Discover Åsane: Liavatnet, Hordvikhavn and church history

Åsane brings together several themes that appeal to different interests when choosing where to stay: walking and fishing opportunities at Liavatnet, the Hordvikhavn swimming area and the history of Åsane Old Church. If you’re looking for hotels in Åsane, these local features can help you decide what to focus on during your trip. Would you like to include a walk around the lake, spend time at a swimming area or learn about local history? The sections below group the topics according to these specific interests.

Liavatnet: circular walking route and fishing lake

A continuous walking and health trail runs all the way around Liavatnet. The health trail includes a stretch of rounded stones, whose surface presents a greater physical challenge. This means you can choose between a complete circuit of the lake and a section that offers a particular physical challenge, all in the same place. When planning, you can decide whether the circuit or the more challenging surface is the priority.

Liavatnet is an easily accessible fishing lake in the centre of Åsane, with a walking path running all the way around it. The lake is home to Arctic char and trout. So you can consider the walking path and fishing as different interests that the same lake offers.

Hordvikhavn: swimming area with sand and rocks

Hordvikhavn offers something different. This family-friendly swimming area has sand along the shore and smooth, polished rocks. There are also grassy areas, a simple playground, tables, benches, a toilet and waste bins. When choosing a destination for the day, you can take into account both the shoreline and the facilities available there. Unlike Liavatnet, Hordvikhavn is a swimming area with beach and places to relax, while the lake is centred on its walking route and fishing opportunities.

Åsane Old Church and its surroundings

Åsane Old Church is at the heart of the area’s history. Written sources first mention the church in 1598 under the name “Aasens Capelle”. After a fire in 1992 left only the walls standing, it was rebuilt as a faithful replica of the original church. Its building history therefore includes distinct stages, from the earliest written reference to the reconstruction; both help put the church in historical context.

An automatically protected medieval cemetery (Askeladden ID 85991) lies directly beside the church. The historic Trondhjemske postvei postal road passes through the area, right by the church. Above the church grounds is a valuable cultural landscape with features dating from the time when Åsane’s rural settlement pattern was dominant. These surroundings bring together different historical themes: a medieval burial ground, a historic transport route and traces of earlier rural settlement. For travellers interested in culture, the site is therefore about more than the church building: it also includes its landscape and historical connections.

Åsane Cultural Festival throughout the year

The events calendar may also be useful when planning your trip. Åsane Cultural Festival takes place every year in calendar week 44. The timing may vary in future years, so check the dates for the relevant year if you want to plan your stay around the festival.

Bergen as the wider destination

The wider destination of Bergen offers other distinct cultural attractions. Bryggen is a historic harbour district that had become an established trading centre by the 12th century. From the 1960s onwards, small craft businesses gradually replaced the former trade in stockfish and other goods. KODE cares for, researches and presents a 200-year-old collection of art and music to visitors, and houses the world’s third-largest collection of works by Edvard Munch. These examples offer an additional cultural perspective on Bergen.

Discover more destinations: Olsvik, Sydnes, Solheim, Arna, Rådal.

Back to the main travel overview: Bergen.