The name itself speaks of its beauty: ‘Fagernes' is a compound of the two Norwegian words ‘fager' and ‘nes' – meaning pretty (fager) and headland or spit (nes).

This sight awaits you on your way through the historic valley. You'll certainly know when you've arrived – with lake Strondafjorden opening up the landscape before you, the Valdres museum promontory jutting out into the lake, and the local Kvitberget mountain keeping watch over the city.

Where is Fagernes?

Fagernes is an important tourist hub in the former county of Oppland (now part of Innlandet) and serves all those travelling between Eastern Norway (زõ³Ù±ô²¹²Ô»å±ð³Ù) and the West Coast (Vestlandet), as well as tourists heading up to the µþ±ð¾±³Ù´Ç²õ³Ùø±ô±ð²Ô ski resort and further on into Jotunheimen National Park.

While it may be small, Fagernes is the capital of the Valdres district and the largest city in the valley with 1,800 people. It's definitely a major starting point for experiencing Norwegian seter (alpine or mountain pasture) tradition and culture, as well as breathtaking mountain scenery.

One of Fagernes' attractions is the stunning , which comes alive on the 17th of May (Norway's National Day) and in summer. The museum houses the national bunad (Norwegian national costume), as well as the folk music, dance and musical instrument collections, making it quite a unique cultural hub.

So far museum workers have sourced 70,000 items from private and public collections around Norway, as well as photographed and researched their stories. No doubt adding to the significance of Fagernes as the storehouse of Norwegian cultural history.

On a sunny summer's day, you won't want to miss out on taking a walk through the museum's open air exhibits, and right around the promontory, where breathtaking scenic views of Fagernes, the lake and surrounding mountains, can be enjoyed.

There are several small islets in the lake, one of them called Vesleøya, which you can walk out to from the centre of town. A small bridge connects it to the city, and almost feels shrouded in a mystical air in the stillness of winter.

Traditional farming culture

Traditional mountain farming and the seter customs are still practiced and observed in Fagernes and the Valdres valley.

Something that has become a symbol and is visible on almost every barn and farm house in the valley is the Valdresrosa or the Valdres rose.

Curiously, the origins of the rose are German. The design was first taken to America in the 1900's and later found its way to Norway.

The original symbol is based on ‘die lippische Rose', which was a traditional folk decoration in Lippe, Germany. Today you'll find the Valdresrosa integrated into barn walls as a window, as well as also simply attached.

Impressive views

The area around Fagernes is home to some of the most panoramic mountain views, with certainly no shortage of lookouts to visit or places to breathe in the sights from.

The first lookout is on the ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì road (Rv 33) on top of TonsÃ¥sen mountain. As you start the descent into Aurdal, the impressive peaks of Jotunheimen greet you on the horizon, alluring you with their majesty and secrets.

The panorama continues on the road (Fv 264) towards the former Fagernes airport at Leirin. If you stop just above Leira, you'll have a fantastic view over Fagernes, something that is especially stunning in summer with the lake twinkling back at you.

Fagernes by air

The Fagernes airport used to receive international flights, but nowadays air traffic is limited to charter flights for winter tourists keen on visiting the stunning Jotunheimen and nearby Synnfjell in Langsua National Park.

The busiest runway in use today is lake Strondafjorden both in winter, when it freezes and light aircraft can land on it, and in summer, when seaplanes take off and land on the water.

µþ±ð¾±³Ù´Ç²õ³Ùø±ô±ð²Ô: A resort town in the mountains

The views continue on the way up to , the ski resort town at the southern entrance to Jotunheimen National Park. The park is home to Norway's highest mountains and the spectacular Valdresflya (Valdres plateau), where wild reindeer herds roam.

To get to µþ±ð¾±³Ù´Ç²õ³Ùø±ô±ð²Ô you can take one of two routes: the quiet country road via SkrautvÃ¥l (Fv 271), or the main road (Rv 51) which serpentines its way up past several inland lakes. As you near the Valdres plateau, you'll be greeted by Bitihorn (1607m), the southern sentinel of Jotunheimen, whose summit also offers amazing views over the park.

The final lookout is up at Kvitberget, which is a short hop from the centre of Fagernes and a part of Fodnesåsen (Fodnes ridge), rising high above the city. It's a challenging, steep climb up to the top but doesn't take more than 30 minutes and is absolutely worth the view.

