This is a fantastic place for anyone wanting a taste of the great Norwegian wilderness, whether you’re into walking, fishing or wildlife spotting. There are plenty of lakes in the area (68 in total, of which some 40 have trout), so take your fishing rod with you. A fishing permit for the day costs 100Kr, but it will be worth your while – the area is teaming with fish, you can even hear them breaking the water to catch small flies and other insects on the lakes’ surface. If you fancy a walk the possibilities again are many. You could for example go around Holmtjern and Lauva (about 3km, allow just over an hour). There is no marked path, and you will in places have to cross bog, so make sure you are wearing rubber boots, as it’s wet here even at the height of summer. But the scenery is superb, particularly this time of year, with mosses in all colours, water lilies everywhere, and beautiful reflections on the mirror-like lake surface. Well worth the effort. On a recent visit we saw three black grouse, several wild ducks and a lot of moose poo… although the moose themselves remained elusive
But be on the lookout, as it is not unusual to spot them in the area.
How to get there: From Strømsfoss in Aremark, take Rv865 towards Skotsberg until you see a sign for Vestfjella. Follow this road until you get to the toll (it’s a honesty box, pay the 30Kr fee and fill in the form with your name and car registration number). From here follow the dirt road into the forest for a few kilometres until it forks, keeping to the left and continuing until you reach a red cabin on the right, and a little car park on the left. Holmtjern is to your right, and Lauva behind it.