cultural gems

Cultural pearls

Base yourself at Nes Gard while you experience the cultural gems and the magnificent west country nature in Sogn.

Culture package 2023
3-day package deals in standard rooms:

Midweek from NOK 4200 (before June 15 and after September 1)
Long weekend from NOK 4450.
Price per person in a shared double room, including breakfast, packed lunch and 3-course dinner.

We can help you with good tips for different tours and experiences you can do on your own. On arrival, we will provide information about options and tour descriptions.

For groups, we can offer cultural arrangements with a minibus and a local guide. Please contact us for prices if you require a guide and/or transportation.

Our 3-day favorite

Around the Lusterfjord

This is one of our most popular excursions, with many great experiences along the way.

Start the day with a city walk in Solvorn, an idyllic village with beautiful architecture. Here you can visit the Walaker Gallery, attached to Walaker Historiske Hotell. The tour continues by ferry to Urnes Stave Church, Norway's oldest stave church and on UNESCO's list of cultural monuments.
Further inland towards Skjolden, you will first come to Munthehuset, Gerard Munthe's stately farmhouse, where he gathered his artist friends, including Flintoe, I.C. Dahl, Tidemand and Gude. From the road you can take a short hike up to Feigumfossen, one of Norway's highest waterfalls.

 The Lerum Museum offers an insight into a complete juice and jam factory from 1910. There is also a shop museum here, with many nostalgic details.

Dale Church from 1250 can be the last stop on today's tour, a rare and beautiful medieval church. The church is open and with information boards so you can guide yourself.

Jostedalen

Jostedalen with Jostedalsbreen is perhaps our most famous attraction, with many natural gems and impressive glacier falls.

Bergset - Nigardsbreen - Breheimsenteret
From Gaupne, the road runs along the river up to Gjerde, the center of Jostedalen with a shop and hotel. Here you turn left to Bergset, into Krundalen. Here we recommend a short hike towards Bergsetbreen, where a rock face is covered with a magnificent glacier.

Further up the valley, you can stop at the Breheimsenteret, with a cafe and historical exhibitions. From there it is only 5 min. to drive in to Nigardsbrevatnet, where you can take a boat across to Nigardsbreen.

If you have time, we also recommend a trip up to Styggevatnet lake at 1100 m above sea level, with an impressive 1000 meter long dam. The side valley Vigdal is also worth a visit, a natural gem towards Breheimen

Springland

The day starts with an hour's drive via Sogndal to Fjærland. Here you can visit the Norwegian Glacier Museum with its spectacular exhibitions and Ivo Caprino's adventurous film about Jostedalsbreen. In the center of Fjærland you'll find Norway's Book City with book sales in every other house, the opportunity for many book bargains here! A lunch stop at Mundal historic hotel is recommended.

Continue on to the beautiful Astruptunet in Jølster, with the opportunity for a guided tour and a closer acquaintance with the colorful painter.

Other recommended day trips

The Nærøyfjord

Gudvangen - Aurland - Lærdal

This narrow and beautiful fjord is a special experience, placed on UNESCO's list of special attractions. The ferry trip from Kaupanger to Gudvangen takes approx. 3 hours, and is part of a nice day trip from Nes Gard. From Gudvangen, you can choose between two alternative round trips back to Luster:

 A. Vikafjellet: The only option is to follow the road towards Voss and take off over Vikafjellet. It is recommended to take a trip above Stalheim Hotell and take a look at the famous Stalheinskleiva. After passing Vik with its two medieval churches, one comes out to the ferry stop Vangsnes. Here you should take a closer look at the enormous statue of the Viking king Fridtjof before taking the ferry over to Hella, and from there on to Nes Gard.

B. Flåm-Lærdal: From Gudvangen it is a short drive to Flåm, and on the way it is recommended to visit Underdal, known for its good cheese. From Flåm you can take the train up to Myrdal, perhaps the most famous railway line for tourists in Norway.

Further towards Lærdal, you can choose between the Lærdal Tunnel, the world's longest tunnel for cars (24 km) or drive the Fjellvegen with its many unique viewpoints. Lærdal is known for its beautiful wooden houses and architecture, here you can also find the Norwegian Villakssenter. Return home via Fodnes, and a short ferry ride to Nes Gard.

Sognefjellet

From Nes, one drives inland along the Lusterfjord to Skjolden, the innermost part of the Sognefjord, 204 km from the Atlantic Ocean. From Fortun, the climb starts up to 1460 m above sea level to Sognefjellet, the highest mountain pass in Norway.

Along the way, Turtagrø is passed, a gathering place for climbers who frolic in the Hurrungane, a magnificent mountain range reminiscent of the Alps. Further up to Sognefjellshytta there are many recommended photo stops, with views of Fanaråken, Smørstabbreen and the peaks in Vest-Jotunheimen. The trip can be extended down to Lom with the Norwegian Mountain Museum, stave church and stone centre. A visit to Bakern in Lom is recommended!

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