Read more: Hiking in Norway

Kviteberget used to be the home of several cotters. The last cotter, Johan Mikjelson from Nilsebrøtin, moved out in 1936. To get to Kviteberget, Johan, his wife Kari and five kids had to walk across an ice packed Strondafjorden and use two wooden planks as a bridge to reach safe ground.

The family was allowed to live at Kviteberget in exchange for 14 days work each year at the nearby Øvre Nes farm. The remains of the cotter's home, with the main house, a cabin and a small fireplace, can still be seen today.

Food heritage

People have been living in the Fagernes and the Valdres area for centuries, keeping its unique heritage and customs alive. Noraker GÃ¥rd is a farm with a fourteen generation long history, which you can see, feel, breathe and taste.

Here they've been producing the unique Rakfisk for decades, although the actual Rakfisk process dates back 5,000 years. Rakfisk is a salted and fermented fish that undergoes a maturing process similar to cheese, and tastes very different to smoked salmon or gravlax.

In November, the Norsk Rakfiskfestival is celebrated, and Fagernes comes alive with events, tastings, concerts and the crowning of the best Rakfisk of that year.

The musical traditions of Norway are also celebrated in Fagernes at the Jørn Hilme festival, Norway's oldest folk music festival, and an ode to the Valdres fiddler.

Long-distance hiking

So if all of this has whetted your appetite and you're now planning a visit to Fagernes, then perhaps you'd like to do it the old fashioned way and hike it?

The Valdres valley has its own Pilegrimsvegen (Pilgrim's Way), which follows the Bergenske Kongevegen (Bergen King's Road), the old route between Oslo and Bergen, which has now become the E16.

Start the walk at Aurdal, just outside Fagernes, and follow the trail through the valley, past stunning authentic wooden stave churches, and other archaeological sites of significance, such as the Gardberg site and Einang rune stone.

Sections of the old Kongevegen have been rebuilt to accommodate hiking tourists, keen to walk over the Filefjell mountain pass, and down into Fjord Norway.

Whichever way you choose, Fagernes is similar to the many other towns and districts in Norway – small and unassuming. But once you peel back the layers, you'll find it as deep, rich and colourful as the larger cities. Welcome to Fagernes!

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The best county in Norway is Oppland, of course – the one in which we live. 😉

Oppland is located in central Norway and is one of only two counties which doesn't have a coastline – the other being Hedmark, our neighbour, bordering to Sweden.

Oppland is quite a large county, making up 17% of Norway's landmass. That's around 25,192 km², with only about 5,100 km² of that lying under 600 metres. As you can imagine, Oppland is just as its name intimates: there's a lot of ‘up' land.

Actually, Oppland got its name from the good folk down in Oslo, as a way for them to reference the mountainous and forested farming area north of the capital (kind of like pointing north and saying ‘outback').

Central Norway's mountains have played a major role in Oppland and Norway's history, both in strategic and geographic terms. Travellers who wanted to go from east to west (Oslo to Bergen) or from south to north (Oslo to Nidaros) had to pass over Oppland's mountain massifs comprising the golden trinity of Jotunheimen, Rondane and Dovrefjell.

It comes as no surprise then that Oppland is home to eight of Norway's highest peaks. Snøhetta, at 2,286m the highest peak in Dovrefjell, is considered a holy mountain by the Sami. They say you should always greet Snøhetta whenever you approach it (as well as any other mountain for that matter).

If you're not up for the hike to Snøhetta's summit, you can enjoy it from a distance at the famous Snøhetta viewing platform in Hjerkinn, which is no less stunning.

That Dovrefjell holds a special place in the Norwegian soul is no secret. While it's often called the roof of Norway, it's also a sacred site, and inspired the phrase ‘enige og tro inntil Dovre faller' (meaning ‘united and faithful until the Dovre mountains fall') which was written into the Norwegian constitution in 1814.

Nor, the name of Norway’s mythical ‘Ur' father (or grand daddy), apparently also made his home at Dovrefjell. There he settled down with the sister of the Dovre giant and created the first Norwegians, who spread out all over the country from the Dovre epicentre.

Harald HÃ¥rfagre, the first king to unite Norway, also spent his younger days inside Dovrefjell, as an apprentice to the Dovre giant, gaining wisdom and knowledge that obviously helped him later in his efforts to bring Norway together under one banner.

