Røldal is a village that most riders pass through without realising how much sits behind the petrol-station-and-bakery impression. It lies on the western rim of the Hardangervidda plateau, beside a long lake, with the road to Haukeli climbing steeply out of its eastern edge. Odda lies to the north-west, the larger town for any serious errands, and Sauda is the other neighbour in the opposite direction.
The stave church is the reason to stop. It is a small timber building of medieval origin, much altered over the centuries, and it holds a crucifix that has drawn pilgrims for hundreds of years. Tradition says the figure sweated or bled on Midsummer Eve, and the faithful once travelled across the mountains to be healed by it. Whatever you make of the legend, the interior has an intimacy that big cathedrals never manage, and the smell of old pine and tar is worth the five minutes.
The riding on either side is first class. Coming up from the west on the old road you get tight bends, retaining walls and a sense of the plateau looming above. Heading east, the E134 pushes up through snow-prone country toward the Haukelifjell. The pass is modern and well-engineered now, but it can still close in bad weather outside summer, so look at the traffic information before you commit in spring or autumn. Wind on the exposed sections can be fierce, and fog on the plateau can arrive in minutes.
Nature here is a mix of fjord-country lushness below and bare, wind-scoured plateau above, with reindeer and sheep on the higher ground and the lake mirroring the slopes on a calm morning. Photographers love the village in the low light of September.
As for supplies, Røldal is small, so if you need a full range of services treat Odda as the dependable town in the area. Pick a calm morning, give yourself a decent coffee, and let the church and the lake slow your day down before the mountain starts shouting.