. The Hallingskarvet mountain range is the highest point in the municipality, at 1933 meters above sea level.

The Usta or Usteåne River flows northeast from Lake Ustevatn traveling down the Ustedalen valley. The Hallingdalselva River is formed by the confluence of the Usta River and the Holselva River from Lake Strandavatnet. Lakes in the area Ustevatn, Nygardsvatnet, Strandavatnet, Ørteren, Nyhellervatnet, Pålsbufjorden, Øvre Hein, Djupsvatnet and Flakavatnet.

The lambs that have grazed in the area around Hallingskarvet, Trollheimen, Jostedalsbreen Glacier or Sirdalsheiene. The lamb supplies the care of a rich alpine menu containing herbs, grasses, heather and shrubs.

The most seen attractions in Hol is Hallingskarvet National Park in the municipalities of Hol, Ulvik and Aurland. Hivjufossen waterfall, Hol Bygdemuseum is located along the road from Ål to Geilo in the small village of Hagafoss. The museum is built as an old farm (Holingsgard) with buildings of the local type. There are a total of 17 buildings, of which two, Nestegardsstugu and Raunsgardsstugu, have decorative wall paintings on the walls. Dagali Museum a museum with 10 buildings located in the middle of Dagali, on the edge of Hardangervidda. Buildings came from Dagali, Skurdalen, Tunhovd, and Uvdal. The oldest dates to the 18th century.

Hovet is a mountain village is located the river Hivju. Hovet Church is built in wood and has 180 seats, Hovet Farm have a view over Hovsfjorden. Hivjufossen waterfall lies in near Hovet and is a great sight, the whole waterfall is approximately 250 meters. There is a distinction between the upper and lower falls. About halfway up to the waterfall, at Hivjudokkgrovi ther are remains of an old settlement. Nearby the waterfall you will find Birkelund Camping, a campsite in Hovet with Motorhome parking. For sportive holidaymakers the camp site offers various cycle routes. For those who want to relax after a busy day there is a sauna. The camp site has an outdoor swimming pool.

The Holsdagen Pageant was performed for the first time in 1957. The pageant shows how a traditional wedding was celebrated in the olden days. The wedding ceremony and church service takes place in the Old Church in Hol, which dates back to the 12th century. From the Old Church the bridal procession then rides on horseback along the Holsfjord followed by 70-80 guests dressed in colourful traditional national costume on foot and by horse and carriage. Lively fiddlers music accompany the procession along the fjord to the folk museum where there will be folk music and dancing and entertainment showing how a traditional wedding was celebrated in Hol in the olden days.

GEILO

Geilo is known as one of the best winter resorts of northern Europe. Geilo is also the Capital of mountain areas of Southern Norway. This cozy and friendly village in the upper Hallingdal valley has a long tradition of taking care of its guests, and has come to be a modern winter resort offering its visitors great variety and easy access. Geilo is a small town and has few shops and entertainment spots. The centre mainly consists of two large wooden buildings. For a small town there is a large choice of hotels, apartments and restaurants. One of the hotels is one of Norway´s most famous, Dr. Holms with 2 afterski bars, Recepten and the Ski bar upstairs with an excellent view over Geilo. Others include the Bardøla, Vestlia, which is on the door step of Geilolia ski centre, and the Highland Hotel.

The ski season in Geilo is from late October until late April. Geilo has numerous small ski centres that make up one resort, which goes by the name Geilo Skiheiser. This includes slopes on the town side of the valley, Havsdalen over the back side of the mountain, and across the valley at Geilolia skisenter (formerly Vestlia skisenter) which also connects to the Kikut area. Geilolia skisenter tends to have the easier green and blue runs and is where the major ski school that operates in Geilo takes place, whereas Slaatta skisenter has the blue and red runs. Skiing options include alpine skiing, cross country (XC) skiing, telemarking, snowboarding, dog sledging, toboggan, ski orienteering, and evening skiing most evenings. Access to Geilo is really easy via the local airport in Dagali.