Just across the road from Dovrefjell is neighbouring Rondane, the oldest national park in Norway, founded in 1962. Rondane provided much inspiration for Norwegian literary legend Henrik Ibsen, who penned the play Peer Gynt, with its setting in Rondane. The Per Gynt fairytale was collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe, two Norwegian folklorists, as they went around the country preserving Norway's oral culture.

There's no better place than Rondane to see how the movement of Norway's glaciers shaped and formed the land. The force experienced during this time left behind Rondane's infamous rounded peaks, immortalised by Norwegian artist Harald Sohlberg in his 1914 painting Winter's Night in Rondane.

Rondane's unique barren scenery can also be experienced on the 420-km Rondanestien (the Rondane Trail) long distance hiking trail, which starts in Oslo and ends in Hjerkinn. If you want to experience Norway at its best, I cannot recommend this trail enough.

Leading down from Oppland's mountainous zone are the two giant valleys of Valdres and Gudbrandsdalen (the Gudbrand valley), both living time capsules of the unique cultures, dialects, customs and lifestyles that developed in their isolation.

If you'd like to experience Gudbrandsdalen, there are a number of options available to you. The first is by train on the 548-km long Dovre Line. The second is by hiking the Gudbrandsdalen Pilegrimsleden (the Pilgrim's Way), which at 643-km, is the longest trail in the Norwegian St Olav's Ways pilgrim network.

This network connects southern Norway, Sweden and the rest of the world to Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

The most spectacular part of the Pilegrimsleden goes over Dovrefjell on its way to Kongsvold mountain lodge and brings you up close and personal with some of Dovrefjell's timeless natural scenery.

Here it's possible to catch a glimpse of Norway's wild fauna, such as the notorious musk ox, mountain fox (now protected and slowly being reintroduced back into the wild), reindeer, golden eagle, gyrfalcon, snow owl and wolverine.

Fans of fly-fishing will also be pleased to know that the Gudbrandslågen, the river which flows down Gudbrandsdalen, is the longest in the county at around 204 km, and has some of the best trout fishing around.

As for the Valdres valley, the best way to experience it is also on foot. Valdres has its own 162-km long Pilegrimsvegen (the Pilgrim's Road) which starts near Hedalen in the south and goes right up to the western end of Jotunheimen national park. The trail passes by a high concentration of well preserved stave churches, and fascinating pre-Viking archaeological sites, such as Gardbergfeltet (the Gardberg Site).

Parts of the old Bergenske Kongevegen (the Bergen King's Road) trail, which once connected Bergen and Oslo in the olden days, also follow the Valdres valley.

Nowadays, the modern E16 motorway will take you along the same route through the valley and over the Filefjell mountain pass. But nothing beats walking it yourself. The 100-km Filefjell stretch of the old King's Road trail has now been restored and links Norway's mountains with its fjords.

Fagernes, the largest town in the Valdres valley, is the gateway to the fantastic Jotunheimen national park and Valdresflya (the Valdres plateau), where Norway's giants (whether trolls or mountain tops) sleep and live.

Here you'll find the country's highest mountain Galdhøpiggen at 2469m and some of the most ‘alpine' looking mountains that Norway has to offer. This part of the country has attracted some of the world's best mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts for decades and with good reason.

Squashed in between the Valdres and Gudbrandsdalen valleys, is Norway's smallest national park, Langsua, home to Synnfjell, the mountainous area between the Lillehammer and Valdres regions. Spåtind, the highest mountain at 1414m, offers a fabulous 360-degree view of the mountains in six different counties, including those in Jotunheimen and Rondane.

Originally called Huldreheimen – literally the home of the huldre (a seductive female forest spirit with a tail) – Langsua national park is a magical area, and serves as a kind of foothill to Jotunheimen. The area is also home to the 200-km Mush Synnfjell sled dog race that takes place each year in January, as well as the 370-km Jotunheimstien (the Jotunheim Trail).

As for water attractions, Oppland's star is no doubt the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹, the largest lake in Norway, which I introduced in my post on ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì. Around it lies Norway's most fertile farmland located in the Innlandet municipalities of Toten, Land, Hadeland, Ringsaker and Stange.

