The best walks and hikes in Badstudalen Naturreservat

A tranquil small forest lake, surrounded by gentle wooded hills, pine forest, and rocky moss-lined shores, the peaceful body of water offers local footpaths and quiet spots for walking and taking in the coastal forest scenery.

The five-kilometre marked trail to Røynevarden from Høvåg is quite an easy hike. The path winds primarily through peaceful forest terrain, has about ninety metres of elevation gain and should take you roughly one hour fifteen minutes to walk. When you get to Røynevarden, it is a great viewpoint.

Røynevarden is only a little hill at just over seventy metres, but it is big on views and history. Situated along the southern coast of Norway, it has a historic coastal military observation point. It is a very popular viewpoint, and there is a great five-kilometre hike to the viewpoint where you have stunning, panoramic views looking out over Røynevardsfjorden.

Heietjønn is a secluded lake located within the Tveitvann nature reserve, where it is surrounded by a dense, protected landscape of old-growth oak and pine forest. From this lake you can continue on to the Tveitvann nature reserve.

Here in Gåsedalen stands the small pillar in memory of Nils Olsen, or "Treske-Nils". The stone is less than 20 cm high and is said to have been placed by Alf Strai and Arne Voreland on the spot where he was found dead. On the stone itself it says: "Nils Olsent 12/1-34". This is the date of the day it was found. Nils Olsen originally came from Vegårdshei. Those who remember Nils say that he was a jovial little guy who worked constantly. Nils got his nickname because he helped thresh grain. He was The memorial for "Treske-Nils". Photo: Ole-Jørgen Hasle 2020 was also called "Sprege-Nils" because he made brooms out of Sprege buckets. Most people in Dorf had one of Nils' broomsticks in the house. Nils Olsen lived with several men who worked for board and lodging with the widow Karen Ånesen Gåseland on Sjømyr in Hovàg, about 300 meters east of where the memorial stone is. When he was in Tveit he stayed with "mother of the homeless" Theodine Drangsholt, who "...always had an eye on passers-by who couldn't get shelter.". In his article in Tveit Historielag Årsskrift no. 12-2002, Arne Egil Larsen mentions that Nils had a speech impediment and couldn't pronounce the letter "k". He also had "a somewhat odd and somewhat stiff gait" - he walked with his toes curled under his feet because his shoes were too small. At Christmas 1933, Nils was on his way between Drangsholt and Sjømyr. The path he used was marked with stones, but he took the wrong path and got lost. Due to a misunderstanding and because it was Christmas weekend, everyone in Drangsholt thought he was in Sjømyr. Those in Sjømyr, on the other hand, thought he was in Drangsholt. As a result, no one was sent to look for him, and it wasn't until January 12 that he was gone. Nils Olsen, or "Treske-Nils", pictured on Drangsholt in front of Tønnes Drangsholt's house In 1934 he was found. At that time he was sitting dead behind a tree here in Gåsedalen, no more than 300 meters from the safety of the house on Sjømyr.

Ulsholmen is an old homestead. The houses have disappeared, but the ruins are still clearly visible. Ola Osmundsen (born 1765) is the first known farmer on Ulsholmen. Osmund Olsen took over the farmstead from his father Ola, who died in 1843 as a beneficiary. Osmund was ironically nicknamed "The Count of Bjørnholmen" and wrote many anecdotes about the "Count" who "often spiced his speech with the stiff book language of Ulsholmen" and Abraham Ulsholmen always wore his best clothes: a shiny divided coat and a top hat, and a staff in hand". In 1901 the writer Gabriel Scott published a collection of short stories entitled "The Hunting Journal". While living in Uldalen and writing this book, he became acquainted with the places and people in the forest between Høvåg and Tveit Scott then made the "Earl of Ulsholmen" into one central figure in the 1931 book "Der Barkefletcher". "Der Barkenflechter" is a lively - and at the same time painful - story from a recent past in which the poor were an underclass who could hardly pave the way to recognition and a dignified life. Bark weaving was an important side trade on many farms in the coastal villages of southern Norway. In "Barke- on Ulsholmen, but the real weaver of the novel" lived here the "Count" His name was Jørgen Sjømyr. The 1865 census shows that 3 people lived on Ulsholmen. Osmund Olsen (65) together with his wife Severine Ellingsdatter (68) and their son Ole C. Osmundsen (23). They had 2 sheep and 6 goats.

Plassen is an old farm situated between Sjømyr and Ulsholmen. Its age is uncertain, but it has probably been abandoned longer than either of those places. The wooden buildings have completely disappeared, but the partially collapsed and overgrown mounds of houses are still clearly visible. Down at the edge of the swamp, about 10-15 meters southwest of where you are, you'll find the remains of a building that was probably Plassen's outbuilding. Up here, where the information board stands, the remains of the former inner house can be clearly seen. At the time when Plassen was still inhabited, the area was probably cleared and developed. This gave the possibility of both a piece of land for cultivation Growing crops and possibly potatoes, as well as grazing land for a few animals. It is likely that the swamps around the outbuilding were mowed and the grass used as fodder. There is little information about these small settlement, but we can be pretty sure it was a small settlement. There must have been limited farming and animal husbandry, but to survive in such places people had to work outside of the settlement. An important additional industry in this regard was the so-called bark braiding. Bark was collected from young oak trees and dried. The dried bark was then used to tan leather and hides, and to tan fishing nets. The square and Ulsholmen 300-400 meters south-east of Ulsholmen - play a central role in the novel "The Bark Weaver" by Gabriel Scott. The main character of the novel, Søren Andersen Røsnes, lives here on Plassen. The characters in the novel are based on real people, but their names and locations have been changed so that descendants don't feel isolated. Søren, for example, was actually born in Røsnes, so it's probably just Gabriel Scott who made his home on Plassen. The remains of an outbuilding that probably stood in Plassen at the bottom of the swamp. Photo: Ole-lørgen Hasle 2020. Residence.

Great tour even in drizzle. So many highlights make you forget the rain. Also very historical. That makes you think how people lived with nature and earned their living income with it. A lot is lost and the milk comes out of the tetrapak and the cow is purple and is called Milka. I find all of this very worrying.