Sauland is the administrative centre of Hjartdal municipality, a small village at the confluence of the rivers Hjartdøla and Skogsåa, which together form the Heddøla.
Since the Mælefjelltunnelen opened in 2019, the E134 bypasses Sauland completely. The village is now on the old road, which is also the route you take if heading north to Rauland via Åmotsdalen. That side road is scenic but narrow with tight turns; not suitable for large motorhomes.
Sauland church dates from 1859, the newest of the three churches in the municipality. Before it, a medieval stave church called Holmskyrkja from around the 1200s stood on the headland where the cemetery is today. Its baptismal font is now preserved at Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo.
The area around Sauland is known for the mineral thulite, a pink manganese-rich variant of zoisite. It was first discovered about 200 years ago between the farms Kleppen and Øvstebø, north of the village. The mineral is named after Thule, the ancient name for Scandinavia.
The village has a grocery store, a petrol station, and the municipal offices. It is a quiet place, mainly a stop on the way to Rauland or the mountains.
Since the Mælefjelltunnelen opened in 2019, the E134 bypasses Sauland completely. The village is now on the old road, which is also the route you take if heading north to Rauland via Åmotsdalen. That side road is scenic but narrow with tight turns; not suitable for large motorhomes.
Sauland church dates from 1859, the newest of the three churches in the municipality. Before it, a medieval stave church called Holmskyrkja from around the 1200s stood on the headland where the cemetery is today. Its baptismal font is now preserved at Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo.
The area around Sauland is known for the mineral thulite, a pink manganese-rich variant of zoisite. It was first discovered about 200 years ago between the farms Kleppen and Øvstebø, north of the village. The mineral is named after Thule, the ancient name for Scandinavia.
The village has a grocery store, a petrol station, and the municipal offices. It is a quiet place, mainly a stop on the way to Rauland or the mountains.