Many of the farms around the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹ open their doors in summer to tourists keen on experiencing authentic Norwegian farm life. They can choose from a never-ending supply from Minnesund and beyond, and sample the traditional fare, hospitality and history on offer.

The administrative capital of Oppland is the Olympic city of Lillehammer. Other major towns in the county include Fagernes, ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì, Otta and Vinstra, all together making up a population total of almost 188,000 for Oppland.

The Olympics may have put Lillehammer on the world map, but a quick trip will show that its much more than its Olympic label, as can be attested by the tongue-in-cheek Lilyhammer TV-series starring American actor Steve Van Zandt.

Lying around Lillehammer are the cross country and downhill skiing parks that have made it a winter sport mecca. But Lillehammer, and Oppland in general, offer a tasty buffet for the outdoor enthusiast and nature lover regardless of season. If you're looking for real Norwegian wilderness and instant access to the great outdoors, then you can't go past what Oppland has to offer. Perhaps our neighbour Hedmark comes close, but we won't tell the Hedmarkians that. 😉

References

1. Oppland.org, (2017). Om Oppland. [Online] Available at: https://www.oppland.no/om-fylkeskommunen/om-oppland/
2. Steinsland, G, (2014). Dovrefjell i tusen år. Bergen: Vigmostad & Bjørke

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It’s a little Norwegian paradise about a 20-minute drive from ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì and the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹. My partner and I hadn't heard of it either, before we bought a house and moved here in 2015.

At the time we also knew nothing about زõ³Ù±ô²¹²Ô»å±ð³Ù (Eastern Norway) in which LandÃ¥sbygda is situated. It's now part of Innlandet County.

Prior to our move to Landåsbygda in the county of Oppland, we lived on the west coast of Norway, in downtown Stavanger. I had moved to Stavanger in 2013 after living and working in southern Germany and Switzerland for four years.

The first steps of my life in Norway included getting married to a native of Sandnes (down the road from Stavanger), and trying to wrap my head around Norwegians and the Norwegian way of life (like moving to another planet after life in Germany).

My move to Norway was a major diversion from my plan to return to Australia. Norwegians seem to possess an irresistible charm that attracts and lures unsuspecting non-Norwegians like a bear to honey.

Suddenly you find yourself in a place you never imagined you'd be, and what's more, find yourself still there several years later, happy about it.

Funnily enough, there are many similarities between life in Norway and life in Australia. Both countries have small populations, an abundance of wild nature which you can enjoy all for yourself, extreme temperatures, deadly animals (although there is a higher volume and outstanding variety down under), and citizens who are laid-back egalitarians.

Growing up as a kid in New Zealand and Australia, I was always fascinated by the Vikings – their wild ways, no-nonsense laws (±áÃ¥±¹²¹³¾Ã¥±ô) and the Norse gods (Thor, Freja, Odin) and myths. So it was probably destiny that brought me here to Norway. Although it was definitely Stavanger's incessant wind and rain that brought me/us to the county of Oppland.

After a daily regime of being rained on and/or blasted by wind (which is actually good training for acclimatising yourself to Norwegian weather), we decided to leave Stavanger, and seek out a place where we could enjoy a stable climate, and closer proximity to Sweden (cheaper shopping), Oslo (cheaper flights out of the country) and central Norway's wilderness parks.

Never in a million years did we ever think we would end up in a place where there is snow for up to six months of the year, where sometimes summer seems to get swallowed up in a never-ending rain cloud, and there is enough water to supply the entire Australian population for multiple generations.

One fateful weekend in January 2015, we hopped on a plane in Stavanger bound for Oslo, with the intention of viewing several open homes for sale. The inclusion of the house for sale in Landåsbygda was a last minute addition. At first, it seemed a little too far out of our travel radius, but the price was right and the house just perfect for our needs.

Upon arrival in Oslo, we stepped into the middle of an زõ³Ù±ô²¹²Ô»å±ð³Ù winter, with a snow storm that dumped most of the season's quota in one day. It was our first time navigating through snow in a tiny rental car, but as we arrived in ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì, on a very early and sleepy Sunday morning, the landscape was like a fairytale, with lake ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹ blinking at us in the rays of the rising sun and everything around it covered in white. We were instantly charmed.

The drive from ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì to LandÃ¥sbygda takes you up to a kind of plateau, from where it's possible to see all the way to Valdres and Synnfjell in the west. The further we drove away from ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì's civic centre, the more it felt like we were driving into a white unknown.

