Bikepacker - Grenland region

About

2-day tour in the Grenland area with a quick visit to Kongsberg municipality. The tour offers many options for detours: to Lake Farris, Mount Styggmann, and around Siljan and Luksefjell.

From the starting point at Porsgrunn station, the route heads out of the beautiful Bjørkedalen valley along the railway which passed into history in autumn 2018; to Oklungen. This marks the start of the gravel road up the Orholtdalen valley with Svarteberget on the east side. After 19 kilometres, you pass Årholtstua, an old farm now run by the local travel association. The route continues through the forest landscape and, after a descent, returns to the asphalt at Kiste. Here you can add a small loop to the bathing place by the dam or shorten the route by cycling through the centre of Siljan.

The tour continues around Kistekollen hill and up to county road 32 at Mælakollen hill. From here, it’s downhill on a busier road to the crossroads towards Grorud. This is also the last place to get supplies for the next 75 kilometres! The next 25 kilometres climb gently through attractive terrain that changes from cultivated landscapes to forest as you pass Grorud heading towards Lake Myklevann. We are now in Buskerud county, and the route reaches its highest point between Lakes Myklevann and Ramsvann.

After 65 kilometres, there is a tough kilometre off road before coming out onto Hoppestulvegen road and crossing the county boundary again. From here, the route crosses on to Øktervegen road towards Besstul and continues down along the River Besstulelva. 

If you have plenty of time and want to extend the route, there are many options in the Sauheradfjella area. And with a fishing permit from Grenland Sportsfiskere, this is a paradise for anglers. We continue to follow the River Busstulelva down to Luksefjell Church and across Lake Luksefjellvannet. At the crossroads, you can choose to cycle on a good gravel road along the east side of the lake or stick to the route and cycle on the west side of the lake along Grønnsjøvegen road and past Sildrevika until the two roads meet again along the River Moelva.

From here, the route heads gradually downhill and past the motor sports centre at Flittig, where it returns to asphalt. Here we start to see built-up areas on the approach to Skien. A short distance after Grenland Golf Club at Jønnevall, we turn off Luksefjellvegen road towards Børsesjø lake and wetland area with its fantastic bird life. There is a lookout tower here for keen birdwatchers and photographers. We continue on the east side of the lake to Sneltvedt. Now we are in the Gjerpensdalen valley, Grenland’s pantry, with the canal from Børsesjø to the River Leirkupelva, which flows into the centre of Porsgrunn. We follow the roads through the cultivated landscape all the way to the school area and sports ground at Kjølnes. After a few hundred metres, we’re back at Porsgrunn station.