You will be surprised about the parishes Fjørå, Tafjord, Norddal, Eidsdal and Valldal in the district of Norddal. The area has lots of attractions and activities to offer. No less than six hydroelectric plants are located in the Tafjord district. The first, dating from 1923, became a museum after its closure in 1989 and is now a popular tourist attraction. Norddal municipality has approximately 1.800 inhabitants and covers a area of 941,0 km2.
Europe´s most northerly-located orchards are found at the fertile fields of Linge. In Summer the orchards abound with apples, pears, morella, cherries, plums and cherries. If you drive along the Linge Road (Linge vegen) you can buy fruit in the season. Along the way you will see a memorial to Captain Martin Linge, commander of the Linge Company. He was born in Negarden, and spent his childhood here. Captain Linge fell in the raid on Måløy during World War 11.
At Herdalssetra, the largest cooperative dairy farm for goats in Norway, you will find modern dairy farming, based on and at one with 300 years of tradition. The summer farm with its 400 goats, some cows, sheep and horses can easily be reached by a private toll road of high standard.
Summer pastures may be found all over Norddal. Only Herdalseter is still in use, but the abandoned pastures are also well worth a visit. It is possible to drive to Rellingsetra (summer pasture) in Norddal. From here Dyrdalen valley spreads like a fan, with snow-covered mountains, in all directions. It is only a light walk to Innsetsetra from here and in to lake Storvatnet. A more peaceful place like this is truly difficult to find. The trip to Klovset in Valldal provides marvelous views. From there you can see Norddal, Eidsdal, Valldal in both directions of the fjord. In order to get here you can drive to Lingåsen and park your car. From there you can stroll along a good path, and the trip is not particularly steep.
The striking contrasts between fjord and alpine peak, and between fertile fields and snow and ice, are characteristic of the Tafjordfjella mountains. The gateway to this mountain kingdom, Tafjord, lies in the furthest reaches of Norddal municipality. From here you can pick and choose from a variety of tour alternatives.
The tourism association has marked trails between the cabins in the area, where some are more difficult and others easier going. For those of you who prefer to use a tent and find your own paths, it is merely a matter of doing just that! The highest peaks are located almost 2000 metres above sea level: Puttegga (1999 m.a.s.l.), Karitinden (1982 m.a.s.l.), Torsnos (1975 m.a.s.l.).
The fjord, rivers and mountain lakes, everywhere you go in Norddal you’ll find places to swim, but it is icy cold. At Tafjord is the only outdoor swimming pool in Sunnmøre. Open to the general public during the entire Summer. Muritunet in Valldal offers an indoor swimming pool.
In Valldal it s possible to go rafting in Valldøla and mountain climbing. Near the Valldøla river in Alstad a hotel called Juvet Landscape Hotel have been recived the honour to be one of the best hotel in the world by a lot of famous magazines. Here is what Wallpaper say:
After checking in to the soul-stirring Scandic resort of the Juvet Landscape Hotel in Wallpaper, we got decidedly hooked on the idea of the cabin retreat. Needless to say we´re not talking roadside hut here, but architecturally interesting, fully decked out, five-star luxury suites, complete with the privacy that only being in your very own structure can offer.
Spanning four continents, and grounded in every setting from sprawling countryside to built-up metropolis, here´s the finest, currently available in cabin class.
TAFJORD
Tafjord is in a valley located at the end of the Tafjorden, about 12 kilometres southeast of the municipal centre of Sylte, and just west of the borders of Reinheimen National Park. In the park, Tordsnose, Karitinden, and Puttegga mountain all lie about 15 kilometres to the southeast of Tafjord in the Tafjordfjella mountain range. The village is very isolated and (other than by boat) the only way into the valley is by road from the village of Sylte. The road is composed almost entirely of two tunnels through the very steep mountains along the edge of the Tafjorden: the 5.3-kilometre Heggur Tunnel and the 700-metre long Skjegghammar Tunnel.
The weather station in Tafjord holds several temperature records. The highest ever recorded temperature in January (17.9 °C) and November (21.8 °C) in Norway, 17.9 °C is also the highest temperature ever recorded in Scandinavia in January. These records are primarily due to foehn wind. In April 1937 the monthly average was 9.5 °C in Tafjord, the warmest April ever recorded in Norway.
Tafjord rockslide disaster
On 7 April 1934, a rockslide of about 2,000,000 cubic metres of rock fell off the Langhamaren mountain from a height of about 700 metres. The rock landed in the Tafjorden which created a local tsunami which killed 40 people living on the shore of the fjord. The waves reached a height of 62 metres near the landslide, about 7 metres at Sylte, and about 16 metres at Tafjord. It was one of the worst natural disasters in Norway in the 20th century. The landslide scar is still visible.
UNESCO´s WORLD HERITAGE
The West Norwegian Fjords of Geirangefjord and Nærøyfjord was inscribed on UNESCOs World Heritage List in 2005. The two fjords are situated 120 km from each other and they are separated by the Jostedal glacier. The World Heritage Site possesses a unique combination of glacial landforms at the same time as each area is characterised by its own outstanding beauty.
Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord stretches through the municipality of Aurland, Lærdal, Norddal, Stranda, Vik and Voss.
ZAKARIAS DAM
One of Europe’s highest magazine dams, 96 metres high, built in 1967. Accumulates water for Tafjord electricity production. Access to dam causeway.