‘Where on earth are we?' ‘Where on earth are we going?' were the thoughts that popped into my mind. At the same time ‘wow, this is great!' also vied for attention, and so we continued along the enchanting forest road towards LandÃ¥sbygda. I'll never forget that drive, because somehow we knew before we even saw the house, that we had found ‘the' place.

After having spent the better part of two years looking up and down the west coast of Norway, including a year of visiting and researching prospects in the Hardangerfjord, we had found ‘home sweet home' in a place we knew nothing about, had never been to before, hadn't even thought about looking into, and which was on the other side of the country.

Some people may think we were/are crazy, but it was one of those moments where you trust your instincts. The rest as they say is history. We moved to LandÃ¥sbygda one month later, leaving Stavanger at midnight, with two nervous cats in the back of the car, and drove 10-hours non-stop to our beautiful, and very sunny, home in LandÃ¥sbygda. It was pure kos (a Norwegian word which is similar to ‘cosy bliss').

Landåsbygda is one of those places, where you feel like you can breathe for the first time. Surrounded by a sea of forest and a natural lake as a main attraction, it lies at a height of around 550-600 metres, in the middle of Norway's pristine mountain and forest country. Landåsbygda, which is pronounced Land-ors-bygda, contains a number of surprises, some of which we are still discovering even after more than two years of living here.

Located roughly midway between the regional towns of Dokka and ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì, LandÃ¥sbygda is a rural village with a population of 300. Lying within the boundaries of the Søndre Land (southern Land) municipality, it was once upon a time a part of the greater Land municipality, which was later split into north and south in 1847 (they tried to rejoin the two municipalities in 2016 but the proud locals would have none of it).

³¢²¹²Ô»åÃ¥²õ±ð²Ô is probably one of the stand out features of LandÃ¥sbygda. Literally, it means ‘Land's ridge', and its prominent hill position is easy to see from our verandah. Today it's a rehabilitation centre and one of the local landmarks, place of historical importance, and Søndre Land's largest private employer.

The site where ³¢²¹²Ô»åÃ¥²õ±ð²Ô stands has had a colourful past, with archaeological findings dating human settlement back to the stone age. Back in those days, the farm was known as Aas or Hillestad, and it was a place that often changed hands. At one point it was owned by the diocese of Hamar, then later by one of Norway's first prime minister's, who acquired it after purchasing the surrounding forest.

In 1914 ³¢²¹²Ô»åÃ¥²õ±ð²Ô was turned into a kind of tourist wellness hotel, which indirectly paved the way for its present incarnation as a rehabilitation centre. Today its professional health services attract a steady stream of patients throughout the year.

The centre is behind the fabulous hiking trail network that shows off the beauty of LandÃ¥sbygda on both sides of the lake and beyond. One of the most stunning hikes patients and locals can do is up to ³Õ±ð²Ô³ó´Ç±ô³óø²µ»å²¹ (750m), the highest mountain in the local area, where a breathtaking 180-degree view of the local area can be enjoyed.

Even in winter, cross country ski trails are maintained, and it's not uncommon to find snowshoe hikers down at the lake, moving against the backdrop of silent snowfall.

³¢²¹²Ô»åÃ¥²õ³ó²¹³Ü²µ±ð²Ô is the hill onto which the ³¢²¹²Ô»åÃ¥²õ±ð²Ô centre backs. This hill offers history in the form of Viking burial mounds located at its summit. There's a horse riding trail that goes up and around ³¢²¹²Ô»åÃ¥²õ³ó²¹³Ü²µ±ð²Ô, but to make it to the very top, you have to blaze your own trail on foot.

The magical view from the top overlooks Bergstien, the little forest path connecting ³¢²¹²Ô»åÃ¥²õ±ð²Ô to the lake. I haven't found the actual burial mounds yet, but this may be because there is quite an eccentric collection of rusted old farm machinery and cars that have been left up there, perhaps covering their location.

On the other side of ³¢²¹²Ô»åÃ¥²õ³ó²¹³Ü²µ±ð²Ô is another one of Søndre Land's employers, the Land Montessori school. One of the amazing things about Norway is that you find Steiner and Montessori schools in the most unexpected locations – places you'd think nobody would ever go to school, but they do, and these schools are in good supply all over the country, offering free alternative education.

