Two historical gems and neighbors along the Ribbon are the picturesque villages of Evanger and Bolstad. The old royal mail route between Bergen and Christiania (Oslo) once passed through these communities. In autumn the air here is filled with the captivating scents of delicious smoking meats.
The charming and colorful wooden houses of Evanger are all done in 1920’s style architecture, due to the massive fire that burned everything but the church and the school to the ground in 1923. This is the hometown of the Norwegian-American who reached the highest public position possible for a US immigrant - Minnesota Senator and Governor Knute Nelson. His small log cabin childhood home is located just outside the village center.
Lake Evanger and the Bolstad River separate Evanger and Bolstad. The rivers here were popular salmon fishing grounds of the English upperclass, or “salmon lords”, who regularly caught fish well over 30 kg. While the salmon is now protected, it is possible to fish in the summertime. Wild salmon must be thrown back into the river, while farmed salmon may be taken home.
The railroad village of Bolstad is situated at the mouth of the Bolstad River and the beginning of the Bolstadfjord. Like Evanger, quaint wooden houses also characterize Bolstad. A guesthouse from 1660 is among the oldest of these houses. An enormous 35m tall spruce tree dominates the village center. From the churchyard there is a marvelous view over the river and fjord. In times past these waters were vital for the transportation of goods and people by log raft to and from Bergen.
A visit to Evanger and Bolstad is a step back into the historical fjord land of rural Western Norway!