Voss: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
North of Voss the old road to the fjords climbs through farmland and lakes, then suddenly stops at the edge of a cliff. Below it lies Nærøydalen, a valley cut so deep that the road down needed thirteen hairpins, and at its end the Nærøyfjord, one of the narrowest fjords in the world. The whole route is about 50 km. Drive the hairpins only in summer, in low gear, and take the tunnel road back up.
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A short history of Voss
Voss sits in a wide valley among the fjords and mountains between Bergen and Oslo, and is an old farming centre. The stone church in the centre of the town was built in the 13th century. In 1883 the railway from Bergen reached it, and in 1909 the Bergen–Oslo line passing through it was completed. In April 1940 the Germans bombed the town and destroyed most of its centre, but the church survived. Today Voss is known as a centre for adventure sports, and since 1998 an extreme sports festival has been held there every summer.
The ten best sights in Voss
1VangskyrkjaThe stone church consecrated in 1277, with its odd wooden spire; it survived the bombing of 1940
2FinnesloftetA timber hall from around 1300, among the oldest wooden secular buildings in Norway
3Voss Folk MuseumThe Mølster farm on the hill above town, its old buildings left where they stood
4Voss GondolaOpened in 2019, it runs from the station up to Hangursnuten, about 820 m, with a café on top
5TvindefossenA broad waterfall right beside the E16 north of town, with parking at its foot
6Stalheim HotelA hotel on the lip of a cliff with one of Norway's famous views, down the Nærøydalen valley
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7Stalheimskleiva
Thirteen hairpins down the cliff below the hotel; narrow, steep and open only in summer
8GudvangenThe village at the head of the Nærøyfjord, where the fjord cruises from Flåm land
9NærøyfjordA UNESCO fjord, narrow and steep; take a boat or a kayak rather than just looking from the road
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10Bordalsgjelet
A deep, narrow gorge with a footpath, a short drive south of the centre
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Voss →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Voss:
Free walking tours in Voss
Over the edge at Stalheim
North of Voss the old road to the fjords climbs through farmland and lakes, then suddenly stops at the edge of a cliff. Below it lies Nærøydalen, a valley cut so deep that the road down needed thirteen hairpins, and at its end the Nærøyfjord, one of the narrowest fjords in the world. The whole route is about 50 km. Drive the hairpins only in summer, in low gear, and take the tunnel road back up.
- Tvindefossen · The water falls some 110 metres down a series of rock steps, close enough to the E16 to feel the spray from the car park. Locals have long said the water keeps you young.
- Vinje · At this village the Rv13 branches off north over the Vikafjellet mountain pass to the Sognefjord, while the E16 carries on towards Stalheim. It is the last place with a shop before the pass.
- Stalheim Folk Museum · Beside the hotel stands a collection of old timber farm buildings brought here from around the district. They show how the farmers of Voss lived before the tourists came.
- Stalheim Hotel · The first hotel here opened in 1885 for travellers on the old postal road between Bergen and Christiania, now Oslo. The terrace looks down Nærøydalen between the two waterfalls Stalheimsfossen and Sivlefossen, a view that Kaiser Wilhelm II came back to on his cruises.
- Stalheimskleiva · The road was built in the 1840s and drops down the cliff in thirteen hairpins, with gradients of up to about 20 percent. It is among the steepest roads in northern Europe, and it closes in winter.
- Nærøyfjord · The fjord is about 17 km long and only some 250 metres wide at its narrowest, between walls more than a kilometre high. It was listed by UNESCO in 2005 with the Geirangerfjord as the West Norwegian Fjords.
Seven centuries in Vossevangen
Vossevangen, the town centre, sits on the shore of Vangsvatnet lake, and most of it is new: in April 1940 German bombing destroyed the old wooden town. A few things survived, and they are very old indeed: a 13th-century church, a medieval timber hall and a farm on the hill. This walk links them, then takes the gondola up for the view. About three hours, mostly on foot.
- Knute Rockne memorial · Knute Rockne was born in Voss in 1888 and emigrated with his family to Chicago as a small boy. He became the legendary coach of the Notre Dame football team, and the town remembers him here.
- Vangskyrkja · The stone church was consecrated in 1277, and its unusual wooden spire is a local landmark. In April 1940 the bombs flattened the town around it, yet the church came through almost untouched.
- Finnesloftet · This two-storey timber hall has been dated by its tree rings to around 1300, making it one of the oldest wooden buildings in Norway that was not a church. It probably served a wealthy farm as a hall for feasts.
- Vangsvatnet · The town lies along the shore of this lake, and a footpath runs beside the water from the centre. In hard winters it freezes over, and on summer evenings the shore path fills with walkers.
- Voss Folk Museum · The Mølster farm has stood on this slope for centuries, and its houses and storehouses, from the 17th to the 19th century, were left exactly where they were built. It shows a whole Voss farmyard rather than buildings moved from elsewhere.
- Hangurstoppen · The gondola, opened in 2019, climbs from beside the station to the top of Hangursnuten in a few minutes. From the café at the top you look down on the lake, the church and the whole valley.
