Gloppen: Culture, Hiking Trails and Hotels

Gloppen is centrally located in Nordfjord in Vestland, with road connections leading in all directions. The airport is called Sandane Airport. If you are planning to fly, check the flight schedule for your travel dates. When looking for a hotel, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: history and architecture, hiking, cycling or a seasonal program.

Culture and living traditions

Holvikejekta is Norway’s only surviving clinker-built jekt ship from the 19th century. The Nordfjord Folk Museum in Sandane includes an open-air museum with 44 historic buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. The two attractions differ in scale: one is a single surviving ship, while the other is a collection of buildings spanning two centuries. They offer different starting points for planning a cultural history trip: maritime history and historic architecture.

The churches can also be distinguished by their age and materials. Vereide Church in Gloppen is a stone church dating from 1200 and is automatically protected as a historic monument because it was built before 1650. Gimmestad Old Church is a wooden church dating from 1692 and is automatically classified as worthy of protection for the period 1650–1850. Together, they represent different construction periods, building materials and protection periods.

Alpine farming is still practiced at Gloppestadstøylen: goats graze freely, and milking takes place in communal barns. This living tradition differs from the historic buildings and their protection status. Gloppen Sculpture Park, also known as Kleppeparken, is in Byrkjelo and features sculptures by Audun Hugleiksson and Oddvar Torsheim, among others.

Hiking and cycling

Trivselsskogen offers a variety of hiking routes and activities for the whole family. Fosseteateret offers a close-up view of Holvikfossen. The Nordfjordryggen hike allows for specific time planning: it is 22.4 kilometers long, takes about seven hours and ends in the center of Sandane via Rypeskaret, Bjørndalen and Trivselsskogen. You should therefore set aside a large part of the day for this hike.

The Nordfjord Trail Center in Vereide has two kilometers of trails with rollers, berms and a blue flow trail suitable for all users. Another network of cycling trails is located in the forest between Vereide and Bolberg. It is suitable for both beginners and experienced mountain bikers. Cyclists can therefore choose from different trail options, while the Nordfjordryggen hike has a clearly stated length and approximate duration.

Another route runs from Tystadstølen through an alpine landscape and along a mountain ridge to the summit, passing Lomvatnet. The gradient is steady, and the route is suitable for hiking and cycling. As trail conditions vary by season, consider them when planning for your chosen travel dates.

Seasonal activities and travel planning

Matamål is a food festival held every autumn in Gloppen. The festival includes courses, events and a market day. If Matamål is the reason for your trip, check the specific event dates for your planned travel dates. In summer, paddling on Gloppenfjord around Sandane is an activity to consider when planning your trip. The comparison shows two seasonal highlights: the festival in autumn and paddling in summer.

When looking for a hotel in Gloppen, you can first decide whether culture, a particular hike or a suitable time of year will shape your plans. The details on duration and distance are especially useful for planning the Nordfjordryggen hike; for Matamål, the event dates provide the specific timing.

Discover more destinations: Gloppen, Byrkjelo, Sandane, Hyen, Breim, Hestenesøyra, Vereide, Hornindal.

Go to the main travel overview: Sogn Og Fjordane.