Vassfaret Wilderness

Vassfaret is a forested mountain valley stretching 30 kilometres between Hallingdal and Valdres, one of the last areas in southern Norway to preserve genuine wilderness character. The valley was home to Norway's last native brown bear population, a connection that inspired the Bjørneparken wildlife park in nearby Flå. People lived in Vassfaret from the mid-18th century until 1921, working some 20-30 summer farms among steep rock walls, waterfalls, and old-growth forest. The abandoned farmsteads still dot the valley floor. Bjørneparken, opened in 1997, houses brown bears, wolves, lynx, and wolverine alongside family-friendly attractions, drawing around 80,000 visitors a year.