Motbakken

About

Langen
Length: 62 km
Duration: 4 hour
Difficulty: Expert

Lunde lock is a good starting point for cycling trips. There are places to eat as well as a park. The canal boats pass daily and the canal buses stop here too. Telemark canal camping, which is situated adjacent to the lock, is a ‘cycle friendly business’ providing cycle hire as well as selling some bicycle equipment. Free parking and a mere kilometer to the town centre with food shops.

Start

Dette er en flott og tøff sykkelrute som passer for de som vil ha seg en god treningstur. Turen kan også sykles av de som vil ta det med ro, men husk å ta med godt med mat og drikke og ta deg tid til noen gode pauser på turen. Det er mulighet for bading når du kommer til Landsmarka.

Sætre / Naksjø

Before you get to Sætre, the cycle route follows the railway tracks passed the smallholdings at Vomstul and Kabbstul. Railway workes used to reside here and it was possible to have the trains make unscheduled stops as there was no station. Many people used to travel from Lunde up to Vomstul in the post war years, to pick cowberries in autumn. All you had to do was signal the driver to stop in order to allow to jump on or off the train. Sætre used to be a thriving local centre. There was a school and a post office, as well as the nearby railway station in Naksjø. You can end the trip here and take the municipal road 109 back to Lunde.

Ugge

A mere 100 meters from the Ugge bridge lies the old settlement area of Ugge. Torjus Ugge was the last permanenet resident known to live here to apx. 1965. By Ugge there was a trading convention held annual up to the 19th century. The sale and purchasing of farm animals happened here as cattle was herded from Drangedal to Skien. There was a log driving dam here until the 1960’s, when log driving ceased. (1963). The log driving route from Eftan to Skoelensa is considered to be Norways longest north bound log driving watercourse. Remains of the dam can still be viewed from a few meters up from the bridge. By the Ugge dam, you can take a detour and take the route through Landsmark back to Lunde.

Ulefoss lock

By Ulefoss lock you will find tourist information, the geology exhibition and the lock masters house. Ulefoss lock is the first lock in Bandak – Norsjø canal. The lock is still manually operated. If you stand on the bridge you will see the Ulefoss ironworks. The works were founded in 1657 and is one of the oldest industrial companies in Europe. The company is today a modern and future orientated iron works. From here to Lunde you will be following the canal route which is part of national cycle routes number 2. This is one of Norway’s most well known cycle routes.

Ulefoss Hovedgaard

Ulefoss manor is considered to be one of the most important pieces of neoclassical architecture in Norway. It was commisioned by the minister Niels Aall, who used it as a summer residence for his family. The house was completed in 1807. Niels Aall was summoned to Eidsvoll in 1814 by the prince regent Christian Fredrik to participate in the princes’ government panel during the negotiations. After the prince was selected as the King of Norway, he formed his cabinet of ministers. The king named Niels Aall as his trade minister, as well as being given the responsibility for the nations grain supply and business dealings. Niels Aall also led the delegation sent to Moss to negotiate a truce with the Swedes following the forced disarmament of Norway. Niels Aall negotiated and signed the now famous Moss convention. Today, Ulefoss manor is a museum with a café.

Vrangfoss / Eidsfoss

Eidsfoss locks have the tallest lock compartments along the Telemark canal. You will have the cross the canal on one of the lock gates. Vrangfoss is the largest and grandest lock along the Telemark canal and consists of five chambers with a collective rise of 23 m. Before the canal was opened, Vrangfoss was the bottleneck for log driving along the watercourse. The signatures of King Oscar II and Prince Eugen are both carved in the rock face following their visit to Vrangfoss on the 29th of October, 1893. Her you’ll also find Slusemester’n which is famous for its good food and drink. One of the highlights on the trip for a hungry cyclist.

Have a nice trip!