At the mountain of Haukelifjell is a mountain lodge or actually a small tourist resort known as Haukeliseter. It is located at an altitude of almost 1000 meters on the shores of Lake Ståvatn. This small tourist resort is run by Stavanger Turistforening. It lies within Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark County.
A Short History of Haukeliseter
The mountain Haukelifjellet has had trails for travelers for a very long time. It would, however, take until 1889 before the first road across the mountain was completed. It had taken 32 years to construct the road.
The first public mountain lodge was built in the 1860s. It was a lodge that was free to use for travelers across the mountain. Haukeliseter was during the 19th century also the base camp for training expeditions performed by some of Norway’s national heroes. Men like Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen led expeditions across these mountains.
Haukeliseter has also acted as a meeting point for the Norwegian post routes between the West and the East. During the winters when the snow made traffic across the mountain impossible, the post route was still active. The postmen from each side of the mountain met at Haukeliseter twice a week to exchange the post being sent across the mountain.
More information about the history can be found at haukeliseter.no.
Things to Do and See
Just the view from Haukeliseter out over Lake Ståvatn is amazing the day’s the weather allows it to be. The mountain area of Haukelifjell is visible all around and is something to enjoy even if you so happen to just drive past and decide to have a short stop.
Haukelifjell
Haukelifjell is a quite large mountain area. Its highest peak reaches 1693 meters. This is an area known for hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities.
Lake Ståvatn
Lake Ståvatn is a mountain lake located at an altitude of 979 meters above the sea. The lake is according to some sources rich in Brown trout.
How to Get to Haukeliseter
- Flights: Bergen Airport (BGO) is 201 kilometers to the west. It offers both domestic and international flights.
- Car: Haukeliseter is located along Road E134 between Haukeli and Røldal.
The driving distance from 5 major Norwegian cities, according to Google Maps:
- Oslo – 323 kilometers (4 h 32 min)
- Bergen – 204 kilometers (3 h 55 min)
- Trondheim – 767 kilometers (10 h 23 min)
- Narvik – 1660 kilometers (24 h)
- Kirkenes – 2110 kilometers (28 h)
Find out more about other destinations in Norway by visiting our page Exploring Norway
