People have lived on Osterøy for 3,500 years. The long history is probably one of the reasons why the local culture is so diverse.
You can drive to Osterøy in approx. 40 minutes from Bergen city centre. Follow E16 towards Voss, until you reach the Osterøy bridge (Osterøybroen). However, Osterøy is a large island, and it takes about one hour from the centre of Bergen to Mjøsvågen, which is a great starting point for exploring the island.
Osterøy is quite accessible by car. If you go on a road trip between fjord and mountains on Northern Europe's largest inland island, you can enjoy both nature and cultural experiences.
The cultural village of Mjøsvågen
Osterøy has a rich cultural history when it comes to industry and crafts. The village of Mjøsvågen is a great place to start exploring the history. In this village alone, there used to be a coffin workshop, a forge, a wooden shoe factory, a metal foundry and a furniture factory. It takes about 50 minutes to drive to Mjøsvågen from Bergen city center. (Please note that most of these restored workshops are only open on request).
Photo: Visit Bergen / Anders Nyland - visitBergen.com
The buildings in Mjøsvågen have been restored and brought back to life with an additional café, a gallery and a shop selling local produce.
Mjøsvågen Landhandleri
At Mjøsvågen Landhandleri, you can buy locally produced food such as goat cheese, apple juice, and plums, in addition to everyday groceries. You’ll also find a selection of home décor and gift items. The store has outdoor seating on the quay and its own guest harbour if you’re arriving by boat.
Mjøsvågen Landhandleri. Photo: visitOsteroy
Right next to the store are Hosanger Church and Sperrneset beach. There’s parking by the church, whether you’re heading for a swim or a stroll around the village.
From Mjøsvågen Landhandleri, you can follow the seaside path behind the boathouses to the inner part of Mjøsvågen. Here you’ll find the sauna Flabellina, the pub Fjærå Sjøhus, and the event venue Den Grøne Fabrikken, all located together at the end of the bay.
Flabellina - the floating sauna
Take a refreshing dip and then enjoy the comforting warmth of the Flabellina sauna. This is, as far as we know, the only art sauna in Norway! Local artists wanted to create an installation - a hybrid of art, architecture, and functional sculpture. The result: the Flabellina art sauna. It’s open all year but remember to book your session in advance.
Photo: Visit Bergen / Espen Bakketun - visitBergen.com
Photo: Visit Bergen / Anders Nyland - visitBergen.com
Den Grøne Fabrikken
Den Grøne Fabrikken (The Green Factory) is a restored furniture factory used for art, culture, and various events. It hosts activities such as craft gatherings, watercolor workshops, yoga, and combinations of sauna and cultural experiences.
Fjærå Sjøhus
Right next door is Fjærå Sjøhus, which opens as a bar on weekends and extends its opening hours during summer. It offers food service, a lovely outdoor seating area, and intimate concerts.
Remember to check their respective Facebook pages or websites for opening hours and events before your visit.
Close to the shop in Mjøsvågen is the knitting factory Norlender Knitwear. Norlender is included in the Wool Heritage Route. The factory is open for visitors, and you get to see how the popular knitted garments are made.
Photo: Norlender Knitwear AS / Linn Heidi Stokkedal
Kossdalssvingane hike
Osterøy is a great place if you enjoy hiking. One of the popular hikes on Osterøy is Kossdalssvingane. This hike starts near Mjøsvågen and takes around 1.5 hours there and back. The hike includes 17 hairpin bends with a 27 percent gradient. It might sound a lot, but the hike is relatively easy and at the top you are rewarded with a great view.
The recommended parking for the hike is by the Hosanger Church in Mjøsvågen.
Photo: visitOsteroy
Another great option is a guided hike to Bruviknipa with Norway Mountain Guides. This tour gives you the chance to enjoy a scenic hike with a personal guide who leads the way and shares stories about the cultural landscape along the route. The guide adapts the hike to the weather and the group’s preferences.
Cycling on Osterøy is also a wonderful experience – whether you want to explore the beautiful nature or visit the island’s many cultural and historical sites.
Important messages from the past
Mjøsvågen is a great starting point for exploring Osterøy, but the island is large and has plenty to offer. Here are some more attractions worth seeing:
Havrå Farm
At the very same place as Havrå Farm is located today, there have been settlements for 3,500 years. Havrå is one of the best-preserved and most distinctive Norwegian cluster farms (a traditional western Norwegian farm settlement). Havrå consists of several farms, which are still being run according to old methods.
Photo: Visit Bergen / Espen Bakketun - visitBergen.com
Havrå is part of MUHO (Museumssenteret i Hordaland) and represents the unique farming history, building practices and working life on the many farms in Western Norway.
Photo: Visit Bergen / Espen Bakketun - visitBergen.com
Today you can join a guided tour of the farms, where you learn about food production, and how to take care of and use buildings and landscape. Through practical work, the locals at Havrå show how the natural resources were used to survive in the past. (The museum is only open for guided tours)
Osterøy Museum - lean about old craft traditions
Another stop on the Wool Heritage Route is Osterøy museum. Here you can learn about old building customs, craft traditions and textile history.
Osterøy Museum. Photo: Visit Bergen / Anders Nyland - visitBergen.com
Beer tasting at Tøsse Brygghus
In Tyssebotn, at the innermost part of the Osterfjord, you’ll find Tøsse Brygghus, which offers beer tastings for groups of up to 60 people. The tour and tasting include a sampler board with four different types of beer, accompanied by local cured sausage. For those who want to delve deeper into history, a guided walk through Tøsse Mølle (Tøsse Mill) is also available.
Photo: Tøsse Brygghus
Feel free to combine your visit with an overnight stay at Fjordslottet Hotell, just a 10-minute drive away.
Accommodation on the island Osterøy
Stay at the classic hotel Fjordslottet only 45 minutes drive from Bergen. The hotel's main building goes back over 160 years and is surrounded by beautiful nature with fjords and mountains. The hotel offers homemade local food. Just a couple of minutes from the hotel you can enjoy a sauna experience at Osterøy Badstue.
You can also choose to stay in simple accommodation without electricity, running water, or internet access. This is what you'll find at the cabin Træet Gård. In return, you’re surrounded by beautiful nature, the murmur of the river, and birdsong.
Things to see and do
Osterøy is part of Nordhordland. In this region outside Bergen, you can experience both beautiful nature and interesting culture. Use the what’s on calendar to find events in the area.
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