Ørsta
Municipality · Møre og Romsdal
About Ørsta
Slogen above Hotel Union Øye, where Kaiser Wilhelm II stayed, the Hjørundfjord villages, and Sverre Fehn's Ivar Aasen centre for Nynorsk.
What to do and where to stay in Ørsta
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Slogen from ØyeHike
A 1,564 m Sunnmøre Alps summit climbed straight from the fjord at Øye, about 1,500 m of ascent in 3 km, with Patchellhytta cabin roughly halfway.
Øye, inner Norangsfjord · 8–10 h return (4–5 h up) · June–September
2Saksa from UrkeHike
A steep 3.4 km climb from Urke to a 1,022 m top over the Hjørundfjord, made safer by stone steps built by Nepalese Sherpas, with Slogen and Øye in view.
Urke, Norangsfjord · 5 h (6.8 km return, 990 m up) · summer–early autumn
3Lygnstøylvatnet, the drowned summer farmLocal oddity
A lake in Norangsdalen formed in 1908 when a rockslide from Keipen dammed the river; old house walls and the old road can still be seen on the bottom.
Norangsdalen, Fv 655 between Øye and Hellesylt · 15–30 min stop · May–October (road valley; ice in winter)
4Norangsdalen – the Queen's RouteViewpoint
One of Norway's narrowest valleys, named the Queen's Route after the royal couple's 1993 silver-wedding cruise, with summer farms built into the ground against slides.
Fv 655 from Øye up the valley towards Hellesylt · 30–60 min drive with stops · Summer is best
5Hotel Union ØyeHistory & culture
A hotel from 1891 at the head of the Norangsfjord where Kaiser Wilhelm II, Karen Blixen and Conan Doyle stayed, with rooms named after guests and a Blue Room ghost legend.
Øye, inner Norangsfjord · 30–60 min (look in, coffee or meal) · mainly summer season
6Christian Gaard Bygdetun and the Trandal swingLocal oddity
A roadless fjord-side farm in Trandal, reached only by boat, with a restaurant and a swing that flies out over the Hjørundfjord.
Rynningen 102, Trandal, Hjørundfjord · Half a day incl. boat · mostly summer (boats); open all year by arrangement per listing
7Aasentunet – the Ivar Aasen centreHistory & culture
Sverre Fehn's white concrete museum, opened in 2000 on Ivar Aasen's birthplace farm in Hovdebygda, about Nynorsk and the languages of the world.
Indrehovdevegen 176, Hovdebygda · 1–2 h · all year (hourly guided tours in summer)
8SaudehornetHike
The 1,303 m peak right above Ørsta town, a red-graded 3.9 km climb with the Ørstafjord and the town centre straight below.
Above Ørsta town · 4–6 h return · summer–autumn
9Hjørundfjord Church in SæbøHistory & culture
A white wooden church of 1880 by Henrik Nissen in Sæbø, replacing a stave church, possibly from the 14th century, that was moved here after a flood in 1581.
Sæbø, west shore of the Hjørundfjord · 15–30 min · all year (interior when open)
10Restaurant VardeFood & drink
The à la carte restaurant of Havila Hotel Ivar Aasen in central Ørsta, serving Norwegian food from local ingredients for lunch and dinner.
Parkvegen 9, Ørsta centre · 1–1.5 h · all year
Nearby, also among the best for mountains
- StrandaMøre og RomsdalMountains (among Norway's best)Fjords (among Norway's best)
- StrynVestlandMountains (among Norway's best)Hiking (among Norway's best)
- RaumaMøre og RomsdalMountains (among Norway's best)Hiking (among Norway's best)
- LusterVestlandMountains (among Norway's best)History (among Norway's best)