The present route goes to beautiful valley and mountain areas with few cafés and restaurants, where you may need to bring your own food for outdoor lunch and have clothes for all kinds of weather.
The route can only be recommended from June to September, to avoid ice and snow on the roads. To be safe biking downhill, good and durable brakes are needed.
Accomodations need to be reserved well in advance. Bicycles can be hired from Paahjul bicycle workshop, Langgata 2A, Sandnes.
Day 1. Sandnes to Byrkjedal (49 km, map link)
Start: Sandnes railway station. The suggested route goes south on St. Olavs gate, and turns south-east on Gjesdalsveien under a railway bridge. Continue up Gjesdalsbakken and Austråttbakken, to find a bike path on the left side of the road on the top of the hill. Turn left down Prestegårdsbakken, turn right along Kyrkjeveien and left again to find a beautiful bike path going southeast along a small river. The bike path continues on the left side of the main road (E39) along Ålgårdsveien for ca. 3 km, and then turns left on Osliveien going along a lake (Bråsteinsvatnet) back towards E39, crossing under and continuing on the right (west) side of E39 to Figgjo.
Approaching Figgjo, take the first road to the right (Åslandsbakken) to cross the Figgjo river, and continue along the southwest side of the river on a very nice bike path to Ålgård. At the centre of Ålgård, a long footbridge crosses over to a petrol station on the northeast side of the river, and a bike path on the right (south) side of E39 takes you along a lake (Edlandsvatnet) until you see another lake (Limavatnet) north of E39. There turn left on road Hunnedalsveien (Rv45), going northeast along the left side of Limavatnet.
After ca. 10 km on Rv45, cyclists should take a short detour on an old road along a lake (Oltedalsvatnet) past a tunnel on Rv45. Lunch cafés are found at Gjestal Store & Tavern (at Rv45 just after Oltedalsvatnet) and Lafthuset (in Oltedal).
From Gjestal Tavern, a bike path crosses under Rv45 going downhill through Oltedal, taking you back to Rv45 after ca. 3 km (or you can bike downhill on Rv45 from the tavern). Continuing along Rv45 there is another tunnel after ca. 6 km going downhill to Dirdal, where cyclists should take the old road to the left of the tunnel. At Dirdal, nice roads with less traffic (Kroveien and Giljagarden) are found to the left of Rv45, returning to Rv45 over a nice bridge after ca. 7 km.
There are two more tunnels on Rv45 before Byrkjedal, where cyclists can bike through the tunnels. Byrkjedalstunet can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2. Byrkjedal to Fidjeland (48 km, map link)
From Byrkjedalstunet, the suggested route continues northeast along Rv45 through the valley (Hunnedalen) up to Sinnes, Kvæven and Fidjeland in Sirdal, where Sirdal Hotel can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay (turn right from Rv45 up Jogledalsveien).
It is almost 40 km from Byrkjedal to the nearest lunch cafés along Rv45, so bringing your own food from Byrkjedalstunet to eat and drink along the road may be necessary.
Day 3. Fidjeland to Rysstad (53 km, map link)
From Sirdal Hotel at Fidjeland, go north along Rv45 for ca. 8 km to Suleskard, and turn right (east) on Suleskarveien which takes you far up over the mountains to the Setesdalen valley. Be prepared to put on warm clothes and rainclothes; the weather in the mountains may change quite rapidly. If the weather is good, the fresh air and the mountain view is a very nice experience.
Here you cannot expect to find lunch cafés; to bring your own food and make an outdoor stop along the road is probably the only lunch option. For example Håheller Rasteplass may be suitable for a stop.
From the highest point (1050 m) after ca. 30 km, the road goes down towards Brokke in Setesdalen. There turn right (south) along road Rv9 to Sølvgarden Hotel at Rysstad, which can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4. Rysstad to Bykle (48 km, map link)
The suggested route goes north along river Otra and Setesdalsvegen (Rv9). The best option for a lunch café appears to be at Valle after 16 km, where Nordibø Landhandel may the best choice. If you need to eat between Valle and Bykle, you will have to bring your own food.
