The farmers battle

It was here at the foot of the magnificent Raundalen that a dramatic event occurred in 1177. The newly crowned King Sverre Sigurdson and his army were marching from the east of Norway to Bergen to recruit soldiers and procure weapons for their army. But, the whole of Norway had not submitted to King Sverre and there was great resistance in Vestlandet. On their march the bloodthirsty army were able to plunder whole communities without any real opposition. But in Voss they heard word that King Sverre was on his way and farmers from the whole area came together to stop the king. The farmers of Vestlandet eat a lot of fish and lamb and are not easily scared. They turned up with what they had to hand to defend themselves and stopped the King and his army in their tracks. The King was forced to retreat and he and his army fled up the steep hillside with their tails between their legs, chased from behind by the angry farmers of Voss. The trail King Sverre and his army took is today known as the “Sverrestigen” and is a popular walking trail. King Sverre was the 28th King of Norway and reigned from 1177 to 1202. He did eventually gain a foothold in Vestlandet and actually lived out his last days in Bergen.