Voss - The Action Sport Capital of Norway

Just a short ride from the city of Bergen, accessibility is a contributing factor to Voss’ success as a ski resort and action sport destination. Other factors include: a spectacular natural setting between mountains and rivers, high quality local produce, excellent facilities and enthusiastic locals.

In short, action sport buffs come here to enjoy their favorite sports in a beautiful setting and to live and eat well! Check out all the activities on offer in Voss!

A little bit of history

The richness of the land started to attract people more than 3000 years ago. The surrounding rivers and mountains provided a generous bounty of game and fish, then as they do now. The small city prospered as agriculture and forestry became a solid foundation for growth. This came to an abrupt stop in 1940 when the city was destroyed during a bomb raid.

Voss Today

Despite being razed to the ground in 1940, there is still traces of its ancient history, with its stone church, Voss Kyrkje dating back to 1277 as maybe the most illustrious example. About 14 000 people call Voss their home, and they are known for being a sporty bunch in general.

Which brings us to:

The Week of Extreme Sports

We started off by mentioning a couple of arguments for why Voss is the premium destination in Norway for extreme sports. The most important factor, though, has probably been Ekstremsportveko - literarily «the week of extreme sports» organized in Voss every summer. This year’s dates:  23-30.06. In fact, it is billed a the largest of its kind, worldwide.

The festival has developed into a happening for much more than «just» sports, also including concerts, DJ sets and other cultural events. To make everything run smoothly the festival employs more than 800 volunteers who join from all over the world. Besides being a must-do event for world class athletes, the festival is focused on offering experiences for people of all ages and of all skill levels. Check out this year’s program here.

What to do in Voss?

Well, quite a lot actually! A recommended point of departure is exploring the area through one of several attractive hiking trails. One of these, include the so-called «Viking Trail», which follows in the footsteps of the viking king Sverre Sigurdsson, who went through the beautiful Raundalen Valley on his way to Bergen to campaign to be king. Unlike Sverre, you will not be confronted by an army of angry farmers here, but you can follow his escape route, "the Sverre path"  through the mountain.

For those looking for some action, without necessarily planning to BASE jump off a mountain, there’s a wide range of sporty activities to enjoy: white water rafting, high ropes courses, indoor skydiving and snowshoe hiking in winter. Most of these activities are family friendly. See activities in Voss.