Summer Geilo is an eldorado for activities and experience. Its location on the mountain and near the fjords gives you the opportunity for unique experiences. You will find the best of norwegian mountain nature here where Hardangervidda and Hallingskarvet are your closest neighbours. You can go hiking in all directions, for as far or as short distances as you would like. If you like, you can experience it all on horseback, or on a bicycle on the old “Rallarvegen”, which goes westward along the Bergen Railway.

DR. HOLMS HOTEL

Dr. Holms Hotel was opened in 1909 by Dr. J.C. Holms, a specialist in respiratory diseases, who established the resort along with Ole Schroder II so that his patients could breathe fresh mountain air. It has since become one of the most famous resort hotels in Norway. The hotel stands at the base of the Slaatta ski center roughly a ten-minute drive to the Geilolia ski center on the other side of the valley.

DAGALI

Dagali village stretches from Pålsbufjorden on the east to the border of the Hardangervidda National Park in the west. The river Numedalslågen runs though the village. Dagali had an airport, Geilo Airport, Dagali, that is no longer in use. Dagali features a subarctic climate with cold winters and somewhat cool summers, typical of higher altitudes. The site is currently used by Dagali Opplevelser, which offers outdoor recreational activities including water rafting and snowmobiling.

Dagali Church (Dagali kirke) dates from 1850. The church was constructed of wood and has the seating capacity of around 200 people. Dagali church was rebuilt and restored during 1972-73. Dagali Church is located off Norwegian National Road Rv 40, about 25 kilometres from Geilo.

HALLINGDAL VALLEY

Hallingdal is one of the major valleys of eastern Norway, on an area of 5,830 square kilometers. Hallingdal lies in the northern part of the county of Buskerud. The valley stretches from Gulsvik by Lake Krøderen to the border with Hordaland and Sogn & Fjordane.

Central to the geography is relatively flat mountain area which lies from 700 to 1100 meters above sea level. The valley is V-shaped and is drained by the Hallingdal River (Hallingdalsvassdraget) which originates in the western parts of Hardangervidda and flows eastwards later southwards through Hallingdal.

Hallingdal valley consists of six municipalities: Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol (Geilo).

LANGEDRAG

Langedrag lies like a fairy-tale castle in beautiful surroundings, with magnificent views of the lakes and mountains between Hallingdal and Numedal. The mountain farm lies around 1.000 metres above sea level. The construction of the farm started i 1978 to realise the family Thorson´s dream of a sanctuary for animals, birds and people.

HOL OLD CHURCH

Hol Old Church is presumed to date from the 13th century, but the exact dating is unknown. The church is the oldest parish in Hol and is first mentioned in a letter from 1328 as a small stave church with covered side porches. The church has been expanded several times, in the 16th century, in 1697 and in 1798-99. It was rebuilt in 1888 and 1938. It is believed that the floor of the church was made using columns from the old stave church. The pulpit and baptismal font are from the Renaissance period (1697) and the altarpiece from 1703. The pulpit is placed above the altar.

THE NAVY ROAD

Cycling a bit off the beaten track is more popular than ever. The Railway Navy Road (Rallarvegen) crosses through a magnificent mountain landscape from Haugastøl via Finse to Myrdal and all the to Flåm by the Sognefjord. Get a good start, refreshed after a good night sleep in Geilo or Hagastøl. Whether to cycle all the way, or to catch a train to Finse, is up to you.

THE FJORDS

Each year tourists from all over the world flock to the fjords in the western part of Norway, and the superlatives fly as they cruise along past the sheer mountainsides. The fjords are some of the most dramatic and magnificent sights Norway has to offer. And here you can see the greatest of them all; the fairytale Sognefjord. Here the narrow, glittering arms of the fjords with their sheer, rugged mountain cliffs looming up into the sky. Mountain farms cling on precariously to emerald green scraps of land on the steep mountain sides and in the sheltered coves, small churches and clusters of houses stand as proof of people still living here. It´s the contrast of the countryside that makes it all so wild and beautiful.

From the majestic mountains in the east – which give you the feeling of being on top of the world – to the deep, renowned fjords, Iying just the right distance apart. Visit the Aurlandsdalen valley, or take a train ride along the Flåm railway line, which many look upon as the most beautiful train journey in the world. The famous Nærøyfjord is just nearby, and is so narrow that you feel you can stretch out your arms and touch the mountains on either side.

