It's not without reason that the elk is called the "king of the forest" – with a shoulder height of up to 2.3 metres and a length of up to 3.2 metres, the impressive animal is always a stunning sight.

In Rauland you have the chance to get up close to the big animals. Here you can go on an elk safari with Rauland Tourist during the summer season. The tour goes through the beautiful forest and mountain terrain, and along the way the guides tell about both elk and other wild animals of the area.

If you visit Rauland outside the summer season, you can make the trip on your own – Rauland Tourist has posted the route map on their website, marking where you have the best chance of meeting the big animals.

Read more and find the map on Rauland Tourist's website.

Setesdal

Elk safari – Meet the king of the forest

With a length of 105 km, eight locks and several cosy breweries and small harbours, Telemark offers plenty of fascinating experiences.
When you stay in Rauland, you are only 45 minutes from Dalen, where the historic cruise ship M/S Henrik Ibsen docks.
 If you choose the day trip Dalen–Ulefoss–Dalen, you board right at the adventurous Dalen Hotel. Afterwards, you can look forward to seven pleasant and relaxing hours on the charming boat, sailing past unique cultural history, mountainous scenery and spectacular buildings.
Watch steep mountainsides tower above you and see the landscape change dramatically around you as you sail across vast lakes and through narrow passages. You'll also pass several of the area's impressive traditional locks, especially on the last leg of the tour.
When you get hungry, you can buy good food and drink on the Promenade deck, in the restaurant or in the café, so there's sure to be something for everyone.
The final stop of your cruise is Ulefoss, where you disembark. Afterwards, the bus will take you back to the car park in Dalen, giving you plenty of opportunity to enjoy the idyllic Telemark landscape from the country side.


Read more and see sailing times and prices on the Telemark Canal website.

Cruise on the Telemark Canal

If you think sled dogs only work in winter, you're wrong! The eager and hard–working dogs love their work, and when the snow melts, they simply pull carts with wheels instead of sleds with sledges.

On the Telemark Husky Tour you can get up close to the happy dogs and even try your hand at steering the carts through the beautiful Telemark landscape.

The site offers tours from five hours to full–day trips, and if you don't want to drive with the dogs but just meet them, you can book a kennel visit or a walk where the dogs carry your packed lunch on a trip up the mountain.

Whichever type of visit you choose, you can look forward to a fun–filled day guaranteed to bring smiles to the faces of young and old alike. The tours require no prior knowledge; you will receive a thorough training and always have an experienced guide – or "musher" – with you on the tour.

Read more on the Telemark Husk Tours website.

Dog sledding with Telemark Husky Tour 

Look forward to a cosy and relaxing day in some of Norway's most beautiful high mountain scenery.

The tour starts just 25 minutes drive from Rauland, at Skinnarbu, where the charming little catamaran Fjellvåken II docks with its departure 9.30 am. Once you're on board, just sit back and enjoy the hour–and–a–half sail across the clear waters of Møsvaten, surrounded by impressive mountains. Along the way, you'll pass cosy mountain farms and, not least, a beautiful, varied landscape.

The destination of the tour is Mogen, where you arrive around 11 o'clock. Here, the tourist cabin offers a delicious lunch with traditional Norwegian dishes based on local produce in the tourist cabin. Once you have eaten your fill, enjoy a walk in the beautiful area before returning to Skinnarbu with Fjellvåken ato'clock. 15.30.

Read more and see sailing times and prices on Fjellvåken's website.
 

High mountain cruise on Møsvatn

If you're looking for a child–friendly hike that offers beautiful scenery, easy trails and fun activities and stories for the kids, there are several options right near Rauland. Here are two suggestions for family trips in the beautiful mountain landscape.

Falkeriset is often called "the children's favourite" because of its good path, exciting history and beautiful views. The tour is around three km round trip and goes along a stone path built by Nepalese Sherpas, and many children love the opportunity to jump from stone to stone on the way to the top.
 
Falkeriset is named after the falconry that was practiced in the area until the 18th century. The area is still home to many different types of birds of prey, which you might be lucky enough to see on the trip You'll also pass the ruins of the stone houses that Dutch falconers lived in when they captured gyrfalcons for princes and kings across Europe, and the hunting grounds themselves lie just northwest of the summit.

The walk to the top starts at the parking lot at Kromvikvegen, around 25 min from Rauland town centre. The stone staircase goes all the way to the top of the Falkenuten, and along the way you pass through a cosy birch forest before reaching the spectacular panoramic view of Hardangervidda, Gaustatoppen, Møsvatn and Rauland.

Enjoy a packed lunch after exploring the summit – and remember to write your names in the guest book at the warden before heading back down the stone steps.

Read more on the Rauland Tourist website.

