West Telemark
A journey into the region’s nature, culture and history.
The trip begins along Vråvatn, the highest lake in the Arendal watercourse, and continues through forests and small villages. Above Dalen we stop at Grimdalstunet.
Grimdalen is the birthplace and childhood home of the sculptor Anne Grimdalen – best known for her work on the decoration of Oslo City Hall. Today, Grimdalen is a protected farmyard with houses from the Middle Ages and a sculpture house with work by Anne Grimdalen. Every summer there is an exhibition of famous artists. The museum has a café.
An alternative stop is Åmdals Verk Gruver, an interesting mining history museum based on copper mines in operation from 1540 to 1945.
Continue driving towards Dalen, the village that is located 72 meters above sea level and is the Telemark Canal’s end point. Here you will find the venerable Hotel Dalen.
From Dalen you drive on to Vest – Telemark Museum at Eidsborg. This is an open-air museum that shows you centuries-long traditions in folk arts and crafts.
In the museum area is also Eidsborg Stave Church, Norway’s smallest of the remaining stave churches. A tour here offers good stories about the development and importance of the stave church in the local community.
From Eidsborg, the trip continues east to Morgedal, the village called “The Cradle of Skiing”. Here you will find the Norwegian Ski Adventure experience centre, which shows modern skiing history through pictures, exhibitions and film. The museum has a souvenir shop and café.
From Morgedal you drive back to Vrådal through Kviteseid. Along the way, you can stop at Kviteseid Bygdetun.
