Halne is sitting at 1,140 metres on the edge of Hardangervidda National Park. For centuries, this was a crucial waypoint on the ancient crossing routes over the plateau.
These trails, called the Nordmannsslepene, date back to prehistoric times. Cattle were driven across to markets in the east, and traders from Hardanger carried tallow and salt to the silver mines at Kongsberg. When the Bishop of Stavanger made his long journey to visit parishes in Hallingdal and Valdres, this is where he would swap his guides - because he could only demand transport within his own diocese. Eidfjord actually belonged to Stavanger diocese from 1126 to 1631 specifically "for the sake of transport" across the mountains.
Halne Fjellstugu has been here since 1933, run as a family business until new owners took over in 2016.
If you want to get deeper into the plateau in summer, there's a boat called Halnekongen that takes you 13 kilometres into the wilderness. The service has run since 1954.