Blossom
Hardangerfjord blossom season: three weeks when the whole fjord flowers
For roughly three weeks between late April and mid-May, the orchards on the fjord slopes come into flower at once: white and pink above green water, with snow still on the tops behind them. It is the single most photographed thing in Hardanger and it is over faster than most visitors expect.
Quick answer
Blossom season in Hardanger runs roughly from late April to mid-May and lasts about three weeks. The exact dates move with the weather, and the flowering runs from the outer fjord inland and from low ground upwards, so if you miss it in one village you may catch it in the next. The boat trips are at their best in the same weeks: snowmelt fills every waterfall and the fjord is green rather than grey.
Blossom season, at a glance
- When
- Late Apr – mid-Mayabout three weeks
- Varies by
- Weather and altitudeand by which end of the fjord
- What flowers
- Apple, pear, plum, cherryin that rough order
- Where it is thickest
- Ulvik, Lofthus, Utneand the Sørfjorden slopes
- Also happening
- Peak snowmeltso the waterfalls are at full strength
- Boats
- All runningand the fjord is at its greenest
- Crowds
- Norwegians travel tooaccommodation books out
- Fruit stands
- Later in the yearblossom in spring, fruit in autumn
- Best light
- Eveninglow sun through the trees, water behind
- Cancellation
- Free to 24 hon every trip here
Why the orchards are here at all
Sixty degrees north, and apples
Deep water, sheltering mountains and very long days — at 60 degrees north.
Hardanger is at about sixty degrees north, further north than most of Canada’s population and roughly level with the southern tip of Greenland. Fruit growing at that latitude is not obvious, and it works for three specific reasons.
The fjord. Deep water holds heat and releases it slowly, so the slopes above it freeze later and warm earlier than land a few kilometres inland. The fjord also reflects light back onto the trees.
The mountains. They block cold air from the plateau and give the south-facing slopes shelter as well as sun.
The long days. At this latitude a June day is very long indeed, and fruit ripens on accumulated light as much as on heat. Hardanger apples are known for acidity and aroma precisely because they ripen slowly in cool conditions.
Monks are usually credited with bringing the first fruit trees here in the thirteenth century, and the industry has been continuous since. It is the largest fruit district in Norway and it produces cider with protected designation of origin.
Catching the blossom
Six practical notes
Three weeks, and they move.
- Do not book a year ahead for it
The dates shift with the spring. Book accommodation, keep the boat trip flexible, and watch local reports in April.
- Go inland if you are early, outward if you are late
Flowering runs from the outer fjord inland and uphill. There is usually somewhere in flower.
- Take the boat in the same trip
Snowmelt makes the waterfalls at their strongest in exactly these weeks.
- Book accommodation early
Norwegians travel for the blossom too, and the fjord villages are small.
- Drive the Sørfjorden
The long southern arm towards Lofthus and Utne is the densest orchard landscape in the country.
- Evening light
Low sun through white flowers with the fjord behind them is the photograph, and it happens after seven.
The same orchards produce cider with protected status, and several of the producers welcome visitors.
Cider and orchards→Where to see the blossom
Five stretches, in rough order of density
The orchards are not evenly spread along the fjord.
- Sørfjorden: Lofthus to Utne
The densest orchard landscape in Norway, on both sides of the arm.
- Ulvik
A bowl of fruit trees around the village at the head of its own arm.
- Kvam: Norheimsund and Øystese
Orchards on the slopes above both villages, and the easiest to reach from Bergen.
- Jondal
On the Folgefonna side, quieter and with the glacier behind.
- Any south-facing slope
The rule is simple: if it faces the sun and it is above the water, it is planted.
Common questions
Blossom season, answered
When is blossom season in Hardanger?
Roughly late April to mid-May, lasting about three weeks. The exact dates move with the weather each year.
Where is the blossom thickest?
Along the Sørfjorden arm around Lofthus and Utne, and around Ulvik. The slopes there are almost continuous orchard.
Is it worth planning a trip around?
If you can be flexible by a week, yes. It coincides with peak snowmelt, so the waterfalls are also at their strongest.
Do the boats run during blossom season?
Yes, all of them, and it is one of the best times to be on the water here.
Will I be able to buy fruit?
Not in spring — that is the flowering. Fruit stands and cider appear from late summer into autumn.
How busy is it?
Busy. Norwegians travel for the blossom as well, and the fjord villages are small. Book accommodation early.
Go deeper
More on the Hardangerfjord
Hardangerfjord boat tours
What the trips are, where they leave from and what you see.
The verdictWhich trip is best
Seven trips ranked, and which village to start from.
From BergenFrom Bergen
Two hours by road, and what actually fits into a day.
NorheimsundNorheimsund
The village with the waterfall you can walk behind.
FyksesundFyksesund
The narrow arm, the bridge and why the boats go in.
EidfjordEidfjord
The inner end, under the plateau and Vøringsfossen.
