Voss
Voss is Vestland’s adrenaline-laced valley basin — a municipality where gondolas soar above fjords, jazz riffs echo through mountain halls, and a silver fiddle dances across the coat of arms. With around 16,000 residents and a landscape shaped by the Vosso River, Vangsvatnet Lake, and the villages of Vossevangen, Evanger, Skulestadmo, and Myrkdalen, Voss is the kind of place where you can hike past waterfalls, explore Viking history, and still sip spruce cordial beside a sheep’s head served with sour cream porridge. It’s got peaks, pulse, and a name that may stem from *vǫrr* — “water.”
Top Attractions
- Tvindefossen – 115-meter tiered waterfall with roadside access & photo ops
- Bordalsgjelet Gorge – mossy canyon walk with dramatic cliffs & river views
- Voss Gondol – cable car from town to Hangurstoppen with restaurant & trails
- Voss Folkemuseum – 16-building farmstead with exhibitions & folk heritage
- Vangskyrkja – 13th-century stone church built on pagan temple site
Unique Experiences
- Ekstremsportveko – world’s largest extreme sports festival with skydiving, rafting & concerts
- Vossa Jazz – annual jazz festival with local flair & international artists
- Smalahovetunet – traditional restaurant serving smoked sheep’s head & cured meats
- VossVind – indoor skydiving wind tunnel for ages 5 to 100+
- Finnesloftet – 1295 banquet hall, Norway’s oldest secular wooden building
Places to Stay
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Where to Eat
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Getting There
Voss lies along the E16 highway between Bergen and Oslo, with Vossevangen as its administrative center. Reach it by train from Bergen (1h 15m), or drive via E16. The area is best explored by boots, boat, or bold curiosity — especially if you’re chasing jazz echoes, fjord lore, or the hush of pine needles beside a gondola that climbs into the clouds.