Perched 600m above Eidfjord are two farms that were, until 1974, completely inaccessible by road. Until then, residents had no choice but to lug all their goods and supplies up the mountainside – a back-breaking task. (It's said that one of the buildings took 30 years to build.) Nowadays it's mainly visited by tourists for the absolutely breathtaking view.
The turn-off up to the farm starts in Simadal, about 8km from Eidfjord/Rv7. From here, the narrow road leads for another 5km, about half of which is through a tunnel constructed in the late 1970s. Due to the narrowness of the road, traffic is only allowed to travel in each direction once an hour; going up on the hour, and coming down on the half-hour. Kjeåsen's newfound popularity with the tour circuit unfortunately means it's not quite as tranquil as it once was.
The farm complex is now deserted apart from one woman, Bjørg Wiik, who's lived here alone for the last four decades. Although the tunnel is open 24 hours, the latest you should drive up to the farm is 5pm, so as to respect the privacy of Kjeåsen's last remaining inhabitant.
The other option is to climb up to the farm on foot (four hours return), but it's steep and quite perilous, involving at least one rope-bridge; the path begins in Sæ in Simadal with parking by Sima Power Plantask – ask the tourist office for directions. If Kjeåsen Farm has piqued your curiosity, the booklet Kjeåsen in Eidfjord, by Per A Holst, tells the history of the farm and its inhabitants; it's available for 20kr from the Eidfjord tourist office.
