Iveland
Municipality · Agder
About Iveland
Look for crystals in the old Knipane, Steli and Solås mines, see the 800-piece municipal mineral collection at Åkle, and head out to Lake Ogge.
What to do and where to stay in Iveland
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Ivelandsgruvene: Steli, Solås and Knipane minesActivity
Old pegmatite mines open to amateur collectors for one small fee; garnet nearly always turns up at Steli, and Knipane gave the world's first scandium mineral in 1911.
Around Birketveit and Ljosland, Iveland · 2–4 h · summer half-year – check with the municipality
2Iveland kommune's mineral exhibition at ÅkleHistory & culture
A free display of more than 800 local mineral specimens at the Åkle centre, built on miner Olav Landsverk's collection, which the council bought in 1971.
Åkle centre building, Birketveit · 30–45 min · all year (same building as the shop and library)
3Bereblikk day-trip cabin on BerefjellHike
A 25 m² open day cabin on Berefjell above Birketveit with a wood stove, solar lights, a small library and a toilet, reached on a walk from Iveland church.
Berefjell, above Birketveit · 2–3.5 h · cabin open all year; parking at the church in summer
4Iveland kyrkjeHistory & culture
A timber cross church for about 350 people in Birketveit, built to Hans Linstow's plans and consecrated in 1837; the walk to Bereblikk starts here.
Birketveit · 15 min · outside all year; inside at services
5Lake OggeNature
A 16 km lake on the Iveland–Birkenes border with about 365 islands and skerries, many with camp and picnic spots, and moose and beaver along about 90 km of shore.
Vatnestrøm, east Iveland (fv 405) · 1 h to a full day · summer for paddling; popular in winter too
6Iveland og Vegusdal bygdemuseum, FjermedalHistory & culture
An open-air farm museum with buildings from the 1600s on, local costumes, Bibles from 1550 and 1589 and a log-boat exhibition on Iron Age techniques.
Fjermedal, Iveland · 1 h · Sundays in school holidays, otherwise by arrangement (+47 37 93 63 03)
7Beihølen: the top of Tømmerrenna in KnudansheiaNature
The upper intake of the Steinsfoss timber flume at a small dam in Knudansheia nature reserve, among old aspen and oak. Keep clear of the flume when water is released.
Knudansheia nature reserve, far south of Iveland on the Vennesla border · spring to autumn