If you drive off the ferry in Kristiansand and head north, you’ll notice the landscape gradually changing. The coastal fjords give way to dense forests, sparkling lakes, and gentle mountain slopes – and before long, you’ve arrived in the heart of inland Norway. Here, in the small mountain village of Vrådal, nature is always close, and a sense of calm settles as soon as you arrive.
Most people associate Vrådal with skiing, snowboarding, and snow-covered pines glistening in the winter light. But this charming Telemark village in Kviteseid municipality has far more to offer than just great slopes and winter adventures – in fact, quite a lot more.
Straand Hotel, an institution
If there’s anyone who knows more about Vrådal than most, it’s father and son Johan and Sigmund Straand, who own and run Straand Hotel as the fourth and fifth generations, respectively. The hotel has been in the family since 1864 – over 150 years!
Foto: visitsorlandet / Raisfoto
We visited the two Telemark natives one day at the end of September and saw with our own eyes how nature changed colour from one day to the next. The large Nisser lake is as smooth as a mirror on the surface but at its depths, 250 metres in the deepest spot, it’s far from still.
“There are great fishing conditions in the mountain waters here in the area, but Nisser lake is teeming with fish,” says Johan and presents us to the chef, Frank Schmidt. He’s originally from Switzerland, but has long since made his home in the heart of Telemark.
Foto: visitsorlandet / Raisfoto
“Switzerland is fantastic, but Vrådal is paradise,” says Schmidt, who truly appreciates everything that Norwegian mountain nature has to offer. He spends all of his free time fishing and foraging for mushrooms and berries. Autumn in Vrådal is his favourite season.
“Actually a lot of people come to Vrådal to fish and pick mushrooms and berries,” says Sigmund.
If you’d like to try your luck at fishing, you’re sure to find trout, perch and more at the end of your line. You can find out more about the fishing opportunities by calling Quality Straand Hotel & Resort at: + 47 35 06 90 00.
“We also offer to cook the fish in the hotel kitchen for our guests,” says Sigmund.
Vrådal – much more than just skiing
The experienced hotel and tourist expert has plenty to say about his beloved adopted hometown.
He talks about the many activities on offer just around the corner from Vrådal, from a skatepark, downhill cycle track and gondola to Tverrfjellet to the absolutely idyllic Vrådal golf course, located on a small island out in Nisser lake.
Foto: visitsorlandet / Raisfoto
A few years ago, Johan Straand also took on the task of repairing the old steamer ‘Fram’ and today the boat that was originally built in 1911 sails a regular route on Nisser.
A trip on the old ship gives you first-class panoramic views of the surrounding nature and you’ll even get the chance to experience the old sluices, which are still opened and closed by hand, a technique known as ‘spetting’.
Foto: visitsorlandet / Svein Straumsnes
Johan has nothing but praise and adoration for Vrådal and the neighbouring areas, but first and foremost it’s the location he wants to emphasise.
“From Oslo it takes maybe three hours and from Langesund just over an hour and a half by car. For Danes and Germans coming from the continent, it’s just perfect. They dock at Langesund at 1:30 p.m. and arrive here well before dark. That’s something I know that people who aren’t used to the winding Norwegian roads really appreciate,” says Johan.
