Best places for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in Norway
What makes Voss the best place for snowy adventures in Norway? The west region of Norway is one of the snowiest regions in Europe, this makes Voss an exceptional place for winter adventures like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. We have a long season, from November to May it is possible to enjoy the snowy mountains and valleys.
The railway goes all the way from the biggest cities and airports, Oslo and Bergen and passes by Voss. With only two hours from Bergen airport, Voss makes the most accessible winter wonderland in Norway. The train even takes us to close by, wild areas like the secluded Raundalen valley. It is not only the comfortable accessibility by train that makes Voss stick out, but also the rich offers of hotels, accommodation and activity. Everything from easy and central to local and cultural.
Two of the biggest and most modern ski resorts in Norway are to be found in Voss. Voss Resort and Myrkdalen Mountain Resort. Voss is a great crossing point and is located in the middle of the biggest and most majestic fjords in Norway. We have the UNESCO Nærøyfjorden on one side and the magnificent Hardangerfjorden on the other side, a superb location to access the fjords. We have some great waterfalls like Tvindefossen and some big glaciers like Hardangerjøkul. The landscape around Voss consists of many mountain plateaus with beautiful mountain hut networks and endless valleys carved out by glaciers, the perfect terrain for snowshoe- and nordic skiing tours.
In this article we want to highlight some of our enjoyable adventures that offer deep snow and magical vibes.
Did you know that snowshoes were most likely invented in central asia around 4000 years ago? Made from wooden blocks and pieces of leather. Eventually people crossed to Europe and North America and the invention spread and developed. Snowshoes have been widely used for transportation and hunting in winter. Snowshoeing requires little technique and makes it easy to travel through deep snow, even if this is your first encounter with snow. You just strap the snowshoe to your boot and the play begins. When snowshoeing we are able to relatively smoothly make our way through snow covered terrain, even in forests with a lot of trees, we can easily zig zag around. Imagen walking like a wide legged cowboy and there you got it! A perfect adventure for immersing yourself in deep snow and great views is to join Snowshoeing in Voss. ‘
How to get started? Snowshoeing in Voss (Hanguren)
A great day trip to start your winter adventures is to join “Snowshoeing in Voss”. Here we take the Voss gondola ride up to Mount Hanguren. At 820 meters above the sea we have great views over the cute town of Voss and the lake Vangsvatnet and plenty of fluffy snow to play around in. We will probably find traces of animals playing around in the snow as well. There are plenty of grouse, rabbits and hares. This tour is the perfect combination of accessibility and wild terrain. Book here.
Feeling adventurous? Try snowshoeing in Raundalen!
Imagen walking straight out of the train to a real winter wonderland. White mountains surrounding you, the sound of a wide deep blue crystal clear river. Wow! Get amazed by the peacefulness and vastness of the secluded Raundalen valley, a mountain valley carved out by glacier activity during the last ice age. Here we can find circuits for all levels. We can even start off at one train stop and finish off at another. Inside Raundalen valley there are five train stops to choose from and great terrain surrounding us. Here we have the chance to see tracks of moose, deer and bigger animals as well. Book here.
Ski like a Norwegian! Try cross-country skiing.
Snowshoes came in many shapes and when they reached Scandinavia, the wooden frame developed into longer skis. Therefore it also has the familiar name, Nordic skiing. This is how people have been traveling, hunting, collecting wood, on snow covered terrain for thousands of years and is now a big cultural institution and the national sport in Norway. You might have seen people compete in cross-country skiing, with tight body suits, at the Olympics for example. The type of cross-country skiing we do is adapted for the wilderness. We just tie our winter boot to the ski with a universal binding and off we go! Under the ski in the middle, is a skin attached, a type of synthetic hair, that prevents us from sliding backwards and also gives us a good glide forward. Cross-country skiing in the mountains, outside of tracks is called “fjellski” in Norwegian, which basically means mountain ski. If you are new to Nordic skiing, we start off on the tracks to get into the movement and the technique of skiing. Then we proceed into the wild. Here we have the chance to try the telemark turn, a technique invented to be able to descend small hills on Nordic skis. Book here.
Snowshoeing over the fjords: Ulvik
One of the most spectacular natural features we are most proud of is the fjords. Though, in winter time they can be difficult to access. The surrounding mountains are normally very steep, going straight down in the fjords, creating avalanche danger. However, we are super happy to announce that we have found an amazing tour in Ulvik, where you can enjoy the fjords in winter. After wandering in a quiet, snowy forest, the views of Ulvikafjorden opens up for us. We are able to see the town of Ulvik resting by the beginning of the fjord and how the arm stretches out all the way to the bigger Hardangerfjord. If we are lucky, we are on the right side for some winter sunshine! This is a quiet and peaceful tour, like always accompanied by a bonfire and some local food. Book here.
