Voss

'Voss' is in a municipality in the inner part of Hordaland, between the great fjords of Sogn and Hardanger. Voss is known to be the adventure capital of Norway. Voss is also the major winter destination in Hordaland with two ski resorts and long skiing traditions. Voss village is are surrounded by rivers, mountains, fjord and lakes, and there is a wide range of challenges at all levels. A web of valleys converveges at Voss village, locally known as Vossevangen, which is also the centre of the municipality. The village sits at the eastern end of Vangsvatnet lake. Voss village is a station on the Bergen-Oslo railway line little over 1 hour by train or car from Bergen. Voss village is a transport hub as key roads and the railway intersect.

Understand
Voss is the wide interior district in Hordaland county. Even if not directly at one of the great fjords, Voss is still a good base for a visit to fjords of Norway. From Voss the great Sognefjord and the romantic Hardangerfjord in less than 1 hour. Voss village, Vossevangen, sits a lovely lake, Vangsvatnet, and is a key station on the Bergen railway as well as a hub for roads Bergen-Oslo and roads north-south in the fjordland. A web of valleys converge at Voss village and Vangsvatnet is the confluence of several rivers. Below the lake Voss is connected to the inner fjord through a narrow valley. Voss river, Vosso, flows through the narrow valley through Evanger lake and drains into Bolstadfjorden. Vosso is known for its large salmon, average has been over 10 kilogram and records at 30 kg. The unique Vosso salmon is largely extinct. Evanger lake and Bolstadfjorden are narrow and complicated. Voss lake and village is only 50 meters above sea level. Voss is the only notable village in West Norway not situated at a salt water. From Voss the uplands at Myrdal and Finse is only an easy train ride away, areas that are available by train only. From Voss village several valleys stretches into the hinterland: Raundalen (with Bergen railway), towards Granvin and Hardanger, towards Myrkdalen, Vik/Vangsnes (road 13), and Opheim-Stalheim (road E16 to Gudvangen and Flåm). Raundalen valley cuts right east into the bedrock and the Raundal river partly flows through gorges, the road is dead end only the railway continues through a tunnel (Gravhalstunnelen) to Myrdal in Flåm district. The Gravhalstunnel from Raundalen to Myrdal is more than 5 kilometers and was the longest tunnel north of the Alps when completed in 1905. This railway tunnel was an engineering achievement as work began from both sides and workers missed by only 4 centimeters deep in the bedrock. The British army for many years used Raundalen area for winter training.

In the area you will also find a wide range of activity providers - including rafting, paragliding, mountain walking and guided excursions. Year-round there is a lot of cultural events, the most famous being The Extreme Sports Week - the world's biggest extreme sports festival.

Voss is sheltered by surrounding mountains giving relatively dry and warm summers and relatively cold winters. As Bergen has unstable weather and little snow, many travel from Bergen to Voss for skiing. Voss has a drier and more stable weather, winters are colder and summer warmer. In the Myrkdalen there is often heavy snowfall making the new ski resort there popular. Myrkdalen in 2018 was ranked as the 5th best ski resort in Norway, up from 9th in 2017. Good off-piste options and children's area.

Voss has a long history, and have been welcoming international tourists for almost 200 years. Visitors come to experience the magnificent scenery - never-ending vistas of mountains and nearby glaciers and fjords, lakes and fast-flowing whitewater rivers - and to have plenty of active fun year round.

Get in
It is easy to get to Voss by train, bus and car from gateways such as Bergen and Oslo with a number of international arrivals. The town is centrally located in South West Norway, only somewhat more than 1 hour from Bergen, 6 hours from Oslo and ”In the Heart of Fjord Norway”, between the famous fjords Sognefjorden and Hardangerfjorden.

Bergen is the main gateway for both international and national arrivals to this part of Western Norway, for arrivals by plane, bus or boat. If you are on a round trip without a car, there are several destinations in the region that have connections to Voss by public transport. Here are the main gateways:
 * Bergen
 * Sognefjord area: Sogndal, Flåm/Gudvangen and Vik in Sogn
 * Hardanger area: Ulvik, Kvanndal, Norheimsund

By plane
Bergen Airport Flesland is the closest airport to Voss, with non-stop international flights from larger scale European airports such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, London, Stockholm and Reykjavik. Low-cost airlines also operate non-stop flights to Bergen from international airports such as Paris, Berlin, Prague, Warsaw, Riga and London.

There are also, of course, direct flights from several Norwegian airports, including daily departures from Oslo Airport Gardermoen with SAS and Norwegian airlines.

By train
Voss is a central stop on the Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen. The service to Bergen by train is fairly frequent, with several local trains making the run. The journey from Bergen takes about 75 minutes and costs kr 189 for one adult. Timetables available on the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) website.

At the time of construction the Bergen-Voss and Voss-Finse-Geilo stretches of railway were engineering achievements.

By bus
Busses from Bergen are operated by NOR-WAY and Skyss and take about 100 minutes.

By car
Voss is centrally located on the main road network in Western Norway. On Route E16 between Oslo and Bergen and on the North/South inland route RV13.
 * Bergen - Voss:
 * Route E16 via Arna and Dale (100 km, 1 hr 20 min)
 * Oslo - Voss:
 * Route E16 via Filefjell (420 km, 7 hr)
 * Route 52 via Gol and Hemsedal (400 km, 6 hr 30 min)
 * Route 50 via Hol and Aurland (380 km, 6 hr)
 * Route 7 via Hardangervidda (400, 6 hr)
 * Route 7 via Gol and Geilo (360, 5 hr 30 min)
 * From Førde and Balestrand: Road 13 including ferry Dragsvik-Vangsnes.
 * From Hardanger including Eidfjord:
 * Road 13 through Granvin
 * From Granvin lake scenic detour via old road through Skjervet

Get around

 * Ski lift to Mt Hanguren (return ticket: kr 100). The gondola lift to Hanguren has been dismantled. A new lift is expected to open in 2019.
 * The railway runs east-west through Voss district serving Raundalen valley to the east and Evanger to the west.
 * Northern part of Voss district (Stalheim, Oppheim and Myrkdalen ski resort) is available by bus and car.

Winter
With two ski centres and long skiing traditions, Voss is a popular and one of the most established ski destinations in Norway. It is not without reason that World Cup Events are frequently held here. Voss is also one of the most natural snow-reliable ski destinations in Norway. On altogether some 50 kilometers of well prepared alpine slopes, you can ski in varying terrain from nursery slopes to demanding terrain for the most experienced. There are also great possibilities for cross-country skiing in Voss, in close proximity to the ski centres as well as in the wider Voss area. Services and facilities in the two ski centres include: terrain parks, ski schools and ski rentals, children's play areas, food & drink facilities and areas for cross country skiing.



Go next
Voss is a convenient place to stay while exploring the Hardangerfjord to the south of Voss. As it is located on the Bergensbanen railway, a stay here can also be combined with a day-trip to Flåm with the Flåm railway (starts on Myrdal station on Bergensbanen).


 * Route 13 over the mountain to Vik, and further to Balestrand.
 * Other destinations on Sognefjord: Gudvangen, Flåm and Aurland
 * Romantic Hardanger
 * Bergen
 * Geilo in Hallingdal