Shortly after Valle, a very nice place to bathe in a small river is found at Honnevje Badeplass close to Rv9. At the following crossing, the suggested route turns left from Rv9 along Daleveien, and returns to Rv9 across Otra 6 km later at Røysland. (You may choose to stay on Rv9 if the traffic is acceptable and you prefer the best paved road.)
40 km from Rysstad, the suggested route turns right from Rv9 along Trydalsvegen around a small lake (Trydalstjønni), continuing across Rv9 on Movegen and returning to Rv9 after a tunnel. Shortly after, a new detour on an old road is made around the next tunnel on Rv9.
Rv9 continues uphill towards Bykle, where the wonderful landscape view inspired Norwegian painters 200 years ago. Bykle Hotel can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5. Bykle to Haukeli (61 km, map link)
The suggested route follows Rv9 from Bykle to Haukeli, with a detour to the dam of Vatndalsvatnet.
12 km from Bykle, turn left from Rv9 on Løyningsvegen, and left again at Åsheim along Vatnedalsvegen to the dam, which is one of the highest in Western Europe with a nice view from the top. On the way back turn left from Vatnedalsvegen to Løyningsveien, continuing on Tverrheimvegen and Ørnefjellvegen to return to Rv9. (If weather is bad, you may skip the detour to the dam and stay on Rv9.)
A café for a lunch stop can be found at Hovden (for example Furumo). A summer café may sometimes be open at Bjåen.
The last part of the route goes steeply down from ca. 900 m to Haukeli at about 550 m. Good bicycle brakes are needed. Haukeli Hotel can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6. Haukeligrend to Rauland (43 km, map link)
From Haukeli, the suggested route goes east on the bike path along road E134 (Haukeliveien), turning left along road Storegutvegen (Fv362) and left again (north) along Arabygdvegen (still Fv362) uphill from Edland to lake Venemodammen, where the water is used for generation of hydroelectric power. Fv362 continues towards east up to 900 m above sea level, going down again to 700 m along the northern side of the big lake Totak.
For lunch, you need to bring your own food and make a stop outdoor along the road. Fv362 continues along Totak all the way to Rauland, where several accomodations are found. Hotel Austbø can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.
To stay more than one night in Rauland is strongly recommended, to visit the mountain area north of Rauland and the beautiful bike paths along lake Møsvatn.
Day 7. Rauland to Seljord (57 km, map link)
From Rauland the suggested route goes northeast along road Fv37 to Austbø, turning southeast on Øyfjellvegen along the north side of lake Lognvikvatn. At the eastern end of Lognvikvatn, Fv37 bends south past Rorgevatn to Dyrdalsvatnet. There the route turns left (east) at Øyfjell Sag og Høvleri along road Drivarbekkdalen, which continues southeast on Åmotsdalsvegen and Flatdalsvegen downhill along river Flatdøla all the way to Seljord.
For lunch, you need to bring your own food and make a stop outdoor along the road. Both Seljord Hotel and Nutheim Gjestgiveri can be recommended for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8. Seljord to Lunde (50 km, map link)
From Seljord, the suggested route goes west along Brøløsvegen, and turns left (south) along Nyveg to reach road Mosasida along the southern side of lake Seljordvatnet, which is famous for its sea monster (just like Loch Ness in Scotland).
After ca. 10 km at Garvik, the route turns to the right uphill on road Heivegen, and turns left again on road Trollebotn, continuing southeast along lake Dalsvatn towards Kilen at lake Flåvatn. The camping site at Kilen has a lunch café, and is a nice place to bathe.
From Kilen, bike southeast on road Røyrhellevegen, continuing on Omnesvegen and Strengenvegen along the northern side of Flåvatn. Strengenvegen crosses river Straumen, and continues along the west side of the Telemark Canal past the Hogga, Kjeldal and Lunde locks.
The suggested route ends at Lunde railway station, where the train can be taken back to Sandnes (or to Oslo). Lunde Vandrerhjem can be recommended if an overnight stay is needed.