Roundtrip: Leirvik - Fjellgardane (20km)

A lovely walk through beautiful scenery and charming areas of housing development.

Surface: Tarmac/gravel path

Degree of difficulty; Average

Length: 20 km

Time: 2.5 hours

Max. altitude: 160 metres

Starts at Kulturhuset in the centre of Leirvik. Cycle through the town centre and continue up Borggata street. If you would like to visit Sunnhordland Museum, you can turn left up Skrivarvegen road and take the first right. At the top of the hill, you come to Sunnhordlandstunet – a farm cluster of eleven old buildings where there is a historical exhibition, a café that is open at weekends and lots more.
You then continue on your left along Skrivarvegen road, past the church and up Hystadvegen road. After 2.3 km, you can turn right onto Valevegen road (a 30-km zone). This is a narrower road with very little traffic and a nice view of the sea. Alternatively, you can cycle on up Hystadvegen road.
After cycling three km on Valevegen road, you come to the premises of the business Leirvik AS. From here, you continue up to the left along Storhaugvegen road. After a further 0.7 km, you come to a pedestrian crossing where you turn right into an area of gravel, where the road through Hystadmarkjo – the biggest alder forest in Northern Europe – starts. There are benches and a toilet here. You must push your bike along the roughly two-km long trail but it's worth it. At the end of Hystadmarkjo, you come to a large marina. Cycle along the marina and follow Sjoarvegen road back up to Hystadvegen road, where you turn right. After a total 7.3 km, you can take a detour to your left to Stord Golfpark. There is a good gravel road around the golf course. When you have cycled 7.7 km, you come to a sign for Rommetveit. Turn right past Samhaldet and cycle up a narrow, local road (Krokane) where you cycle through a small area of idyllic cultural landscape. After cycling 0.8 km, you come down onto Klingenbergvegen road. If you turn right, you come to Breidvik, a small beach with a wharf, tables and benches. Cycle back up Klingenbergvegen road, past HVL (school) and onto Rommetveitvegen road.
After cycling roughly 11 km, you come to the E39 road. You cross this road and cycle up Fjellgardsvegen road. After 4.8 km, you come to Saneset. Just before the E39 road, you turn right down to a small area of gravel where you then follow a narrow gravel path along Ådlandsvatnet lake. After almost one km, you arrive at the beach by Ådlandsvatnet lake, which is a lovely spot for swimming, and where there are also tables and benches. When you have cycled 0.5 km, you come to an intersection under Ådlandsbrua bridge where you keep cycling straight ahead towards Krækjen Oppdrettsanlegg (fish farm) and up the hill to the left. You then come out onto Ådlandsvegen road, which you follow down again to Stord Church. Then follow Hystadvegen road to the right back to the centre of Leirvik.