The Valdresbanen was a 108-kilometre railway line through Valdres that carried timber, slate, and passengers for decades. It closed for regular traffic on 1 January 1989. The tracks between Dokka and Hov are still there, and you can ride them on a draisine, a pedal-powered rail tricycle.
The route is 23.7 kilometres one way along the Dokka delta and Randsfjorden, crossing bridges and passing through fields, dense forest, and cliff cuttings. It takes about two and a half hours to pedal the full distance. You can choose between single and tandem draisines, rented at either Hov or Dokka. The draisines are available from around 20 June until the first snow.
Bicycle helmets and high-visibility vests are mandatory. The pedalling is not hard, but you are committed once you start. There is no shortcut back. If you rent at one end, you need to arrange return transport or pedal back the way you came.
It is a genuinely enjoyable way to spend half a day, and the landscape along Randsfjorden is beautiful. Just make sure you know the logistics before you set off.
The route is 23.7 kilometres one way along the Dokka delta and Randsfjorden, crossing bridges and passing through fields, dense forest, and cliff cuttings. It takes about two and a half hours to pedal the full distance. You can choose between single and tandem draisines, rented at either Hov or Dokka. The draisines are available from around 20 June until the first snow.
Bicycle helmets and high-visibility vests are mandatory. The pedalling is not hard, but you are committed once you start. There is no shortcut back. If you rent at one end, you need to arrange return transport or pedal back the way you came.
It is a genuinely enjoyable way to spend half a day, and the landscape along Randsfjorden is beautiful. Just make sure you know the logistics before you set off.