The Norwegian architects Snøhetta have designed Gallery Tafjord as a stunning gallery/hotel complex worthy of any James Bond movie. The glazed gallery spans between the rock faces in the mouth of the 96 metre high Zakarias Dam while the hotel complex is constructed on the curved mass of the dam structure itself.
Gallery and hotel meet at one edge and share an entrance foyer and restaurant.
MULDALSFOSSEN WATERFALL
Also called Kaiser Wilhelm’s waterfall. 200 metres high and one of the tallest waterfall in the country. Due to energy development, water volume over the falls has bean reduced. Access: 2 km on a good path from the Tafjord road.
GUDBRANDSJUVET CANYON
Gudbrandsjuvet canyon is a river current in the river Valldøla. Impressive chain of river potholes that form a 5 metres wide and approximately 20 metres deep canyon with the river passing through. The canyon is part of the National Tourist Route along the county road 63 from Geiranger to Trollstigen. County road crossing the river bridge over the canyon approximately 15 km from Valldal.
The torrential river flows between the crevices and cracks in the rock and meet from quite unexpected angles, before it flows under the bridge and plunging further down the valley. The spectacular water game is a tourist attraction and it is built platforms and bridges in a mixture of glass and iron rustkorrodert in both walls and floors. This provides easy access for all. In this area the distinctive Juvet Landscape Hotel, with seven separate rooms on stilts around the gorge.
OLAVSSTØTTA, OLAVSHELLAREN and OLAVSKJELDA
Monuments to the Viking King Olav the Holy, who travelled through the valley in 1029 AD. On his ascape from the country. Information boards in 4 languages.
FUNDERGATA
Fundergata is a very special street with historic buildings including an old school house. The name is ascribed to the fact that in this street one could purchase spirits, notably cognac in oak casks imported from the firm of Christian Funder, Copenhagen in Denmark.
THE TAFJORD DISASTER
In the early hours of 7th April 1934 the mountainside of Langhammaren tumbled into the sea below. Around 7 million cubic tons of rock went hurling and caused tidal waves of up to 64 metres in height. The waves caused destruction particularly in the hamlets of Fjørå and Tafjord. Altogether 40 lives were lost. Photos from the disaster are displayed at Tafjord-Naustet in Tafjord.
MUSEUM
No less than six hydroelectric plants are located in the Tafjord district. The first dating from 1923 became a museum after its closure in 1989, now a popular tourist attraction.
NORDDAL CHURCH
Built in 1782, is one of few churches built in the 18th century in our district. Twelve men built the church by hand. A lot of details inside the church are of culturhistorical value. The oil paintings are from the 17th century, and the beautiful altarpiece is from between 1510 and 1520. It is made by one of the most famous church artists in Europe, Bent Notke.
SUNNMØRE
Sunnmøre is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian. Its main city is Ålesund. Though it is one of the three traditional districts in Møre og Romsdal, Sunnmøre is home to more than half the population of the county. The district is made up of mainland as well as several large islands such as Gurskøy and Hareidlandet, plus many small islands.
There are many local newspapers throughout Sunnmøre, as well as one that aims to cover the entire region, published from Ålesund, called Sunnmørsposten.
THE SUNNMØRS ALPS
It is a great pieature for us to welcome you to our “kingdom” – in the centre of Northern Europe´s fjord and alpine country. The region is spectacular, stretching from deep-blue fjords, via verdant valleys with emerald-green slopes way up to the highest wild peaks with their white glaciers. This is not just a picture, but reality, a landscape which you can become fond of.
Majestic peaks and a rugged alpine massif distinguish the Sunnmørs Alps from other mountain areas. Mountains plunge vertically into the fjord from a height of 1.500 – 1.600 metres and from the summit of Jakta at 1.588 metres, ther is a perpendicular fall of 1.821 metres to the bottom of the fjord. This will give you some idea of the enormous dimensions between the summits and the seabed below the waters of the fjords.
STORFJORD
Storfjorden or Storfjord is a 110-kilometre long fjord in Sunnmøre. It stretches from the village of Hareid in the west to the villages of Tafjord and Geiranger in the east. The Storfjorden system branches off into several smaller fjords including the famous Geirangerfjorden and Tafjorden. At the village of Stranda, the main fjord branches off into the Sunnylvsfjorden – Geirangerfjorden to the west and the Norddalsfjorden – Tafjorden to the east.
The landscape around Storfjorden is typical for Western Norway. The mouth the fjord is surrounded by islands with mountains reaching 500 to 800 metres above sea level. Further to the east there are higher mountains. Most of the Storfjorden has characteristically steep or very steep shores, interrupted by several gentle valleys stretching up to 30 kilometres into the hinterland. In this way, the Storfjorden system is, along with the Nordfjorden, Sognefjorden, and Hardangerfjorden fjord-systems, the major samples of the typical west coast fjords highly praised by visitors.
RAFTING
In Valldal it s possible to go rafting in Valldøla and mountain climbing with Valldal Naturopplevingar. They also offer wilderness camps, guided glacier tours and guided walks for individuals and groups. You can book and make your enquiry through the tourist information office in Valldal.
MOUNTAINEERING
“The Sea Snake” at Syltefjellet mountain. A zigzag scar in the mountain that according to legend, is the sea snake that Olav the Holy slung into the mountainside. Geologically, the sea snake is a twisted stripe of quartz in the gneis rock wall.
HIKING
Kallskaret is a protected geological area between Herdalssetra and Tafjord. Distinctive for its olivine mineral and eklogite with large garnets that cultivate exceptional landscape forms.
GOLF
Golfclubs in Møre & Romsdal.