- Details
- Written by: Roger Fulton
- Last Updated: 08 Jan 2014
Overview
Voss is an old lake-side town in south-western Norway dominated by 810-metre Mount Hangur. It has a beautiful location at a northerly latitude/low altitude (although with a 645m vertical) close to Scandinavia's two largest fjords and on the edge of the Vangs Lake.
The town is a mid-sized regional centre as well as a tourist destination so has a better selection of shops and après-ski venues than most Norwegian ski resorts and also more down to earth prices. It's easily reached by train from Bergen and Oslo - a great journey in itself.
Ski area
Mount Hangur is easily accessible via a cable car running from Voss centre or by driving to the car park in Bavallen and taking a lift there. The resort offers excellent nursery slopes as well as demanding terrain for the most experienced.
The ski school is situated at the 'Welcoe Centre' in Bavallen and at the top station of Hangursbanen and offers instruction in alpine and telemark skiing and snowboarding. It has a reputation for its high quality, friendly service, with all instructors speaking excellent English.
There is a sunny plateau here that's ideal for beginners, and the fact that it is reached quickly from the town centre without having to put your skis on makes it a great place to learn. Rentals are also on site and there are fine views to enjoy when not concentrating on those first turns.
Intermediates have the best selection of skiing at Voss with most of the terrain open to them, and some manageable powder slopes on which to learn the basics of off-piste skiing.
Voss has hosted many FIS World Cup races and claims to have fostered more Winter Olympic participants than any other place in the world; consequently there are several runs for advanced skiers, although the options are limited compared to bigger ski areas.
Descents from the Floytesteinen and Stettafjell are amongst the more challenging. The resort also has a reputation for great off-piste conditions and backcountry tours can be booked locally.
For boarders there's a big jump, half pipe and boardercross in the park and the powder fields are excellent for free riding after a fresh dump.
Voss is a great place to get on a board for the first time as the cable car straight from the town to the nursery area at the top of the mountain means there's no need to master a drag lift too early on in your riding career.
Every Wednesday and Friday there is floodlight skiing in Bavallen up to 9pm.
There’s a children's play area called Badnakrokjen at Slettafjell with a separate children's lift with a full programme of activities with professional instructors.
Children aged two to six are welcome, and everything is free.
There’s also a small partner resort, Voss Fjellandsby Myrkdalen, situated in Myrkdalen, 15 miles from Voss.. A ski bus service operates between the two at weekends and during the holidays.
Off the slopes and apres ski
This being Norway cross-country skiing is extremely popular, with 74km off marked trails for all abilities in and around the town and the lake.
Another ‘must’ is a ride on the nearby Flam Railway (easily accessed by rail from Voss) which takes you steeply up and down several thousand feet to Sognefjord amongst some truly spectacular fjord scenery.
Real Norwegian cuisine is on offer at most of the resort's two dozen restaurants. The Station Café at the Park Hotel and the Ringheim Café are both highly regarded, whilsy the restaurant at the atmospheric Fleischers Hotel is arguably the best in town.
For the culinary daring, you should have the opportunity to try barbecued sheep's head in a traditional Smalahovelag feastwhilst in Voss!
The ‘apres’ scene is limited (for visitors the cost of alcohol acts as a natural limit!) but popular venues include the Top Spot at Fleischers Hotel, the Night Club in the Jarl Hotel and the Pentagon at the Hotel Park.
The traditional local après ski drink is a glass of hot glogg.
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