The best unknown Norway hiking trails

Are you going hiking in Norway? Then forget the Preikestølen, Trolltunga and other famous hikes in Norway where you stumble all over the other tourists. There are really countless top hikes in Norway that are not so crowded and are just as worthwhile. In recent years I have visited Norway several times and although the weather was not always awesome, I was able to make some nice hikes. In this article I share a number of unknown Norway hiking trails with you. Enjoy reading!
 

 

Rimstigen

During my very first trip to Norway ever (read: 2014) I stayed in a cottage in the narrow Nærøyfjord, which, together with the famous Geirangerfjord, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The owner also lived in the yard and told me about this hike, which started right behind the house: in just an hour of walking up I would reach a beautiful viewpoint over the Nærøyfjord.
 
That hour turned into two because if there is one thing I have learned about Norway hiking routes over the years is that the Norwegians are very fast and the times are relatively tight. The journey up is steep and winding, but once at the top of 735 meters above sea level, you have a beautiful view of the Nærøyfjord deep below.
 
From Rimstigen, the name of the viewpoint, you can go a little further, but the trail is not maintained from here and only suitable for experienced hikers. Want to read more? Go here to read all about the Rimstigen hike.
 

 

Møsevassbreen in Folgefonna National Park

Do you want to go glacier hiking in Norway? Then I can recommend the hike to Møsevassbreen in Blådålen. Hardly any tourists come here (at least, only a handful when we were there, quite different from the crowded places) and it is really beautiful.
 
Blådålen, or the blue valley, is a valley dominated by a huge hydroelectric power station, but once you have passed it, the landscape becomes more beautiful and beautiful. The asphalt road takes you far from civilization and once at the end of the road you come to Møsevatnet. Here is a map of the area and some hiking trails have been drawn. However, the hike is not marked, you just follow the best possible route and the cairns.
 
After a good hour you will come to a ledge, from where you have a beautiful view of the Møsevassbreen glacier. The glacier is located on the south side of the Folgefonna National Park, on the other side of the mountains from the touristic Odda.
 
This spectacular hike is not difficult, but sometimes it takes a while to find the best trail. You hike back and forth on the same route. After the ridge you can continue up, but you will no longer have a view of the glacier. This is definitely one of the best unknown hikes in Norway!
 

 

To the top of Tvindefossen

The Tvindefossen is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Norway, just outside the village of Voss. You visit the waterfall at the base, but hardly anyone knows that you can also find the top. With your back to the waterfall, take the road up to your left. This can be done by car, it is a paved road that circles your mountain. After a few hairpin bends you will see a walking trail in the bend, here a short walk of about 10-15 minutes to the beginning of the Tvindefossen starts. Follow the trail and you will get there automatically … be very careful because the drops are long and there’s no fences!
 

 

Aurlandsdalen

The ‘Grand Canyon of Norway’ is the nickname of Aurlandsdalen. This long valley forms the source for the Aurlandsdalen hike, a multi-day hike with possible overnights in mountain huts. I didn’t hike from cabin to cabin in Norway, but I did the hike through the lowest part of Aurlandsdalen, from Østerbø to Vassbygdi. This is a tough 6 hour hike through the valley. Sometimes you hike down, but now and then you also have to climb a lot.
 
Along the way you will pass impressive rock formations, splashing waterfalls and abandoned farms. And with a little luck hardly any other hikers, depending on the period in which you travel. I did this hike in June and really didn’t meet anyone, an advantage of going so early in the season. The disadvantage is that there is still a lot of snow, so I could not walk the upper part of the Aurlandsdalen track.
 
You can read the complete Aurlandsdalen article here
 

 

General travel tips for hiking in Norway

I’ll end this article with some general tips for hiking in Norway. First of all, prepare for bad weather. Partly due to bad weather, I was also unable to do several hikes. In this case, bad weather was not that there was a quick shower, but that it was pouring down nonstop. It was so bad on the hike to Åkrastølen that the bridge over the river was destroyed. So always bring rain gear and a first aid kit. The best (as far as possible) weather forecasts can be found on the YR app.
 
Furthermore, the Norwegians are well trained and used to hike in the mountains. My experience is that the indicated walking times are often relatively short and that a simple hike can be quite difficult for a beginner. Use as a rule of thumb that you can make a maximum of 350 to 400 vertical meters per hour. The well-known trails are well marked, unknown trails often less good or not. In many places you make river crossings on foot and there are no bridges.
 
There are really hiking trails everywhere, I can recommend the Outtt app to download for hiking tips in Norway. And be sure to ask around with the locals, for example we ended up at the Møsevassbreen, I couldn’t find anything about it on the internet.
 

Conclusion about the best unknown Norway hiking trails

Hopefully you found this article about hiking in Norway useful and we provided you with a nice dose of hiking inspiration. If you have any questions, please let us know. This article contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase via such a link, we may receive a modest commission at no extra cost.