Want to try something different?
If you are looking for something different try our tour “Snowshoeing and Stargazing over Voss”. Definitely a night to remember. After the dark has fallen over the town of Voss, we take the gondola up in the starry sky, stepping out in the crispy evening, enjoying the calmness of a snowy night. The ski resort and the gondola are open three nights a week. The later in the season, the more light we get and we might rather be able to watch the sunset from the top of the mountain. On a really dark and clear night, there might be the exception of getting a glimpse of some northern lights. Are you looking for a fun family memory or a romantic escape? This is the tour for you! Book here.
Overnight trip to a Norwegian cabin!
In Norway we have a built out system of mountain huts. There are over 580 overnight ones and many of them are managed by DNT, The Norwegian Trekking Organization. Some of them are bigger and managed by staff, where you can have a three course meal and some of them are small and cozy self-serviced ones. Some of them are public and open while some of them are only accessible for members of DNT with a key. What they all have in common is that they are mostly all located in the wilderness, away from civilization. This is a perfect way to get to live in your own mountain hut for a night. Maybe you meet some new friends on the way. The costume is to book a spot in the hut but you can never refuse someone to enter the hut even if they have not booked. There are always extra mattresses for people to sleep on the floor. The mountain hut accommodation can be booked at DNTs website. The average price for the self-serviced huts is around 300 NOK per night. In Norway it is common to hike from hut to hut. Enjoying cozy accommodation in the wild while spearing weight, not needing to bring a tent, you might have energy to do more kilometers. A genuine Norwegian experience. You can find more tips on tour suggestions and more day huts and shelters HERE.
From Voss we have the areas of Raundalen, Stølsheim, Vossafjellene and Hardangervidda close by, which are all great areas for multiple day winter tours with snowshoes or Nordic skis. Two of our favorite mountain huts for winter adventures are BT-hytten in the secluded Raundalen valley and Nansenbu high up in the mountains, among mountain lakes. Both open for everyone the whole year around. Wild Voss are happy to do special and customized guided multiple day tours by request! Just send us an email post@wildvoss.no.
What else to do in Winter in Voss during your holiday?
Like mentioned in the beginning we have two great ski resorts, Voss Resort and Myrkdalen Mountain Resort. They are mostly open from December to April. The Gondola up to Voss Resort is just by the train station, which makes it very accessible. The slopes offer something for every level, including fun off-piste terrain and the ski school is happy to help with instruction. At Myrkdalen the slopes are wider and located in a mountainous area away from civilization.
Vossabadet offers some really nice swimming lanes and a fun pool with trampolines, including a warming sauna in the middle of the venue. If you are into sauna, like most Scandinavians, Voss Hostel (Voss Vandrarheim) offers a super cozy sauna outside, with the possibility of taking a swim in the icy lake Vangsvatnet in between saunaing. Voss Hostel has a drop in sauna on Mondays and Fridays between 16.30-17.30 and 17.30-18.30. Other times it is possible to book it privately.
Voss is a famous place for skydiving. Want to give it a try? Try indoor skydiving at Voss Vind, a wind tunnel in the middle of town. Here everyone can fly.
Eat the classical Norwegian dish from Voss, smalahove, a salt cured, smoked and steamed sheepshead. Smalove is one of Norway’s oddest culinary specialties. The farm Løne at Voss is the only smalahove manufacturer in Norway. It’s a tradition of using everything on the animal and not letting anything go to waste. There are also other less odd specialities to try, like pinnekøtt. It is salted, dried, sometimes smoked, lamb ribs that are then steamed before eating. Pinnekøtt is the most popular Christmas dish in Norway. Løne farm, Smalahovetunet is a fantastic genuine venue that really is worth a visit. You can also find the smalahove and other specialities at the hotel and restaurant of Store Ringheim.
Try guided ski touring with Wild Voss! We have many great mountains for ski touring and are happy to take you out for an unforgettable powder day on randonee skis.
Try an introduction to ice climbing with Wild Voss! When winter comes all the magnificent waterfalls around, turn into ice and offer great ice for climbing. Just contact us post@wildvoss.no and we’ll give you an introduction to an exciting sport.
Planning to visit the fjords in summer?
Summer time is also a great time to visit Voss. Then read our article about our top 5 hikes in Norway.
See you soon!