Near the school, on Bergstien and overlooking the lake, is a home-made gapahuk (emergency wooden shelter) and a rustic barbecue area with another stunning view of Landåsvatnet (the lake).

Built by the locals, it's testimony to Norway's appreciation of the outdoors and faith in social responsibility and trust, with a range of DIY outdoor furniture, BBQ equipment and hyggelig (cosy bliss) effects like cushions available to anyone who wishes to use them, with the implicit rule of ‘take care' and ‘leave everything for the next person as you found it'.

While having a brew and enjoying a crackling fire, the view from the gapahuk over Landåsvatnet lake is like meditation in motion. The lake is no doubt a natural attraction, and the perfect place to fish, swim, picnic or relax in the sun. A relatively flat gravel road goes right around its southern border connecting back to the main road in and out of Landåsbygda, totalling a distance of approximately nine kilometres (if you use our home as a starting and finishing point).

This gravel road hooks up with one of Landåsbygda's best kept secrets, den Gamle Ridevegen, the old riding trail which is a 1,000-year old historic transport route. It connects Landåsbygda with the nearby village of Fluberg down at Randsfjorden. Its 45 kilometres of trail is a paradise for runners, hikers, and horse riders alike, offering amazing views of Randsfjorden and the Dokka delta and wetlands reserve.

As for the other places around LandÃ¥sbygda, Brennodden is what you’d call a ‘meeting place'. It’s located down at the lake's edge, next to the fishing pier, and has a large grassy area where several social get togethers take place organised by the LandÃ¥sbygda Velforening (local community association), such as the St Hans bonfire on the 23rd of June and the LandÃ¥smila (10K foot race).

Directly opposite Brennodden is Dammen or LandÃ¥sbygda's ‘industrial zone'. Every year a group of enthusiasts meet here to show off their vintage bikes, tractors, cars, buses, and trucks. The nearby farm that overlooks Dammen was given the name Kvernhushaugen by Bishop Jens Nilssøn of Hamar, when he travelled through the region back in the late 1590's.

A kvernhus is where the grinding of grains takes place. A sawmill was also built at Dammen. The water running off from lake Landåsvatnet was used in both the saw and grinding mills. It's possible to see the remains of these two buildings at the edge of the Landås river as it heads down to Randsfjorden, Norway's fourth largest lake (and actually not a fjord at all).

Moving up from the lake along the main road (Landåsvegen), you can see the oldest building in Landåsbygda, called Brenden Store, which was built in 1730. It still stands in all its glory, but today is uninhabited and looks slightly worse for wear.

Further up the main road, is the Landåsbygda chapel, local supermarket and post office, which form the social heart of Landåsbygda. The chapel offers services several times a year, to celebrate Easter, Christmas and Norway's national day. Several farms surround the local shop, as well as the historic Villa Granne, where the original post office and store (from 1916) used to be.

On the way out of LandÃ¥sbygda, heading towards ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì, is the °­°ù´Ç²Ô±¹¾±°ì²õæ³Ù°ù²¹ farm. It was originally an alpine hut, where two Sami lived, and was called ³¢²¹±è±è²õæ³Ù°ù²¹. Today it's operated as farmstay accommodation, with several Viking graves near its old sheep barn. One of °­°ù´Ç²Ô±¹¾±°ì²õæ³Ù°ù²¹'s neighbours practises traditional non-motorised farming, and you can often see him preparing fields and harvesting hay with his horse.

Across the road from °­°ù´Ç²Ô±¹¾±°ì²õæ³Ù°ù²¹ is a bird biotope called Ospeskogen (aspen forest). The forest is a natural wildlife sanctuary for woodpeckers and almost half of the 35 different cave breeder birds native to Norway. More Viking burial mounds and graves are found above Ospeskogen.

Birds are not the only kind of wildlife possible to see in Landåsbygda. Visitors may also catch the occasional glimpse of long-legged moose dashing across the road, followed by smaller moose, perhaps a dog, and an exhausted looking hunter trying to keep up (in autumn only).

Of course, there's also the rumor of bear, which is actually a neat little tale told by the locals to naïve newcomers. When we first moved to Landåsbygda, one of the friendly local fishermen down at the lake told us about sightings of bear, wolf and lynx in the local area. It all sounded fantastic to the ears of a west coaster and an Aussie. Lynx sounded plausible, but bear and wolf – this far west from the Swedish border?

