In the heart of southern Norway stretches Jotunheimen nasjonal park, the Jotunheimen National Park. Its name has its roots in the distant past of Germanic-Scandinavian mythology and literally Jotunheimen translates as “Land inhabited by Giants”. Such a title is quite justified: the area of the park is 1,150 square kilometers, which has 250 peaks above 1,900 meters. Here is also the highest point of the whole of Scandinavia – mountain Galhöpiggen (2469 m) and the biggest waterfall – Vettisfossen (the height of the water fall – 275 m).
In December 1980, the area received the status of a national park, and since then, the popularity of the Giant’s Land has been growing every year. Numerous waterfalls, mountain rivers and lakes, glaciers and colorful valleys serve as the main trump card in competition with other wilderness parks throughout Europe. And, according to many tourists, the Jutunheimen deservedly occupies the top position in this ranking.
Jutunheimen Park is located 350 km northwest of the Norwegian capital, Oslo.
The best way to get to Jutunheim is by bus. Go to the village of Gjendesheim, where the hiking route begins. The trip is long and takes up to 5 hours. But you’ll like the trip – the bus is very comfortable, a few stops along the way – you can stretch and buy ice cream. It may not be as tasty as in Iceland, but it’s great too.
The bus leaves from the bus station in Oslo at 8:45 and 10.15. To find the bus station is not difficult – it is located next to the central station of the railway station (which is where you arrive by shuttle from the airport). Tickets cost about 350 CZK, there are group discounts, you can buy a ticket directly from the driver.
The first thing you will see is fjord-like lake Gjende, which is 25 kilometers long.
The next lake, Russvatnet, is no less picturesque due to the bright color of the water and the surrounding greenery.
Then there will be rugged Norwegian landscapes, mountain passes, rocky trails, reindeer, large plateaus, lots of springs and lakes – it’s all beautiful, but the trail is not easy.
When you come to the Spitterstuhlen Shelter, you will be unspeakably happy to rest, be able to charge your phones and take a hot shower.
This is where the ascent to the highest peak of Norway – Galhöpiggen (2469 m) begins, during which you will be accompanied by unique views of the mountain giants.
Separately, we would like to mention Kirkja Mountain, at the foot of which you can spend the night. Although you will not climb to the top, but its profile is very beautiful, especially its reflection in the waters of Lake Leirvastnet.
At the end of the hike, after crossing numerous passes with mountain rivers and lakes, you will see one of the highest waterfalls in Europe, Vettisfossen. Tons of water fall here from 275 meters high and turn into a water cloud. It’s a fascinating sight.
In the distant past, even before the creation of the Earth, out of the ice of one of the streams of Niblheim (the land of ice and mists) came into existence the first living creature – a snowy giant named Ymir. Under his left hand grew a man and a woman, and from his feet was born the six-headed giant Trudgelmir, the progenitor of the giant-otun family.
Some of the Aesir (gods) decided to kill Ymir and thereby create the world from his body: from meat – dry land, from blood – water, from bones – mountains, from teeth – rocks, from hair – forest, from brain – clouds, and from skull – the firmament.
So much blood flowed from Imir’s wounds that all the giants were drowned in it. Only Bergelmir (“Roaring like a bear”), son of Trudgelmir and grandson of Imir, escaped the flood of blood on the ark with his wife and children. From him and his nameless wife came a new tribe of “frost giants,” the Jutuns, with a stone head and heart. The land on which they dwell is called Jutunheim, “The Land of Giants.
Witches were found in these places at night, and troll women during the day. And finally, with the arrival of the Norns, three female witches, time was divided into past, present, and future, and life was divided into birth and death.
Nowadays, the chances of encountering junks, trolls, and witches are very slim. But legends say that such phenomena as storms, rockslides, and other natural disasters are clear manifestations of the power of mythical beings that once lived here.