Close to Rauland Høgfjellshotell, you'll find another short, family–friendly hike to a very special destination: the Vidsyn sculpture, which looks out over Rauland from the top of the Vierlinuten.

The tour, which is around four km long, starts at Vierli Kafeteria, and with the well–marked tour path it is easy to find the top. Here you can get up close and personal with the quirky character, whose eyes follow you whether you're on the left or the right. If you walk slowly past, it feels like the eyes are following you – try it yourself!

Don't forget to enjoy the beautiful views of Raulandsfjellet and Hardangervidda – the interplay of mountain, lake, the varied high mountain vegetation and snow on the mountain tops in the distance is a stunning sight.

From Vidsyn you can follow the path to Lake Oksatjønn, where you can either turn off and head back towards Vierli or extend the trip with the Silk Valley route, which goes around the lake – then the trip is around four km longer.

Read more and find a map of the tour on Rauland Tourist's website here.

Photo: Visitsorlandet.com / Mona B. Nielsen

Photo: visitsorlandet.com / Mona B. Nielsen

Family–friendly hikes at Rauland

If you want a top trip out of the ordinary, set course for Gaustatoppen around one hour northeast of Rauland.

When you arrive at the car park, you can choose from several different paths to the top. The walk is about five kilometres each way, and the most popular route follows a wide and well–marked path over large and small rocks. Don't forget to look up along the way – with an altitude difference of 700 metres, the view just gets better and better with every step.

When you reach the top, you can reward yourself with coffee and waffles from the century–old tourist cabin while enjoying the panoramic view: the Gaustatoppen is said to be perhaps Norway's most beautiful view, and in clear weather you can see a sixth of Norway!

If your legs aren't up for the walk up and down the mountain, you can take the Gaustabanen – a unique railway that runs inside the mountain. Originally built as transport for a secret NATO facility, the track now carries several thousand tourists a year who want to experience the views from the iconic mountain top.

Of course, you can also choose to walk one way and take the Gaustabanen the other way when visiting the beautiful mountain.





On the way from Rauland to Gaustatoppen, you'll pass Rjukan and the Vemork Museum, so if you haven't used up all your energy on the summit tour, you can visit the charming town and impressive museum on the way home.

Gaustatoppen – Fantastic top tour one hour from Rauland

At Telemarkstunet you will find plenty of activities for children and adults. Take a leisurely stroll among the fascinating historic buildings and discover how Rauland has been lived and worked for hundreds of years.



You can also make a bargain in the crafts shop, offering goods from more than 120 different artisans, taste delicious dishes from the stone oven bakery or the kiosk and, not least, try out various activities and games.



Telemarkstunet also has changing exhibitions of crafts, local food, art and more, and you can often enjoy live music in the atmospheric setting.



Telemarkstunet is centrally located right next to Raulandsakademiet close to Rauland town centre.




Telemarkstunet – Visit Rauland's historic farm

Norway

Rauland Ski Center is large and family–friendly with good conditions for beginners and experienced skiers alike.

There are alpine runs of all levels, safe children's areas and terrain parks for the family's action–hungry teenagers. Rauland Ski Center consists of several ski areas: the family–friendly Vierli, Tiur and Holtardalen.

In addition, Rauland offers more than 150 km of cross–country skiing trails for all ages and in very varied terrain.

 there will be a free scabintle ski bus for lift pass holders, allowing easy access to all areas of Rauland.

In Rauland, you can stay in one of Rauland Holiday Centre's cosy cabins, where you'll be close to the ski area, just outside the door to start the day's adventures.

Your guide to a great ski holiday in Rauland

Read more about Rauland's facilities and accommodation below and find inspiration for your ski holiday in our travel articles about the area.

Hirtshals

Kristiansand

Rauland is Norway's largest winter destination with three ski centres, shared lift passes and a free ski bus. The conditions here are superb for both beginners and experienced.

Ski holidays in Rauland

Rauland

You'll stay in cabins at Rauland Holiday Center, so you can find an accommodation option that suits your group, whatever its size, and whether you're travelling as a family or friends together.
 

If this year's ski holiday takes you to Rauland with Fjord Line, you will be staying close to the slopes. Choose between a cosy cabin or a hotel room with everything. 

Accommodation on ski holiday in Rauland

On this page you can read about the facilities at Rauland Ski Center – and the many fantastic snow experiences that await you in the area.

Ski facts and experiences in Rauland

We've teamed up with a number of Danish experts on Norway and locally renowned guides to share advice, recommendations and tips on "hidden treasures" that can help you and your family and friends have a fantastic holiday in Rauland.

Read travel articles from a range of Danish ski experts and locally renowned guides, who share tips and tricks for your ski holiday in Rauland.

What you can experience in Rauland

Things to do