Tyrifjorden

Neither Tyrifjorden, Steinsfjorden, nor Randsfjorden are real fjords… They are freshwater lakes, but their size and shape surely make you think of fjords…:-) And they give you the feeling of riding along a fjord – if you know which road to choose.

Tyrifjorden is a lake in Viken county in the Eastern parts of Norway and with its close to 140 km², it is the 5th largest lake in Norway. And it is the 4th largest in length, and the second-largest in volume.

East side

To enjoy the best of Tyrifjorden and Steinsfjorden, you need to ride it on the east side. Starting from North or South doesn’t matter, just go East. I’ve found the best route to be between Vikersund and Åsa – or opposite; from Åsa to Vikersund. It’s not a straight North-South path, since you need to include the peninsula between Vikersund and Sylling, but still – it’s East…:-) And it’s a nice ride. The length is 73 km, and it will take you approx. 1,5-hour to ride it. I at least recommand a stop at the Utøya memorial, newly built in 2022 – 11 years after the horrific terror and mass murders on the island.

The kings view

You can also include a detour to Kleivstua and the “King’s view”. King Karl Johan visited the place in 1832, hence the name. The view point is 484 meters above Tyrifjorden and Steinsfjorden – and you have a spectacular view of the area for up there. Not to forget the curvy road to get there…

Kjerraten

And why not stop at The Kjerraten museum in Åsa when passing by? Kjerraten is a construction made in the first half of the 1800s to transport timber up the hillside at Krokskogen. The 180 ton heavy chain ran in a loop, and the 12 water wheels in the river were pulling the lumber – hooked onto the chain – 3900 meter up the hill. The total height difference was 389 meters!

Thee route I have suggested on the map is mostly 60 km/h, sometimes 80 km/h, but the curves and closeness to water is great. Time and kilometres just float by – especially with some interesting stop along the way.