Sunnhordland

Sunnhordland is the southern coastal region of Hordaland County in West Norway. It lies south of the cities of Bergen and Os.



Geography
Sunnhordland stretches from the rocky islands out in the sea to fjords with steep mountainsides. Folgefonna – Norway's third largest glacier — is the icing on the cake. In Sunnhordland you can ski on eternal snow, swim in the sea, and fish a pollock in the fjord – everything in one day.

Sunnhordland has some of the finest and most distinctive scenery in Norway. In the outermost part of the region, the landscape is dominated by the ocean and the coastline. As you move further inland, you come to islands and fjords. There are thousands of large and small islands in the region. Norway's second longest fjord – the 179-km-long Hardangerfjord, called ”Queen of the Norwegian fjords” – starts in Sunnhordland. Furthest inland in the region, the mighty Sunnhordland mountains tower heavenwards, with some peaks as tall as 1700 metres. The mountains surround Norway's third largest glacier – Folgefonna. This magnificent glacier is `spread' over the mountains of the Folgefonna peninsula like the icing on a cake. Some of Norway’s most spectacular waterfalls cascade down the mountainsides. Folgefonna National Park, the 25th national park in Norway, was opened in the summer of 2005.

Sveio municipality is named after the old Sveio farm (Old Norse: Sviða), since the first Sveio Church was built there in the Middle Ages. The name is identical with the word "sviða" which means a "clearing made by burning". Sveio is on the Haugalandet peninsula, facing the North Sea to the west. The entrance to the Hardangerfjorden lies along the northern side of the municipality, and the smaller Ålfjorden lies along the eastern border of the municipality. Sveio's southern border is also the county border, bordering the town of Haugesund and the municipality of Tysvær to the south, the municipality of Vindafjord to the east (across the Ålfjorden), and the island municipalities of Bømlo and Stord to the north (across the Hardangerfjorden). The lakes Vigdarvatnet and Stakkastadvatnet lie in the southern part of the municipality, crossing into the neighboring municipalities. The Ryvarden Lighthouse is located on a small point, along the Hardangerfjorden.

History and culture
Sunnhordland was one of the first areas to be settled in Norway thousands of years ago, and up through the ages the area has had a special place in the country’s history. That is why Sunnhordland is one of the areas with many ancient monuments and a rich cultural heritage.

Given its central location, it was almost inevitable that Sunnhordland would come to occupy a prominent place during the Viking era. The region became a central base for Viking chieftains who often went raiding in the west. There are many places, therefore, where relics of this era can be seen. The aristocracy subsequently made their presence felt and the building of the Barony Rosendal was completed in 1665 – the only one of its kind in Norway.

Fishing, hunting, and boating
Sunnhordland's inhabitants have shown great prowess in fishing and hunting. The people of Sunnhordland have always been a travelling people, and boatbuilding became an important activity early in the area’s history. It is still an important industry, although nowadays they build modern ships and the world’s biggest oil installations.

Religion
The people of Sunnhordland have always been god(s)-fearing – both in old Norse times and in more recent times. Olav Tryggvason choose to go ashore in Moster in 995 AD in order to take over the throne and start the Christianisation of Norway. Moster is still home to one of the oldest churches in Norway – Moster Old Church. Erling Skakke built Halsnøy Monastery on the island of Halsnøy, one of the mightiest Augustinian monasteries in Norway’s history.

Talk
The name Sunnhordland is derived from "søndre Hordaland" which means "the southern part of Hordaland". People from Sunnhordland are called Sunnhordlendinger and the people in this area speak a Norwegian dialect called Sunnhordlandsmål.

Get in
The Sunnhordland region is situated between Bergen and Haugesund. There are many possible ways to easily get to Sunnhordland region by plane, bus, boat and car.

By plane
You can travel to Sunnhordland by using these airports:


 * Haugesund airport lies about 1 hour 10 min drive from Sunnhordland.
 * Bergen airport lies about 1½-hour drive from Sunnhordland.
 * Stord airport has a direct route Stord-Oslo.

By ferry and car
International: From Hirtshals you can take Fjord Line ferry Hirtshals-Stavanger- Berge. Drive to from Stavanger to Sunnhordland (about 2½ hours) or drive from Bergen to Sunnhordland (about 2 hours) www.fjordline.com

Domestic: From Bergen or Stavanger take passengerboat to Leirvik, www.norled.no or take carferry www.fjord1.no

Bus

 * From Oslo - Sunnhorldand via Haugesund, take Haukeliekspressen www.haukeliekspressen.no
 * From Stavanger or Bergen - Sunnhordland take Kystbussen or Nettbuss.

By car
The Triangle Link bridge-tunnel network is based in northern Sveio, connecting the islands to the north to the mainland. The southern entrance to the Bømlafjord Tunnel is along the European route E39 highway, just south of the village of Valevåg.

Carferry and passengerboat
It is easy to use carferries or passenger boats if you are getting around in Sunnhordland with car or bicycle.

Information and timetables:


 * www.flaggruten.no
 * www.norled.no
 * www.fjord1.no
 * www.rodne.no
 * www.fosennamsos.no

Bus

 * www.kystbussen.no
 * www.nettbuss.no
 * www.skyss.no

General timetable information
Timetable information for bus, ferry, express boat and flight bus: Call 177

By bicycle
Cycling is an excellent way to see the Western landscape close up. Long and/or deep tunnels can however make cycling demanding. Visitors should read map carefully and use bus or boat to avoid tunnels. Some tunnels replace old, narrow roads and these often remain open to bicycles and local traffic.

Culture

 * The gallery at Breidablikk in Grovarvegen at Tysnes island houses temporary exhibitions of arts and crafts, prints by Magne Kjellesvik and hand-made dolls in historic dress, finger and hand puppets, etc.
 * The gallery at Breidablikk in Grovarvegen at Tysnes island houses temporary exhibitions of arts and crafts, prints by Magne Kjellesvik and hand-made dolls in historic dress, finger and hand puppets, etc.
 * The gallery at Breidablikk in Grovarvegen at Tysnes island houses temporary exhibitions of arts and crafts, prints by Magne Kjellesvik and hand-made dolls in historic dress, finger and hand puppets, etc.
 * The gallery at Breidablikk in Grovarvegen at Tysnes island houses temporary exhibitions of arts and crafts, prints by Magne Kjellesvik and hand-made dolls in historic dress, finger and hand puppets, etc.

Do

 * Hiking Sunnhordland has both short and long trails with different levels of difficulty.
 * Cycling
 * Leirvik is an excellent departure point for a bicycle trip. The bicycle trip to the Barony in Rosendal is a varied and easy ride. From Rosendal, you can cycle over the mountain to Skånevik (and further on to Etne) or across Tysnes island to Bergen or Leirvik. All the roads in Tysnes are narrow, but the traffic is mostly light.
 * The North Sea Cycle Route is the world's longest route, circling 6,000 km around the entire North Sea. Through Sunnhordland, the route runs through the coastal landscapes of Fitjar, Stord, Bømlo and Sveio.
 * Boating Sunnhordland has a long tradition of boat tourism, and a wide range of harbours. Many boat rentals are available.
 * Fishing The sea and many lakes abound in fish.
 * Kayaking

Bømlo




Tysnes






Go next

 * Bergen and central Hordaland to the north.
 * Hardanger that occupies the inner part of Hardangerfjord.
 * Haugesund town with Karmøy island just south of Sunnhordland.
 * Ryfylke, the rugged North-Eastern corner of Rogaland.