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Top 20 in the Magma Geopark


Top 20 sights in Magma UNESCO Geopark

Flekkefjord, Bjerkreim, Sokndal, Eigersund and Lund are located in the centre of Magma UNESCO Global Geopark. Each of the municipalities has selected four tourist lighthouses that they want to focus on in the future.Here you get an overview.  

  

The treehouse towns of Flekkefjord, Egersund and Sogndalstrand are worth a visit in their own right. Here you can wander around in historic surroundings surrounded by charming little wooden houses. Just an hour south of Stavanger, you'll find Norway's best-preserved wooden buildings. Egersund is 225 years old, and a cultural trail runs through the town for those who want to get to know the historic neighbourhoods better. End your trip with a walk up to Varberg and the rock carvings, as well as a visit to the Fayance Museum. Just half an hour south you'll find the historic sailing ship town of Sogndalstrand, set in a charming little bay at the mouth of the popular salmon river Sokna. Here, time has stood still and you get an impression of what the rustic and charming coastal environment looked like 200 years ago. An hour south you'll find Flekkefjord, also known as Hollenderbyen, which comes from the time when the town traded with Holland in the 16th and 17th centuries. Flekkefjord is a place where the traditional gets a taste of the modern. Small and slightly large wooden houses are packed into narrow cobblestone streets, and as a beautiful contrast, 30 small and large works of street art are painted on white old wooden houses around the town.   

Worth experiencing in Flekkefjord

In Flekkefjord, you can try dresin cycling on the Flekkefjord Railway. The Flekkefjord Railway originally covered the stretch between Flekkefjord and Egersund. It was an extension of the Jærbanen railway, which opened in 1878 and ran between Egersund and Stavanger. Dresin cycling is a great way to experience the dramatic landscape north of Flekkefjord, and is suitable for both young and old. The 17-kilometre cycle tour takes you from Flekkefjord to Sira through 17 tunnels. The tour offers many great nature experiences with beautiful stone walls and stonework, tunnels and bridges.

Photo: Sandra Surdal

Just outside Flekkefjord, only 10 minutes by ferry from the mainland, lies charming Hidra. Here you can enjoy lazy holidays in historic harbours, go swimming or fishing among the islets and reefs, go kayaking or hiking. Hidra is the largest island in the Magma Geopark, offering picturesque southern villages and stunning scenery. The island is dominated by granite with some elements of moraine in the mountains. People have lived on Hidra for thousands of years, and today around 700 people are permanent residents. The sea has always been the most important industry on the island, but there are also several traces of the mining industry.

Worth experiencing in Egersund 

Egersund is home to Norway's oldest cast iron lighthouse. Eigerøy Lighthouse was built in 1854 and is almost 33 metres high. Take the hike on foot and follow the well-marked gravel road. The hike is easy and is partly on a gravel road and on a marked path. Prams can be used on the first part of the hike, but dogs are unfortunately not allowed due to grazing animals. The tour passes through a large crystallised magma chamber, also known as the "Egersund-Ogna anorthosite". The anorthosite was formed deep in the earth about 930 million years ago and is a rare rock on earth. But everyone has seen it anyway, because it's anorthosite that you see when you look at the bright fields on the moon.

Photo: Arne Ove Østebrøt

Another trip worth taking in Egersund is along the old Jæren railway. The old Jæren railway between Hellvik and Maurholen has been adapted as a hiking and cycling route. The road winds between and through canyons and rocks, and impressive stonework has been laid in the old line. The Jæren railway has absolutely everything a memorable and adventurous trip should include. There are great bathing, fishing and picnic spots, and the area can be enjoyed in all seasons. You can sleep in a tent, stand still or stroll slowly. All within a distance of just over eight kilometres.

