Hardanger Folk Museum

The museum at Utne was founded in 1911 and covers the material culture of Hardanger in a modern building with an open-air section of relocated farm buildings, boathouses and a schoolhouse beside the fjord. Its strengths are specific to the region: the Hardanger fiddle, hardingfele, with its sympathetic strings under the fingerboard, decorated with ink drawing and mother-of-pearl inlay; hardangersom, the white cutwork embroidery that appears on the region's folk dress; and the fjord boats built here for centuries. Fruit growing gets its own treatment, since the Hardangerfjord's sheltered slopes produce apples, cherries and plums far north of where they should grow, and the cider industry has expanded since the 2010s.

The main sights

• The Hardanger fiddles - decorated instruments with sympathetic strings.
• The white embroidery - hardangersom cutwork on folk dress.
• The open-air section - farm buildings and boathouses beside the fjord.
• The fruit and cider displays - the region's orchards and drink tradition.

When to go

May to September for the outdoor buildings and demonstrations; the indoor galleries open year-round on reduced hours. Blossom in May and harvest in September are the best times in the surrounding orchards.

Things to know

Getting to Utne involves a ferry and the timetable shapes the visit. The outdoor section closes outside summer. The subject matter is regional and detailed, which suits some visitors more than others.

Nearby

Agatunet is along the fjord; Odda, the Folgefonna glacier and the fruit villages surround it.

Key facts