Coming from the land down under and knowing how Aussies love to tell tales about drop-bears and killer koalas to scare the tourists, I thought there might be a tall tale in the making here. Fortunately, during one of our hikes last year, I found the source of the ‘bear' tale in a magazine lying in one of the hiking huts we stayed in.

The bear story dates back to a freak event in the early 1990's when a Swedish brown bear decided to go walkabout. The bear crossed the Swedish-Norwegian border on its way to Lillehammer, where it swam across the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹ and hiked all the way to Land.

Feeling a bit peckish after its long passage, it ate one of the local sheep, which naturally outraged the farmer. When the sheep was found (in bits and pieces), the authorities were called in. They promptly caught the bear, sedated it and transported it back to Sweden. Unfortunately the bear didn't survive the trip.

While Landåsbygda is not a bustling metropolis, you may have gathered that it's not a boring place either. Having hosted quite a number of Airbnb guests, we've found that it’s an ideal starting point for experiencing Norway’s unparalleled outdoors.

Many tourists flock to the capitals or heavily promoted attractions, like Oslo, Bergen, Preikestolen, Trolltunga and Besseggen.

Of course, these places are swamped in the summer season for a very good reason. They're stunning. But Norway is a huge country, and there are many alternatives where the ‘wow' factor is just as, and maybe even more, spectacular because you can have the whole place to yourself.

Landåsbygda may make up a small part of Oppland, but it's in an area rich in history due to its fortunate position near the east-west and north-south transport and trade routes.

At the nearby Randsfjorden, you can hear about the story of Harald HÃ¥rfagre (fair-haired), the first king to unite Norway. In Dovre, you can hear about the legend of Nor, the ice giant who fathered the first Norwegians. In Gudbrandsdalen, you can hear about Peer Gynt and the satire of the Norwegian soul.

And in the Valdres valley, you can hear about the legend of the Jutul, or giants, who guard Norway's natural secrets in their Jotunheimen home. All this within a two-hour radius from a little place like Landåsbygda.

Since our arrival in Landåsbygda, we've naturally been occupied with exploring our new home and discovering everything that it has to offer, as well as unravelling the hidden secrets in this beautiful part of the world. Part of the adventure is meeting and finding out about the people that make up the little community we are a part of, and listening to their stories.

There are so many ways to experience Norway. Sometimes the places with the smallest footprints have the biggest and most authentic adventures to offer. That's how we feel about our new home in Landåsbygda.

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This saying may be from a song, or it may be a genuine folk saying. Whichever it is, ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì is the perfect place to stop and explore Norway's former counties of Oppland and Hedmark, now together as Innlandet.

For those of you who haven't heard of or even visited ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì – also known as the ‘White City' – it's the only town located on the left side of the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹, Norway's largest lake.

The ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹, which possibly means ‘shiny', is about an hour's drive north of Oslo. Its total mass of 365 km² stretches from Eidsvoll up to Lillehammer, with ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì on the west side and Hamar on the east side.

³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì is a small yet cosy town, surrounded by fertile farm land, forest and lakes. It has the honour of being the ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì-Land-Toten district's regional capital, with a population of around 30,000 people.

Among other things, it serves as a major educational (NTNU university), tourist (Skibladner paddle steamer, Eiktunet, Mjøs museum) and industrial (Hunton Fiber, Hoff potato chips, Eidsiva bio-energy) hub for the region.

³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì is very pretty, with many houses and developments nestled into the hills hugging the town. At Østbyhøgda lookout, lucky residents can soak up stunning views of the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹, with its ever-changing moods and colours.

A trail runner's paradise awaits at nearby Vind sports park, with its network of marked routes connecting ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì to the nearby town of Raufoss – home of ammunitions manufacturing and perhaps Norway's answer to ‘Silicon valley'.

On Bergstoppen, one of the other local ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì peaks, sits the open air museum of Eiktunet, home to 33 historical farm buildings and houses sourced from the surrounding district. Across the road at Øverby, there are several well-maintained cross country ski trails which connect ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì with its wilder ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ìmarka self.

It's true that a little rivalry is enjoyed between the towns of ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì and Hamar, as the ‘other side’ of the lake seems to attract more attention and investment than ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì, e.g. the (north-south) Dovrebanen train line, the location of the new Ikea warehouse and the E6 motorway.

