Experience the best of Ulvik

Ulvik lies at the end of a narrow arm of the Hardangerfjord, with steep mountainsides rising directly from the water and orchards along the shore below. Apples, pears, plums and cherries have been grown here for generations in the mild fjord climate, and the village's small church and farms look out across the water. Hardanger is also the home of the Hardanger fiddle, a folk instrument with sympathetic strings.

In late spring the blossom turns the valley white, a sight that draws visitors to the fjord. Walking trails climb from the village onto the edge of the Hardangervidda plateau, Norway's largest mountain plateau, and boats and kayaks explore the fjord. Vøringsfossen, a tall waterfall in the next fjord arm, lies farther to the south-east, and Voss is to the west.

Local farms press apple juice and make cider and fruit brandy, and tasting at a farm is among the pleasures of the district. Fruit stalls by the roadside sell cherries and plums in summer. The fjord is calm and green for much of the year, with snow lingering high on the slopes into early summer.