Rosendal

Rosendal is a town and the administrative centre of the municipality of Kvinnherad in the Hardanger region of Hordaland county.

Get in

By car

Rosendal is about 2-2½ hours drive from Bergen, and about 2 hours drive from Haugesund. From Bergen you'll have to take one or two car ferries, depending on route.

By bus

There are buses going from Bergen to Rosendal. As this would require change of bus in most cases, and timetables on the web is mostly in Norwegian only, it may be easiest to contact the information phone 177 or a tourist information office.

By express boat

Maybe the most comfortable way to travel between Bergen and Rosendal, the express boat Rødne Fjord Cruise have a couple of departures every weekday and one every Saturday and Sunday. The boat is a bit more expensive than the bus, but gives a traveller a much better view. If the view is not nice enough there is also free a wireless internet connection on board. The boat also has scheduled stops at Bergen airport on most trips.

Get around

Rosendal is barely a village and you can walk most places. In summer you can go by horse and carriage from the harbour to the Barony.

See

• 1 Barony Rosendal (Baroniet Rosendal), Rosendal, ☏ +47 53 48 29 99, info@baroniet.no. Gardens open year-round; manor open only in summer. Rosendal is famous for having Norway's only Barony. The small castle, which dates back to 1665 is surrounded by a beautiful renaissance garden. Small, pretty 17th-century manor, known as the Barony. Pretty garden and romantic surroundings. During the summer season the Barony frequently have events like concerts, theatre plays, art displays, and of course guided tours around the castle and the surrounding gardens. 
• 2 Kvinnherad Church. It is a medieval church built of stone in 1250. The church contains artwork and the Rosenkrantz burial chamber with some beautiful sarcofagus. The church is open for guided tours during the summer season. More info on the Barony website.  
• The Shipbuilding Museum (just by the harbour). open during the summer season. 

Do

Apart from seeing the sights there's not much more to do in Rosendal, however the surrounding area is very nice for hiking, with beautiful mountain terrain. Several summits can be reached from footpaths that starts in Rosendal.

Hiking

For more info on hiking in the area, ask staff of the place you are staying, or the tourist information office. It's a good idea to bring a map, and to make sure that you are in good enough condition for the trip you are planning. Many of the mountains in this area are very steep, so a short distance may take some time to cover (the view from the top however, makes it worth it!)

In Kvinnherad municipality 69 paths have been marked and graded, so that you can choose a walk that suits you.

Glacier

Folgefonni Breførarlag, 5627 Jondal, ☏ +47 95117792, post@folgefonni-breforarlag.no. 

Rosendal is a nice base for visiting the Folgefonna Glacier. Folgefonni Breførarlag have guided tours (and you will need a guide for walking on the glacier. It's also possible to walk up to the glacier through the Bondhusdalen.

You may have to arrange your own transport from Rosendal to Mauranger, where some of the trips start (just less than 30 minutes of driving).

Eat

Most hotels also have restaurants open to people not staying at the hotel.

Sleep

• Rosendal Fjordhotel, 5470 Rosendal, ☏ +47 53 48 80 00, fax: +47 53 48 16 00. 95 rooms, restaurant, bar. 
• Rosendal Gjestgiveri, 5470 Rosendal. 14 rooms, restaurant, pub. 
• Rosendal Avlsgård, 5470 Rosendal, ☏ +47 53 48 29 99, fax: +47 53 48 29 98. 23 rooms, multiple restaurants. Part of the Rosendal Barony. 
• Rosendal Turisthotell, Skålagato 17, ☏ +47 53473666, post@rosendalturisthotell.no. Located in the centre of Rosendal in a building from 1887.