Norwegian Scenic Route Jaeren from Bryne

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Bore

   Bore sits on the coast of Jæren, the flat, wind-brushed farmland south of Stavanger, and the landscape here is unlike the rest of Norway. There are no fjords or high mountains: the land is low and open, with fields of grass and potatoes, stone walls, and a long beach of pale sand backed by dunes. The farmers of Jæren are some of the most productive in the country, and the region is known for its dairy farms and vegetable fields. Bryne, about nine kilometres away, is a market town of around eight thousand, and Sandnes is the larger city, so fuel and supplies are not a problem.

   Read the complete Bore write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Bore is where the day begins. Next is Orrestranda.

2. 2. Orrestranda

   Orrestranda is a long, pale beach on the Jæren coast, one of the few stretches of Norway where the land is flat enough for sand and the sea breaks in proper surf. The coast here is a different world from the fjord country to the north and east: low, open, windswept farmland, with stone walls, potato fields and sheep, and a sea that rolls in from the North Sea without any islands to blunt it. The dunes behind the beach are covered in marram grass, the sky is huge, and the air tastes of salt. In summer the beach fills with families, and in autumn and winter surfers in thick wetsuits ride the waves, a sight that surprises people who think of Norway as nothing but mountains.

   Read the complete Orrestranda write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Orrestranda comes up about 16 km into the recorded legs. Next is Kvassheim Lighthouse.

3. 3. Kvassheim Lighthouse

   Kvassheim Lighthouse stands on a low, rocky point on the Jæren coast, a white tower that has been guiding ships past a dangerous shore since the early twentieth century. This stretch of the North Sea has claimed many vessels over the years, and the coast has a long history of wrecks, with rocks just under the surface and storms that arrive without warning. The lighthouse was built to prevent that, and for decades it was staffed by keepers and their families, who lived in the cottages next to the tower. Today it is a visitor site, with a small museum and a café in the old buildings, usually open in the summer season.

   Read the complete Kvassheim Lighthouse write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 39 km into the recorded legs you reach Kvassheim Lighthouse. Next is Egersund.

4. 4. Egersund

   Egersund is a harbour town on the south-west coast of Norway, with about nine and a half thousand people, a working fishing fleet and a layout of streets and quays that is easy to like. The old centre is a grid of white wooden houses, mostly low and neat, along a main street named Strandgata, and the harbour is lined with boats, cranes and fish processing plants. The town grew rich on herring and later on a famous faience factory, which produced fine ceramics from the 1840s until the late twentieth century, and a museum in town shows examples. Egersund pottery is still collected and sold in antique shops.

   Read the complete Egersund write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Egersund, late in the day. Next is Flekkefjord.

5. 5. Flekkefjord

   Flekkefjord is a town on the south coast of Norway, built around a narrow tidal inlet, and it is known as Little Holland, thanks to the old Dutch timber trade. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Dutch merchants bought timber here, and the old quarter, Hollenderbyen, is a district of white wooden houses with narrow lanes and small gardens, built by wealthy merchants and sea captains. The town has about five and a half thousand people, with a harbour, a bridge, a few shops and a pleasant waterfront. Fuel and supplies are easy, and Liknes and Moi are small towns nearby.

   Read the complete Flekkefjord write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Finish at Flekkefjord. That is the ride.