Everything in Granvin is measured in apples and water. The village sits at the head of a short fjord arm off the Hardangerfjord, with a calm river, a lake and a ring of steep hills that hold the orchards in a warm pocket. Fewer than five hundred people live in the centre, so this is a place of a church, a few houses and a handful of farm shops rather than anything urban.
Hardanger is Norway's fruit country, and the reason is a quirk of geography. The fjord keeps the climate mild, so apples, pears, plums and cherries ripen on terraces that cling to the slopes, and in May the blossom turns whole hillsides white and pink. Ulvik, a few kilometres along the fjord, is known for cider, and farm shops sell juice and fruit brandy from the same trees. The Hardanger fiddle, with its sympathetic strings that hum beneath the melody, comes from this region too, and you may hear it at a village festival if your timing is right.
For a rider, Granvin is a gateway. The big Hardanger Bridge, opened in 2013 with a main span of about 1,300 metres, is close by and sweeps the road across the fjord at a height that makes the heart skip. Beyond it the road continues towards Eidfjord and the high plateau of Hardangervidda, while the other way leads up the valley towards Voss. The roads here are a pleasant mix of fjord-side curves, tunnels and short climbs, and in fine weather the views from the bends are superb. Tunnels are long, cool and often damp, so keep your visor clean and your speed modest. There is a toll on the bridge, charged automatically.
On fuel, do not assume. Granvin is small, so the sensible larger stop is Voss, about twenty kilometres away, which has stations, supermarkets and every kind of cafe. Fill up there before you head along the fjord, because stations further into Hardanger are spread out and may close early.
Come in May for the blossom or in September for the fruit and the clear air. Summer is warm, though rain showers are never far away. Buy an apple from a roadside stall if you see one; it will be the best you have eaten for a while.