Hamar is also the former capital of Hedmark county and now Innlandet county. It’s a fertile farming region, boasting the largest concentration of farms in Norway.

However, Hamar's boom can be seen as a boon for ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì, as life is quieter and more relaxed on the west side of the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹, giving it a totally different edge and feeling than Hamar. And judging by current trends, ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì doesn't and won't lack any kind of opportunities for growth in the future.

Historically speaking, ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì’s development as a town has Caspar Kauffeldt partly to thank, who in 1807 founded and built the ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì glassworks factory. His legacy can be visited at ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì GÃ¥rd, situated in the heart of the city, which doubles as a cultural museum and meeting place.

³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì is also known as the largest fish hook producer in the world, with the Mustad factory having been in operation since 1877. Today the Mustad industrial area continues to thrive as a modern business park and houses many local and national companies in its instantly recognisable brick architecture – a style which isn't that common in Norway.

Other buildings in the same style include the former distillery and neighbouring mill, now home to Vitensenteret Innlandet (an interactive science centre).

Some of the other highlights of ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì are not as obvious or visible upon first sight. Take Fjellhallen for example, the largest indoor arena in the world, situated inside ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì's Hovdetoppen mountain. Fjellhallen played an instrumental role in the 1994 Winter Olympics and is today a popular sports centre and venue for a wide variety of disciplines.

On top of Hovdetoppen, winter action can be enjoyed on the only downhill skiing slope (albeit quite short) in downtown ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì. Not far away is the Hovdetoppen outdoor swimming pool, which attracts many locals on warm summer days, as well as joggers and walkers who make use of the area to keep fit.

Another favourite with locals is the waterfront promenade along the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹ which runs from the CC shopping centre in the north down to the suburb of Ramsbekk in the south.

It’s here at the water's edge where the Skibladner, the world's oldest paddle steamer still in operation, can be boarded with ports of call all around the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹. Local fishermen are also a common sight down at the lake, as are places to strip off and take a dip in the water.

³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì itself has been a crossroads and trading centre for people travelling north or south of the Dovrefjell massif for as long as people have lived in Norway. So it comes as no surprise that one of Norway's major long distance hiking trails passes through ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì.

The trail is the Gudbrandsdalen branch of the Pilegrimsleden, also known as St Olav's Way, the Pilgrim's Way or the Old King's Road. It's the longest and most popular branch of the Pilegrimsleden, with other branches starting in neighbouring Sweden.

Pilgrims start their hike in the heart of Oslo, and after about 3-4 weeks, arrive in Trondheim. The route is approximately 640 km long, and can be described as a full-on cultural, historical and natural experience, with history and roots older than 2,000 years.

Much like Spain's Camino de Santiago, the Pilegrimsleden attracts hikers and pilgrims from around the world.

For some the destination is the shrine of St Olav, Norway's patron saint, who is buried at Trondheim's Nidarosdomen (Nidaros Cathedral). For others, the actual journey is the destination, with an unforgettable opportunity to experience some of central Norway's most breath-taking landscape.

The Kapp to ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì segment of the Pilegrimsleden is a highly recommended trail for any newcomer to the region, and is relatively short at approximately 15 kilometres. It follows the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹'s edge, sneaking its way around waterfront farms, holiday cabins, and deciduous forests from the village of Kapp all the way to ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì.

Kapp is another pretty waterfront settlement, whose claim to fame is the former Melkefabrikk, or milk factory, where the world's first cans of condensed milk were produced for Viking Melk. Nowadays, Kapp is home to the regional Mjøs museum, showcasing the cultural history of the ²ÑÂáø²õ²¹'s west side.

If you're interested in getting intimate with central and eastern Norway, there's no better place to start than ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì. While the west coast may dazzle with impressive fjords, ³ÒÂáø±¹¾±°ì is the gateway to Norway's mountain country and vast wilderness areas, which are no less dramatic.

Life in eastern Norway is very different to the more popular (and heavily promoted) fjord Norway and Lofoten peninsula, and its own uniqueness and beauty shouldn't be underestimated. In future posts, each of the hidden pearls and secrets of Oppland and Hedmark will be revealed, so I hope you stay tuned.

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