Recommended tours

Brufjell or Brufjellhålene, as it's also known, is a popular selfie spot on social media. Photos abound with a bounce jump, or the iconic group shot in the centre of the magnificent rock formation. The area around Roligheten, as the place is called, provides a great variety of natural attractions on the three-hour walk through the coastal landscape. The trail passes panoramic coastal views at the top of Brufjell, continues to exotic Sandviga beach with white pebbles, and finally leads you to a spectacular rock formation from the Ice Age where large potholes lie in the steep rock face in the sea gap. The walk down to the caves is very steep and involves climbing. It is therefore not suitable for children or dogs. Some handles in the rock have been drilled in to make the climb more manageable. 

Photo: Christina Kittelsen Bakke

Gloppedalsura, located in Gjesdal and Bjerkreim in Rogaland, is referred to as Northern Europe's largest rock quarry. It consists of enormous boulders that lie on top of the end moraines. The quarry is easily accessible as there is a road through it. Major events in nature produced Gloppedalsura, which is located in a valley with two lakes surrounded by dramatic mountains. The unique landscape of the Gloppedalen valley played an important role for Norwegian soldiers defending this area during World War II. Ura, with its enormous boulders, passages and hiding places, served as a defence for the Norwegian forces fighting German soldiers here in April 1940. 

Trollpikken is a specially shaped stone that resembles a phallus. It became world famous when it was cut down one night in June 2017. The action did not go down well, and with the help of great enthusiasm and fundraising, the stone was back in place after just two weeks. Approximately 13,000 years ago, as the ice retreated, meltwater from the glacier caused cracks to form in the mountains beneath the ice. These water-filled cracks, together with a bit of luck, led to the formation of Trollpikken. On the hike to Trollpikken you can see old land borders, fences and lakes along the trail, and if you choose to walk from Trollpikken down to Egersund, you'll get a unique insight into how animals and agriculture have shaped the landscape. The hike is easy and follows both gravel roads and marked trails. 

Stavtjørn offers outdoor activities all year round. In winter there are kilometres of cross-country skiing trails, and the resort has alpine skiing facilities with Fjellstove offering accommodation. There are also several options for those with motorhomes and caravans. In the summer, you can explore hot springs, sparkling hot tubs, rocky beaches and nature's own slides, or go on spectacular summit hikes and short and long mountain hikes to tourist cabins. Several of the lakes have fishing opportunities.From some of the peaks on Stavtjørn you can see all the way to the sea. Skarkaknuten, Skibufjellet, Svartevassknuten and Mjåvassknuten are popular hiking destinations that offer beautiful views. 

The beautiful outdoor area around Sætra offers many opportunities for outdoor activities, both summer and winter. There is both a light trail and a toboggan run. The day trip cabin in Lund, Gauksomhytta, is beautifully located by Gauksom in the Sætra area. You can take a return trip to the cabin, or a circular trail via Ytre Sandstøl, Laugmannsdalen and back to Sætra. In addition to being a hiking destination in itself, a library in the cabin helps to provide a hiking experience beyond the ordinary. The tour starts on the gravel road by Moi IL's Sætra hut. Then follow the markings on the gravel road. The hike is suitable for most people and has some inclines at the start.

Visit old mines 

Due to the exceptional geology of the area, Magma Geopark has a colourful mining history. At Blåfjell, "The Blue Mountain", up to eight mines were active during the 19th century. Ilmenite extraction took place at Blåfjell from 1863 to 1876, and a total of 90,000 tonnes of ore were exported during these years. A railway was built between Blåfjell and Rekefjord to transport the ore to the coast for shipping to the continent. This old railway is now a hiking and biking trail surrounded by impressive nature. The area consists of many small lakes, a river and beautiful valleys surrounded by steep mountains. The site is located near Hauge in Dalane in Sokndal municipality, and is open to the public. The mines can only be visited with specialised guides.

