Bjørnafjorden
Municipality · Vestland
About Bjørnafjorden
Lysøen, violinist Ole Bull's island with an onion-domed villa, closed for refurbishment, and 13 km of paths open year-round to anyone arriving by own boat.
What to do and where to stay in Bjørnafjorden
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Lyse Abbey ruins (Lysekloster)History & culture
Ruins of Norway's oldest Cistercian abbey, founded in 1146 by monks from Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire; stone from it was later used for Bergen's Rosenkrantz Tower.
Lysekloster, by Lysefjorden below Lyshornet, east of Osøyro · 30–60 min · all year (outdoor ruins)
2Grieg Art Collection at OseanaHistory & culture
In Os's arts centre above the fjord, a collection begun by Per Grieg Sr. with paintings by Christian Krohg, Frits Thaulow, Harald Sohlberg and Ludvig Karsten.
Mobergsbakken 20, Osøyro · 1 h · all year, Wed–Sun 12–16 (2026)
3Oseana Café & RestaurantFood & drink
Café in the Oseana arts centre by the fjord, serving lunch, cakes and drinks made with local ingredients, with a terrace by the sea; open Wednesday to Sunday.
Mobergsbakken 20, Osøyro · 45 min–1 h · all year; Wed–Sun 12–19 (Oct–Dec 2026)
4Oselvar Workshop (Oselvarverkstaden)Local oddity
Boatbuilders by the Oselva bridge keep the clinker-built Os rowing boat alive; their teaching method is on UNESCO's Register of Good Safeguarding Practices since 2016.
By the bridge over Oselva, Osøyro · 30–60 min · open to the public Wednesdays 13–15
5Holdhus ChurchHistory & culture
Timber church from the 1720s, owned by the National Trust of Norway, with late Baroque painted walls, a sun and moon on the ceiling and a Virgin and Child from about 1450.
Holdhus, Fusa side of the municipality · 30 min · outside all year; inside only at events (Olsok 29 July) or by arrangement
6Svéningen (Svinningen) over the Os mountainsHike
Os's highest mountain at 842 m, where Bjørnafjorden, Bergen and Samnanger meet, reached from Øvredalen with an option to go on along the ridge to Midtsæter.
From Øvredalen, Os · About 5 h (out and back from Øvredalen, ut.no); longer as a one-way ridge walk · June–October
7Kråkenos from upper HålandsdalenHike
Demanding hike from Nedre Bolstad in upper Hålandsdalen to a cairn above the Hardangerfjord, with an optional route up a rock wall on two ladders and a steep final climb.
Nedre Bolstad, Øvre Hålandsdalen (Fusa side) · 4–6 h (12–15 km return) · June–October
8Altaneset peninsulaNature
Path along a 5 km peninsula between Ådlandsfjorden and Eikelandsfjorden, with a row of fjord viewpoints starting at Dormannsnipen; back the same way.
Altaneset, Fusa side of Bjørnafjorden · 2–4 h · all year
9Ottanosa via KjerringafjellHike
Marked round trip of about 10 km from the Heihiller (Bygdastølen) ski centre over rocky high ground to Ottanosa at 976 m and Kjerringafjell, steep on the way down.
Bygdastølen, Fusa side · About 6 h (10 km loop) · July–September
10RøafjelletHike
Round trip of about 9 km from Rød on the Fusa side to a 589 m top with a cairn, a mailbox and an all-round view over Sævareidfjorden.
Rød (Rødo), Fusa side · 3–4 h (9 km return) · spring–autumn