Herdalssetra Mountain Summer Farm
and Dale Fjord Farm
The Herdalssetra Mountain Summer Farm is situated “right in the heart” of The World Heritage Site: The West Norwegian Fjords. The northern part of this World Heritage Site is almost identic with the Geiranger-Herdal Protected Landscape Area. The protected waterfalls and landscape is a main reason for this unique status.
The idyllic Herdal Mountain Summer farm in Norddal has operated continuously for 300 years. With several hundred goats, it is one of the country's largest joint mountain summer farms. There are also cows, sheep and fjord horses on the farm. Thus children can find a genuine playground here. The mountain area has a unique setting, with over 30 old buildings gathered in a cluster. Old traditions are kept alive: brown and white goat cheese and authentic goat's-milk caramels are manufactured. As a guest here you can embark on “ a journey in time, smell and taste”, and you can visit the old farm and barn where you can taste homemade cheese, as well as the "new" joint farm from 1960. At Herdal Mountain Summer farm you can participate in courses, visit the working museum, and taste special, traditional food from the mountain farm. The café is housed in a renovated barn, and serves foods such as “ rjomegraut” (sour cream porridge), cured ham and kid. Overnight accommodation is available in an old farm building or in a tent outside the farm area. The many rivers and lakes in Herdal are fine for fishing, and boats can be rented. Traces of settlement from as far back as the early Middle Ages and even older constructions for hunting reindeer have been found in Herdal. The Geological Nature Reserve Kallskaret is situated about 2hrs hike from the farm.
Åshild Dale and Jostein Sande have since 1983 been the owners and farmers of a family-farm at Dale Fjord Farm, as well as 1/6 of Herdalssetra Mountain Summer Farm (500 m. a.s.l.). This part of the big old Viking Age Farm has been in the Dale family since 1790. The fjord and mountain farms are runned as one unit – still travelling like “nomades” – using the recourses where “the grass is greenest”. It’s only possible to stay in the mountains from June to September. The rest of the year both animals and people lives in the valley Norddal, but ca still reach Herdalssetra if the weather conditions are good.
