Michele's Travel Blog: Beautiful Balestrand

I had no idea what to expect in Balestrand. All I knew is that it was recommended by my reference guide and a good option to get away from the madness of the Norway nutshell. I make my boat to Balestrand with 15 minutes to spare. Whew! The ferry is nicer than expected. Comfy seats and cabin food service. I grab a hot chocolate as I was cold heading back from Stigen. We make a few stops to drop/pick up other passengers. 1 ½ hour later we are docked at Balestrand. It is a small village that you can walk around in 10 minutes. The quaintness and beauty of my surroundings entices me to slow down and capture its serenity. I am staying for two nights and wish I would have stayed for three so I could have ventured on one of the hikes. This is not a party town. This is a quite place to reenergize the soul.

I am staying at the Balestrand Hotel. It is owned and operated by Uni-Mari Kvinke and her family. Uni-Marie is from this area and has ties to the Kvinke family. The Kvinke family operates the main hotel in town, The Kvinke hotel. You can google and learn more about this hotel, if interested. The family lives in the bay area (San Fran) 10 months of the year and comes to Norway for the summer to run their hotel. The exterior does not grab you, however the interior is warm and inviting and the unobstructed view of the fjord is flawless. In addition, the family, including their three children, offer outstanding service.

St Olaf's Church stands out in this village. The church was completed in 1897 as a memorial to Margaret Green. Margaret, an English lady, came to the fjords as a tourist to hike the mountains. She met, fell in love with and married Knut Kvikne who was an avid mountain man. Being a very pious woman, she wished for an Anglican church in Balestrand. She started the church with her husband, but died before its completion. You will see it in the photos.

The following day was spent on a boat ride to Vik to see Hopperstad Stave church. The stave church is assumed to have been built around 1140 and still stands at its original location. I understand that similar churches like this were built around Europe, but only the Norwegian ones have survived. Of the approximate 1,000 stave churches, only 28 remain.

Following the visit to Vik, I spent the afternoon tooling about Balestrand. It was a perfect day to rent a bike, pack a lunch and peddle around the fjord. I was informed by the hotel, that there was a shooting competition in one area of the mountains and not to be concerned if I heard gunfire. On the way back, I run into a proud boy who placed first in the competition. His photo is included for your pleasure.

Enjoy the nature that I attempted to capture. If you love nature and hiking, consider Balestrand.