Take a boat trip through the scenery where gushing water falls cascade down the mountainsides. It´s easy to get close to the wilds here. Ferries and sightseeing boats take you to all the places worth seeing. And no matter where you are staying in the mountain and fjord district, it´s never far to the closest fjord.

TUNHOVD

Tunhovd is a hamlet at the top of the Nore and Uvdal municipality. The hamlet has from time immemorial been built with mountain farms, and lies on the road between Rukkedalen and Skurdalen. Tunhovdfjorden belong to Numedalslågen river and take in the water from Skurdalen further up.

BRUSLETTO KNIVES

Knives have long been used in Norway both as tools and as ornaments. The history of iron-ore mining on the Hardangarvidda mountain plateu goes back 1.500 years, to when the manufacturing of swords, sickles, knives, scythes and axes first developed as a craft. Brusletto is part of that distinguished history. Tradition, quality and design have been our hallmarks for a century. Nowadays we manufacture knives designed for a wide range of hunting, fishing and recreational purposes. The steel, the sharpness, the shape of the blade and the sheat are components that together make up a genuine Brusletto knife. The Brusletto name is the very hallmark of Norwegian quality.

NATURE

If you want to see the best of Norwegian nature close at hand, be sure you allow good time for this. Stop a while and see what´s in store in the way of scenery. Don´t just drive past interesting things to see without stopping. There are opportunities before your very eyes – and there are more than you will get time for during a short holiday. Go hiking in the hills and mountains. Follow marked trails or choose your own route. If you wander along quietly, you may get close to the wildlife in the mountains, grouse crouching in the heather and scrub, almost invisible. River trout darting for cover along the stone river bed. Take a tent with you and enjoy the mountain wilds.

Or seek shelter for the night with other mountain ramblers in a cabin or a hotel. A trip on a bike is a bit quicker and more exciting in a different way. And if you really want to see a lot of nature, how about doing it from the back of a horse? Canoeing on the many lakes is a wonderful experience, with only the sound of water dripping from the oars breaking the silence.

Or perhaps a trip on a raft down the gushing torrents and waterfalls sounds more tempting? If you are in the vicinity of water, however, you shouldn´t let the opportunity of trying your luck at fishing pass you by. We have trout, char and pollan in our part of the country. And, of course, the king of the fish, the great salmon. Don´t forget that if you travel off season, you will have more of these experiences for yourself.

SKIING

The ski season in Geilo is from late October until late April. Geilo has numerous small ski centres that make up one resort, which goes by the name Geilo Skiheiser. This includes slopes on the town side of the valley, Havsdalen over the back side of the mountain, and across the valley at Geilolia skisenter (formerly Vestlia skisenter) which also connects to the Kikut area.

All the ski hires offer free helmet rental for children, which is an excellent safety measure for worried parents. Geilo Skiheiser has 39 slopes covering 33 km accessed by 20 lifts (14 plate, 6 chair). Geilolia skisenter tends to have the easier green and blue runs and is where the major ski school that operates in Geilo takes place, whereas Slaatta skisenter has the blue and red runs. There is also an extensive cross country system in Geilo, offering 220 km of tracks, including 5 km under floodlight. There are free pamphlets available showing the cross country trails and lengths. Skiing options include alpine skiing, cross country (XC) skiing, telemarking, snowboarding, dog sledging, toboggan, ski orienteering, and evening skiing most evenings.

Another activity that has become very popular of late is “kiting” with the area around Geilo being rated among the best in the world. You will also see paragliders floating down from the top of the slopes with courses run in the area occasionally, although mostly in the summer months. Both sides offer a “big air bag” where all with twin-tip skis or snowboards can jump onto an enormous air bag.

Dagali Skisenter a alpine resort in Dagali, also offering sled-racing, with one of Norway´s longest sled-racing hills.

FISHING

A rich variety of activities are available, including good trout fishing in rivers and lakes.

GOLF

Golfclubs in Buskerud.