Norway we love you!

Wow Norway is beautiful! We had a long six hour drive from Oslo to Bygland but it was the most picturesque drive of our trip with stunning views over crystal clear lakes and vast areas of rocky mountains covered in pine trees. Even a short stop to stretch out our legs provided breath-taking views - no nasty service stations selling extortionate coffee, well, no nasty service stations!

 

The weather when we set off from Oslo was warm and sunny and this continued for most of our journey. Unfortunately it changed during the last half hour and we drove in rain with grey clouds looming above but this didn't dampen our spirits - we were loving Norway! 

 

Our site for the next couple of nights was Neset Camping near Byglandsfjorden - a large lake measuring 34km in length. The site sits on a piece of flat land that juts out into the water. Pitches are hard-standing and all have amazing views of the lake and surrounding mountains. At this time of year, low season, there aren't many visitors to the site but quite a few motorhomes stopped each night before moving on to their next stop.

 

The reception and shop is a small building at the centre of the site. It sells a few basic items and provides information about the area. After arriving, we were told to choose anywhere to pitch up and we drove down to the water's front. This site is probably extremely busy during peak season and many more permanent looking set-ups show that some people have season pitches here. As well as some semi-permanent residents, there are the permanent and very cute looking rabbits. The rabbits here are not like the wild rabbits that we get hopping around in England; these rabbits, ranging in colours from black, white and caramel, were fluffy adorable creatures that look like pet rabbits. There were lots of them!

 

The site catered for families and children with a trampoline and jumping pillow as well as a small playground area or wooden village that comprised of a few wooden buildings decorated in the style of a school, shop etc. There was no swimming pool at this site but it didn't need one since the lake was so close-by. Two rather precarious looking slides were positioned on the banks of the lake for those daring enough to take the plunge. The site also offered a selection of vessels to hire and take out on the water; there were canoes, kayaks, rowing boats and pedaloes. We chose to a two-man canoe and a couple of kayaks and paddled up the lake to explore the inlets, mini islands and sandy beaches. 

 

The site is also a superb base to walk or hike from. The reception has paper print outs showing various walks in the area.  

 

In the afternoon we drove about 12.5 km to some mineral mines. The area has strong historical links with the minerals that have been mined here. There is a mineral museum in Evje where you can learn about the different types of minerals in the area. We chose to visit the mineral trail, a 2.5km walk that links five mines and allows you to have a go at mining yourself. Being the low season, the information hut / cafe was closed when we arrived. There were only two other people there: a man and his son chipping away at a huge pile of stones. We wandered towards the first mine, amazed at the amount of mineral rocks that lay on the path beneath our feet. Unfortunately, we weren't able to identify what type of crystals they were since all of the information was in Danish. In peak season, guided walks take place and there are people on site to talk to. We took it in turns to chip and chisel away at the exposed rock face and attempt to gather chunks of interesting coloured rock. The drizzle then began and gradually got heavier and heavier. The man and his son escaped quickly, as soon as the grey clouds appeared but we persevered for as long as possible. We did not however make it to the other mines. I'm sure on a sunny, dry day the whole trail is a fascinating and rewarding trip.

 

Another attraction not far from the site is an Elk farm. We'd seen the road sign warning drivers of elk as we'd driven through Norway and would have loved to seen one roaming wild. The nearest we could have got was the farm though. The farmer owns hand-reared elk and for a cost, visitors can feed the elk. A family ticket would cost £44 and we were told there were only 4 elk at the farm. Neset campsite also ran Elk safaris for a cost from the site as an alternative.

 

Along the road from the campsite there was an adventure sports centre that also offered accommodation in the form of wooden huts. One of the popular sports on the menu was rafting since it was based across the road from the river. We saw a few groups venturing out on the white water to experience rafting - something they offer to families including children as young as 6. 

 

What made Neset Camping site for us was the views. We had to pinch ourselves regularly as we watched the sunset behind the mountains or the stunning reflections of the landscape in the still water. 

 

So many people told us that Norway is beautiful and we can fully appreciate that. We would have loved to see more of the country and travel further north but time has caught up with us and our return journey begins. Norway is definitely a country that we must come back to explore again another day.

 

@meekroadventure