Fjaler: Dalsfjord, Church and Storytelling in Dale

For a trip to Fjaler, Dale is a specific point of reference: here, a wooden church, the Jakob Sande Centre for Storytelling and a section of the historic post road, together with the location on the Dalsfjord, offer different points of interest. The wider destination has its own landscape and cultural themes. This distinction helps you plan and separate local sights in Dale from regional destinations and events in Fjaler.

Dale by the fjord and along the transport route

Dale lies on the southern shore of the Dalsfjord, at the mouth of the Vassdalselva. These are two distinct points of reference for finding your way around the area: the fjord as a waterside location and the river at its mouth. Highway 57 runs through Dale and connects Ytre Sogn with Indre Sunnfjord. It adds a regional road link to the landscape perspective. This makes it possible to consider Dale’s waterside location and its position between the regions mentioned separately.

Church and storytelling in Dale

Dale kyrkje is a wooden long church dating from 1864, with room for about 400 people. The church also houses an old altarpiece from 1620. Two different periods therefore come together in the same building: the 19th-century church and the considerably older work of art. The Jakob Sande – senter for forteljekunst is also located in Dale and is a national centre for oral and written storytelling. The centre houses a museum collection and an exhibition in Bestefarstaua.

Klokkargarden, the poet Jakob Sande’s childhood home, is the centre’s main location. The centre offers guided tours there; check in advance for dates and booking options. The old schoolhouse at Jakob-Sande-Tun also has a use today: it houses a bookshop, a shop and a café. In Dale, you can encounter both religious architecture and literature and storytelling.

The post road and hiking trail

A 45-kilometre section of the historic post road Den trondhjemske postvegen runs between Leirvik and Trossebryggja in Dale. The section was restored in the 1970s and 1980s and is signposted. Its length, endpoints and signposting give you specific guidance for this part of the post road. Dale also has a hiking trail close to the centre. If you plan to follow it, check its current condition before setting out.

Other themes in the Fjaler destination

In the Fjaler destination, the landscape stretches from the west coast, with the islands of Lutelandet and Lammetun, to the mountain areas on the eastern border with Sunnfjord Municipality. The Vidsyn day-hiking cabin stands on Bygdeheia in Ytre Fjaler. From there, the view extends in all directions and across the sea to Alden. Vidsyn can be reached from Furset or Skor; parking is available at both starting points. As parking conditions can change seasonally, check the latest information before your hike.

The theatre festival in Fjaler may also be relevant when planning your trip: it takes place every September, and specific programme dates vary. If you want to plan your stay around a festival visit, check the dates in the programme for that year. This lets you distinguish Dale’s permanent features from seasonal events in the Fjaler destination.

Discover more destinations: Espedal, Grytøyra, Guddal, Hellevik, Hellevik I Fjaler, Flekke, Dale i Sunnfjord

Go to the main travel overview: Fjaler.