About 2 hours round-trip
356 m a.s.l
5.8 KM round-trip
Find your way
Practical information of getting to Nedstrand, and the path up to Himakånå.
Finding your way: the hike
The road to the mythical creature of Himakånå, starts by the main road approximately 750 m east of the church, by a small and red electrical transformation kiosk. Here you will find signs pointing to both Himakånå and Stølanuten.
In the beginning, you will walk on a tractor road, later, on what remains of an old road and path. After passing a section of the trail, the farm Hetland will be to your right. Soon the trail goes out in open terrain, where animals can be seen feeding on the grass. Here it will start opening up with a good view of the south and the Ryfylke Islands.
After passing this place, you will find a new sign pointing westward and towards Himakånå. Here the trail will split. One of the two trails continue upwards towards Stølanuten. The trail towards Himakånå is on the left, and passes through a landscape of scattered birch forest, bushes and heather. At the end of the trail, the mountain rises vertically down towards Lysevatnet. Here one must be careful!
When finally reaching the top, get rewarded with a magnificent view in spectacular surroundings.
The trip back goes the same way as up. Otherwise, it is possible to continue towards Stølanuten and down to Gurigjerde. If you plan on taking this route down, it is important to have an extra car stationed there as it is somewhat far from Hinderåvåg.
Parking
Himakånå 357 m a.s.l
Himakånå!
If you take a picture at the top be sure to tag it with #himakånå on instagram.
Himakånå!
If you take a picture at the top be sure to tag it with #himakånå on instagram.
Path
Finding your way: Nedstrand
Nedstrand is accessible by car and public transportation:
Bus: 246 Nedstrand – Skjoldastraumen – Aksdal – Haugesund
High speed craft: Stavanger – Ryfylke
Ferry: Fogn-Judaberg-Nedstrand-Jelsa
The myth about Himakånå
The myth has developed by mouth-to-moth, below you can read the most known version.
The myth
Once upon a time there lived a crone (Female Troll) in Stølanuten on the east side of Lyse. The people called her Himakånå (the home wife). She was well known throughout Ryfylke. She had piles of gold and silver in the mountains with her.
When they were building a church in Nedstrand. The construction took its time. For the people of Nedstrand were not wealthy. They barely managed to keep a roof on the church. They could not afford church bells. But then they asked Himakånå, if she would not help them, as rich as she was. Yes, help they would have, but they had to promise that they would not ring the church bells for as long as she lived.
When the people woke up the next day, the bells hung in the church tower. Such magnificent church bells did not exist in any of the seven parishes.
Months and years passed. Himakånå did not die. And the bell was not rung. There was no using the bell neither for baptisms, marriages or funerals.
One day, the daughter of the former priest died. Now it was the case that this priest did not care much about Himakånå. And on the day of his daughter’s funeral, he made the bells chime all over the village. Such beautiful sound had never been heard in Nedstrand before. Loud and clear it sounded, and it chimed so loud that it could be heard on both land and sea in the neighbouring parishes.
But just that day, Himakånå was on her way to a neighbouring crone with porridge. She had just come out of the mountain when the bells chimed. She was furious. She threw the porridge towards the church tower, but it did not hit, and fell down by the water’s edge a few steps from the church. One can still see the hole where the pot of porridge hit. People call this hole Grautambaren.
The Crone herself was turned to stone by the bell chime on her way out of the mountain. Here we can still see her face in the mountain. And Himakånå is her name now just as it was then.
#himakånå
Latest instagram posts with hashtag #himakånå
Contact
Himakånå is sadly not online. Bust send an email to ol@o1.no if you should have any questions.
Distances
If you are hiking in Norway you will see some distances and routes here.
Haugesund – Hinderåvåg: 49 KM Show route
Stavanger – Hinderåvåg: 109 KM Show route
Odda – Hinderåvåg: 133 KM Vis rute
Bergen – Hinderåvåg: 168 KM Show route
Egersund – Hinderåvåg: 181 KM Show route
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Want to see more of Nedstrand? See nedstrand.info