Blomberg
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High up on the mountainside on the south bank you can see a long, old wooden building. This is Blomberg, one of the oldest farms on the Geiranger fjord. If you are in good shape, you can walk up to Blomberg from the beach along a steep path with 28 hairpin bends. The view from the farm, 450 metres above the fjord, is well worth the strenuous climb. People have been living at Blomberg since the 1600s. The forest provided firewood and timber for sale, the farm had access to good mountain pastures and hunting grounds, and there was an abundance of fish in the fjord. However, the terrain was so steep that here and there, the farm folk had to secure themselves with ropes while making hay for their livestock. They also lived in constant fear of rockslides and avalanches, which finally drove them away from the farm in 1947. Blomberg farm is also unique in that the farmhouse and the barn are joined, with an external gallery that permitted the farm folk to attend to their livestock without having to go out in winter. They had 70 goats that grazed on the hillsides leading down to the fjord. Most likely, the goats would also graze on the roof. The buildings have turfed roofs, which keep houses cool in summer and warm in winter.