Etnedal: Stone Arch Bridge, River and Mountain Landscape

A dry-stone-built arch bridge from the 19th century, a river used as a summer swimming spot, and ski trails leading to treeless mountain terrain: Etnedal combines cultural history with nature experiences. For your trip, you can focus on individual sights, cycling tours and winter activities—depending on whether buildings, landscapes or being active interest you most.

Buildings and Cultural History

Lunde Bru was built between 1827 and 1829 and is Norway’s oldest and largest dry-stone-built arch bridge still in use. The area around the bridge has benches, a shelter, paths, toilets and information boards. This also gives you the chance to take a closer look at the details of the structure while you are there. The Etna flows beneath the bridge and is used as a swimming spot in summer: here, stone construction and use of the river meet directly.

Bruflat kyrkje also offers a distinct insight into Etnedal’s building history. It is listed as a church under Norway’s Cultural Heritage Act, probably dates from around 1750, and is a cruciform church built using log construction. In the north of Etnedal lies the restored Etnesenndammen, an important cultural heritage site associated with floating timber down the Etna. The church, bridge and dam represent different aspects of regional history: religious architecture, stone construction and use of the river.

River, Waterfall and Cultural Landscape

Steinsetfjorden is surrounded by Steinsetbygda and is part of a valuable cultural landscape with rare biological diversity. In Etnedal, the Etna is part of Norway’s extensive water landscape and is among the country’s largest permanently protected watercourses. These aspects of the landscape broaden the focus on the buildings to include natural and cultural landscapes.

Another water experience is Juvfossen: the waterfall plunges about 40 metres into the Åfeta. There is a small parking area by the road, from which a path leads to the waterfall. Spåtind, at 1,414 metres the highest mountain in Etnedal and the Synnfjell area, offers a different landscape highlight.

Ski Trails, Cycling Loop and King’s Road

In winter, the municipality of Etnedal has about 300 kilometres of machine-groomed ski trails. Around Lenningen, the trail network covers about 60 kilometres of groomed routes, including trails through treeless mountain terrain up to Spåtind at an altitude of 1,414 metres. These two figures offer different scales for planning: a municipality-wide network and the trail area around Lenningen. Grooming depends on the weather and conditions.

If you prefer to travel by bike, the Kjerringdalsrunden is an approximately 37.5-kilometre cycling loop in Øst-Etnedal. It starts at Joker Etnedal. As road conditions can change, check them before setting out.

The historic King’s Road between Oslo and Bergen is among its best-developed sections between Bruflat and Tonsåsen. Public transport can be used for the return journey on this route; the bus runs from Tonsbakken to Tonsåsen. Check the current timetable before your trip. This makes it possible to plan the route section with the return journey in mind, while the other experiences in Etnedal each offer their own focus.

Discover more destinations: Etnedal, Steinsetbygdi, Gjøvik, Nordre Land, Sel, Lom, Gausdal, Sør-Fron.

For the broader travel overview: Oppland.