kommune vinje

A WALK IN MOOSE COUNTRY
Hyljås
200
400
600
800
1000m
Walk 1 h 1,8 km
Marked path
Map: Vinje IL
Buy the map at Tenestetorget in Åmot
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
2-3
cm
PINE TREES
ROWAN TREES
Moose feed on bilberry
bushes, and you just have
to try crushed bilberries as
a pancake topping!
An important source of winter
food for moose
Twigs of rowan, aspen and
willow are the moose’s winter
favourites
MOOSE
DROPPINGS
NIBBLED PINE
CONES
Look out for moose droppings
on your walk!
See if you can find a pine
cone that’s been nibbled
by a squirrel
L
BILBERRIES
Vehuskjerringi 1355 moh
Nordigard Hylland
Dysje
Hyllandshylen
VINJE
NASJONALPARK
KOMMUNE
Rauland Turistkontor tel. 36 06 26 30
www.visitrauland.com
Family hike, 1 h circular
Moderate
Elevation 560–600 m
Hiking map: Vinje
General map: Vinje 1514 III
Nature and cultural history
A pleasant, family-friendly hike through forest and mountains in
moose country, passing some splendid viewpoints. You’ll be walking
on fairly dry forestry roads and paths, with a few boggy sections.
Take the forestry road and turn right at the first junction. Keep
straight on and follow the slope up the hill to the left, passing a
Accessible
May 15–November 1
large red pumphouse. Partway up the slope, turn left and head
uphill, climbing gently. Around the halfway point, you’ll come to a
viewpoint, where you can enjoy a picnic and the view of the farms
at Hyllandshylen. From here, it’s a short distance to the next viewpoint, overlooking the village of Åmot. At this point, the path
bears sharply to the right. From here, follow the path downhill
along the ridge, through the forest and back to the forestry road
where you parked.
KING OF THE FOREST
You are now in moose country. The moose has
been an important species to Norwegians ever
since its arrival after the last ice age – initially as
a source of food, and subsequently also as a
social focus of hunting. The largest member of
the deer family can reach a height of 2.3 m, a
weight of 500 kg and an age of 20 years. Moose
are active during daylight but are most likely to
be seen at dawn or dusk. They are afraid of
humans but not of cars, even though frequent
collisions with moose cost society 130–300 million kroner annually. Excessive populations can
lead to major forest damage, more road accidents, undernourishment and disease. To keep
the Norwegian moose population stable at about
120,000, hunters shoot 35,000–40,000 beasts
each fall.
HYDROELECTRIC POWER
– A VITAL FORCE
Hydroelectric power is a renewable energy source that accounts for one sixth of the world’s
energy output. About 99% of the electricity supplied to Norwegian homes is hydro power.
Hydroelectric schemes created communities
such as Åmot and generate large amounts of
revenue for energy-rich districts like Vinje.
However, water power from Hyllandsfossen was
a vital force in the local economy long before
hydroelectric projects started in the late 1950s.
Downstream of the bridge at Hylland, there are
the remains of two power stations, three sawmills, eight grain mills, timber chutes and rafting
pens from the days of log floating, and much
more.
Brattefjell-Vindeggen
landskapsvernområde
If you would like to catch
sight of a moose,
join a moose safari. Tickets available at
Rauland Tourist Information.
Please take all garbage home
with you. Dogs must be kept on
a leash. You are responsible for
your own safety. Enjoy the walk!
Start in Åmot village
Take Hwy 37 in the
37 Rauland
direction of Rauland.
P
After 1.7 km turn left
towards Åbøvegen.
After 50 m turn right onto the forestry
road. Park at the roadside.
GPS: 32V 443346, 6605290
After the Second World War started on April 9,
1940, a number of resistance campaigns were
waged in Vinje. Most residents abandoned their
homes in Åmot in favour of the surrounding
hamlets. From Hyljås you can see some of the
farms at Hylland, where the clerk from the general store found a safe refuge. He recalled: “The
days up there at Hylland were quiet and peaceful, interrupted only by a small German plane circling low over the rooftops. But we had a rude
awakening while we were sitting in the parlour at
Nigard drinking coffee after dinner on May 3.
There was a crash that made the curtains flap
and the coffee cups rattle on their saucers.” The
bridge at Hylland had been blown up. One of the
last resistance battles in Southern Norway was
fought at Leirlid bridge in Åmot the next day.
If you’d like to learn more about wartime
life in Vinje, Forsvarsmuseet (the Resistance
Museum) in Åmot welcomes groups by prior
arrangement.
Driving directions
Åbøvegen
GLIMPSES OF WARTIME
Distance to Hyljås from:
Åmot . . . . . . . . . . . .
3
Øyfjell . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Rauland . . . . . . . . . . 20
Haukeli/Edland . . . . 35
Skinnarbu . . . . . . . . . 45
Rjukan . . . . . . . . . . .1h 10
min
min
min
min
min
min
1,8
13,4
16,0
38,2
42,0
63,0
km
km
km
km
km
km
VINJE
NASJONALPARK
KOMMUNE
For more hiking tips, visit www.nasjonalparkrute.no.
2009 Photo: Forsvarsmuseet i Vinje, Guro Lien
Hylland
Hylland bru
bru