The road through Husedalen
The road through Husedalen, from Kinsarvik up on to the Hardangervidda plateau is one of the old roads which give us an idea of how the “spearways” of the Middle Ages were. (Helge Sunde).
From “Spearway” to National Highway
1. “SPEARWAY (public road), tracks to the mountain pasture and cattle tracks shall remain as they were from ancient time). 2.When the spearway runs across a man’s property, he can lead that road outside his property on the condition that he builds a new road off his property as long as people can travel in dry or wet weather, then people can use that road even if it is longer. 3. Now the spearway shall be so wide that a man sitting on a saddled horse puts a spear shaft down on the ground and reaches with the tip up to the shaft holder, and the spear shall be one span long from there and up, and that you should put across the road and the road should not be broader than this. But if anyone should further spoil the meadow or the cornfield he should repair the damage.”
Many of today’s roads are built on completely new routes, but some still follow old road alignments. The old roads went through hamlets; the new ones lie in the bottom of valleys, along the fjord or in the open country, miles from people.(Svein Nord).
The Hol road across the idyllic terrace at Hereid in Eidfjord is a track dating from prehistoric times. (Svein Nord)
J.C.Dahl’s peaceful landscape from Natland early in the 19th century shows us a cultural landscape through which the post roads passed. The road through Natland, Fridalen and through the city gate was the main road into Bergen from the south. ("Bergen sett fra Natlandshaugen", 1841. Oil on canvas. Photo: G. Sandig, owner: Museum der bildenen Künste, Leipzig, Germany (Inv.nr. 53, 187x277)).
Parts of the road through Tokagjelet, built in the 1890s, are literally carved out of the mountain. In many places the tunnel workers hung on ropes when working on the steep slopes. (Knud Knudsen, owner: Billedsamlingen, Universitetsbiblioteket i Bergen (KK 2313)) (section)
A milestone between Voss and Gudvangen: “30 kilometres from Vossevangen”.(Svein Nord).
The coachman with his carriage at Stalheim, from around the turn of the century, belongs to the early tourist period. Stalheimskleiva was opened in 1849. (Knud Knudsen, owner: Billedsamlingen, Universitetsbiblioteket i Bergen (KK 1352)).
Carl Peter Lehmann’s landscape panorama from the 1820s, “The way down to Hardanger” shows the steep track up Måbøberget, and down in the valley, the farm at Måbø. (Photographer Henriksen a.s./Geir Johannessen, owner: Bergen Billedgalleri).
Road workers at Vangdalsberget; one of the most difficult parts to get through during the building of the road between Norheimsund and Strandebarm. The tunnel was completed 28 May 1909. (unknown).
Fyksesund Bridge was opened by Crown Prince Olav on 9 October 1937. This was great event in transport history, and people came from far off to see the new masterpiece. (T. Lofthus, owner: Universitetsmuseet i Bergen (Lo. 715).
Along Tyssedalsberget, in several places the road is situated in small shelves, above the fjord, the main highway. Over a thousand years the fjord has been the main means of communication from Hardanger to the west coast and the sea. (Svein Nord) (sectiont)