Family–friendly hikes at Rauland

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

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.

Vidsyn

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.