Photo: Magma Geopark

Molybdenum mining at Gursli took place from 1915 to 1919. The Gursli mines were active in supplying molybdenum for steel production during the First World War, and in 1917 there were around 100 employees at Gursli. After the war, the price of molybdenum crashed and the mine closed in 1919.You can still find remnants of the many buildings that were constructed at Gullvannet during the active period. Today, this is an outdoor museum of mining culture, where you can step back in time and see what life was like in the mines a hundred years ago. A visit to the mine can be combined with a trip to the top of Gjegningheia, which reaches 553 metres above sea level. The hike passes nature's own monument - large stones stacked on top of each other, called Hattesteinene, which is surrounded by beautiful nature.

Salmon fishing 

Bjerkreimselva is one of Rogaland's largest watercourses. The river is a popular area for salmon fishing and fishing for sea trout. Every year, more than 7,000 salmon are caught here. It is ranked as one of the best salmon rivers in Norway, and salmon fishing is possible between 1 June and 20 September. Just off the E39 motorway at Gjedlakleiv, fishing is also adapted for wheelchair users. Fishing licences can be purchased from Esso Vikeså Veiservice, Cirkle K or Bjerkreim Elveeierlag/Bjerkreim Camping.

Photo: Kevin Molstad/ Destination Bjerkreim

The largest lake in Bjerkreim is the 17 kilometre long Ørsdalsvatnet. The lake and the surrounding nature can be experienced by taking a boat trip with M/K Ørsdølen on Sundays in the summer. There are several great hiking opportunities around the lake, such as summit hikes, valley hikes, fishing trips and trips to old and abandoned mountain farms.

Places with cultural history 

Lund municipality has a rich and exciting cultural and industrial history, from old homesteads and furniture factories to disused mines in scenic surroundings.Lund Bygdemuseum og Kulturbank manages and communicates this cultural heritage. The museum is located in the old vicarage barn about 300 metres from the centre of Moi, and is the regional museum for wood crafts in Dalane. The museum is known for its special collections of crafts and industry, with an emphasis on furniture, toys and, not least, rocketry, as well as a unique collection of rose-painted coffins from Lund. The museum grounds include the "Haien" homestead, where exhibitions and activities are organised during the summer. The historic orchard, which is run in co-operation with the Norwegian Genetic Resources Committee, is also located here.
Photo: Kevin Molstad/ Destination Bjerkreim
The two small houses under Helleren in Jøssingfjord are small and scared under the massive rock face. The word "Helleren" describes an overlying rock formation, and occurs in several old place names in Norway where a "heller" provides shelter for people and animals. The 60-metre-long Helleren in Jøssingfjorden has a history stretching back to the early Stone Age and is one of the largest of its type in Norway. The houses beneath the rock shelf are without proper roofing, because the 10 metre deep overhanging rock protects the buildings. Archaeologists have traced settlements from the early Stone Age in the black and rich cultural layer that covers the ground at Helleren. The architecture of the current houses can be traced back to the 19th century, but parts of the buildings may be older. Helleren was abandoned in the 1920s.
 
The listed Tronåsvegen, on the border between Rogaland and Vest-Agder counties, was built as part of the Vestland Main Road. It was completed in 1844 and served as the main road from Stavanger to Kristiansand for 100 years, until 1945. It was known as the most difficult section of road along the south coast with a gradient of 1:3 and 11 sharp bends. It was not uncommon to push cars and buses up the hill. The Tronåsen area is the roots of the ancient mountain range Rodinia, which existed 1000 million years ago. In 1931, Tronåsen was considered one of the most dangerous parts of the Monte Carlo Rally, and many cars were destroyed. Every five years, a very popular veteran car race is organised over Tronåsen, and the Tronåsen March is held annually.

Fast-paced experiences 

Experience speed and excitement at Norway's toughest racing track, uniquely located in the mountains of Sokndal. Motorcenter Norway is located 250 metres above sea level in Kroheia, Sokndal, which is part of the beautiful Dalane region in south-western Norway. Here, both nature and cultural experiences are in line, and the region is a perfect destination for adventures on wheels. The facility has a motocross hall, off-road area, go-kart track, pit garage and service building, as well as a racing track that is suitable for cars and motorcycles. It is approved for all classes of standard car, GT and Formula racing up to Formula 3.