Øystese- Kvam rural museum

Årekol

Ådlandsvatnet

Plants that grow in and beside water have to be prepared for marked and rapid changes in their living conditions. They must be able to tolerate living under water without drowning, and getting totally dried out without whithering. Many swamp plants are well adapted to these kinds of changes.

Vinnesleira

Bays that are shallow far out into the sea, with fine sand and clay, are rare in Hordaland. Where they are found, the reason is usually that the edge of the glacier made smaller advances or stopovers when it calved back at the end of the last Ice Age. This is what happened at Vinnesleira.

Vernøya

If you smell a foul smell out in nature, you mustn't immediately think that the reason is cloaca from houses or cabins. The reason can be an entirely natural process that occurs when plants are broken down under special conditions. When there is little oxygen available, hydrogen sulphide can be produced. This is a gas that seeps up from the earth and smells like rotten eggs.

Verftet

Today the name “Verftet” is linked to both a district and conglomeration of buildings lying protected by Fredriksberg castle. The original shipyard was founded in the 1780s by Georg Brunchorst and Georg Vedeler. It was called Gerogenes Verft (the shipyards of the Georgs), and here ships were both built and repaired in the years after 1786.

Ulvikapollen

When the lush beach area innermost in Ulvikapollen was protected, the bird life was instrumental to the decision. The plant diversity is just as impressive. In Hordaland sea meadows such as this are rare small in size - they are more common in coastal environments.

Ulvenvatnet

Lake Ulvenvatnet is thought to be the most species rich wetlands in the municipality. Despite this, the area is not protected, nor is it likely ever to be.

Tyssedal

Today Tyssedal appears like a classical industrial community, a picture of modern Norway from the turn of the former century until today. A/S Tyssefaldene was established in 1906, and on 1 May 1908 Tyssedal power station was put into operation. The work on the first stage of the facility was completed in a short time, with a work force of 500 men. They built water tunnels, regulation reservoirs, power station, penstocks, harbour, cableways, office buildings, houses and 6 km of power lines in the wild mountains above Odda to provide the new melting plant with power.

Tysse

As early as 1862 Svein L.Røsseland started a country store and lodging house at Ytre Tysse, and later on he became steamship agent and the first post office manager in Samnanger. However, the decisive change came when F.Mathiessen started A/S Samnanger Uldvarfabrik (woollen factory) in 1886.