Norway in a nutshell
This is the classic round trip of western Norway, and Voss is where you can start it with the car left at the hotel. A train climbs the Bergen line to Myrdal, the Flåm Railway drops 863 metres to the fjord, a boat carries you along the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen, and a bus brings you back to Voss. It takes a full day. In summer book every leg ahead, especially the boat.
- Voss Station · The railway from Bergen reached Voss in 1883, and in 1909 the line was carried on over the mountains to Oslo. That made Voss a stop on one of the highest main lines in northern Europe.
- Mjølfjell · East of Voss the train climbs through a quiet mountain valley, and Mjølfjell is a small station among cabins and walking trails. In winter it is a cross-country skiing area.
- Myrdal · Myrdal has no road at all; it exists as the junction where the Flåm Railway leaves the Bergen line. You change trains here, at 866 metres above sea level.
- Kjosfossen · The Flåm train stops at this waterfall so passengers can step onto a platform in the spray. In summer a dancer dressed as the huldra, a seductive forest spirit of Norwegian folklore, appears on the rocks above.
- Flåm · The Flåm Railway is about 20 km long and drops 863 metres, most of it at a gradient of more than five percent, which makes it one of the steepest ordinary railways in the world. The boat to Gudvangen leaves from the quay beside the station.
- Gudvangen · The boat ends here at the head of the Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO site since 2005, under walls that rise straight from the water. The bus back to Voss climbs the valley through tunnels or, in summer, sometimes up the Stalheim hairpins.
Getting to Voss and getting around
- Voss Station · On the Bergen line: about 1 hour 15 to Bergen and some 5.5 hours to Oslo; the gondola leaves beside the platforms
- Voss bus terminal · Buses to Gudvangen, Stalheim and the ski areas leave from beside the station
Cheap eats in Voss
Voss has its own cured meats, and two have protected status in Norway: vossakorv, a smoked sausage, and smalahove, a salted and smoked sheep's head, boiled and eaten whole around Christmas. The second is a festive dish for the brave, not lunch. For everyday eating, the centre has bakeries and cafés along Vangsgata, and a lunch of soup or a sandwich costs about the same as dinner in many countries.
- Vossabakst · Bakery-café on the main street; a cinnamon bun and coffee about 70-100 NOK
- Matauk · Local produce and a café; a sandwich and coffee about 120-180 NOK
- Tre Brør Kafé · Café near the church for coffee and light lunches, about 100-200 NOK
- Ringheim Kafe · Café on Vangsgata with simple hot dishes, about 150-250 NOK
- Café Stationen · Handy before a train; sandwiches and soup about 120-200 NOK
- Hangurstoppen · Café at the gondola top; coffee and a waffle about 90-130 NOK
Museums in Voss
- Voss Folk Museum · An old farm on the hill above town, a 15-minute walk up
- Finnesloftet · Medieval timber hall a short walk west of the centre; open in summer
- Vangskyrkja · The 1277 stone church in the centre, with a painted interior
- Stalheim Folk Museum · Old timber buildings beside the Stalheim Hotel, 30 minutes north
- Knute Rockne memorial · For the Voss-born coach of Notre Dame, near the lake
Nature and day trips near Voss
- Tvindefossen · Roadside waterfall 12 km north on the E16, free parking
- Nærøyfjord · UNESCO fjord; take the boat from Gudvangen or a guided kayak
- Bordalsgjelet · A narrow gorge with a path along its rim, 2 km from the centre
- Skjervsfossen · Two-tier waterfall towards Granvin with a short nature trail
- Vangsvatnet · The town lake, with a flat path along the shore for an evening walk
Things to do in Voss with kids
- VossVind · Indoor skydiving with an instructor; book a time slot, minimum age applies
- Voss Gondola · Gondola from the station to about 820 m, with a café on top
- Voss Bowling · Bowling and a café in the centre, the rainy-day plan
- Vossabadet · The town's indoor swimming hall, a short walk from the centre
- Kjosfossen · The Flåm train's waterfall stop, with a folk-tale dancer in summer
Where to eat in Voss
- Fleischer's Hotel · Hotel dining room by the lake, dinner about 450-700 NOK
- Glo matbar · Food bar in the centre, small plates and mains about 250-400 NOK
- Restauranthuset Malin · Restaurant in the centre, mains about 280-400 NOK
- Vossevangen Grill & Steakhouse · Steaks and burgers, mains about 280-450 NOK
- Itachino · Italian on Vangsgata, pizza and pasta about 220-320 NOK
- Peppes Pizza · Norway's big pizza chain, a reliable family dinner, about 250-400 NOK for a large pizza
Frequently asked questions about Voss
What is there to see in Voss?
The top sights in Voss are Vangskyrkja, Finnesloftet and Voss Folk Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Voss?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Voss without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Voss?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Voss, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Over the edge at Stalheim.
How do you get to Voss and get around?
The main ways are Voss Station and Voss bus terminal. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Voss, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Voss that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Voss for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.