Undheim: Garborg’s Summer House and Paths Through the Cultural Landscape

Undheim combines a vast cultural landscape with hikes and places connected to Arne Garborg. When planning your trip, it is worth considering route details and cultural history separately: the hiking trails provide specific information about their routes and conditions, while Knudaheio and the Garborg Trail reflect the area’s literary connections.

Hikes and landscape around Undheim

The KULA cultural landscape area of Hadland–Sæland–Undheim stretches from the modern agricultural landscape of Låg-Jæren to the heathlands of Høg-Jæren. Woodlands and ridges are also part of the landscape along one described hiking route. From there, views extend across Fårevatnet and large parts of Jæren.

The Undheim–Fårevatnet–Snorestad–Krusaholen–Undheim hike is 10.54 kilometres long, partly follows a circular route and is classified as moderate. It has a total elevation gain of 335 metres. These details convey different aspects of the route: its length, the climb and its stated difficulty. The hike is part of the municipal hiking programme for 2026.

Route 7 in the “Ti turar i Time” series is a circular route starting in Undheim. The car park and trailhead are at Undheimshallen, north of the stadium. The route crosses grazing land. Please follow the signs there and close every gate behind you. This makes the specific route description a practical guide to how to behave along the way.

Knudaheio, the Garborg Trail and local history

Knudaheio is Arne Garborg’s summer house near Undheim in Jæren and was completed in 1899. The house retains authentic interior fittings and furnishings. Knudaheio is therefore significant not only for Garborg’s connection with the area, but also for the historic contents of the house itself.

Two memorials dating from 2001 stand at Knudaheio. The stone face is called “All denne fagre utsyn” and was created by Hugo Frank Wathne. The stone mound “Tek kvar og ein sin vesle stein” was made by local children. The two memorials have different names and creators; what they share is their location at Knudaheio.

The Garborg Trail is an interactive heritage trail featuring films and audio recordings based on Arne Garborg’s texts. It extends beyond Undheim and runs in and around Garborgheimen, Knudaheio and Time Church; Knudaheio is near Undheim. The Garborg Trail comprises a total of 57 films and audio recordings, which can be accessed on a mobile phone at these locations. The trail thus connects literary content with several specifically named places and is not limited to Knudaheio alone.

Time Local Museum is also located in Undheim, on the second and third floors of Undheim community centre. Its collection includes more than 2,000 objects from Time and focuses on rural society in the 19th and 20th centuries. Another perspective on local history is offered by the bridge over the Undheimsåno in central Undheim, built in 1901. A stone with the inscription “Undheim bro 1901” carved into it stands south of the bridge.

Discover more destinations: Kvernaland, Bryne.

View the main travel guide: Time.