Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Norway’s Best Farm Experiences
Photo: Eystein Opdøl
The valley of beauty Considered the most beautiful mountain valley in Norway, Innerdalen is the oldest established nature reserve in the country. Nestled on the slope of the valley, and a mere hour’s walk from the main road, visitors will find the charming Renndølsetra summer pasture farm that offers accommodation in the most pristine setting. Where better to plan your next summer holiday than in an old farm among the mountains and animals? By Maria Lanza Knudsen
Few families can boast ownership of such a natural wonder like Innerdalen. The Opdøls can. The family has owned the valley since 1740 and, for the past 300 years, the farm’s animals have made the trek to graze on the valley’s slopes every summer. “We are a popular destination for families with children,” Eystein Opdøl, the manager of Renndølsetra, explains. “With so many animals there for the 46 | Issue 89 | June 2016
summer, visitors can participate in the various farm activities, such as milking the cows. But it goes without saying that the beautiful scenery is the main draw!” In the 1960s, when the search was on for steep rivers to build hydroelectric power plants, the then owner, Øystein Opdøl, declined the offer to use Innerdalen. Instead, he wished to protect the
natural environment and, with the help of the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association, managed to establish Norway’s first protected nature area in 1967. As the valley lies within the Trollheimen mountain range, the purpose was to conserve the beautiful natural environment that has significant recreational and scientific value as a result of the valley’s topography, waterways and vegetation. To this day, the area stretches 25 kilometres from the village of Ålvundeid in the west to Innerdalsporten in the east. Similar to a cathedral, the nave of the valley is towered by the rugged peaks of the mountains with the sharp peak of the Innerdalstårnet Mountain acting as the