– It’s not hard to see that Magnus is happy to go on a trip here, says friend Elise Lavrac.
Five-year-old Magnus Nedrebø Halvorsen loves to go out into nature and meet people.
Now he could curl up high and see the treetops in Firestal.
More than a kilometer of new footpath leads upwards, giving everyone a chance to see the spectacular view.
– That’s great. It’s easy to roll here, says Elise Lavrac.
Tretopveien in Fyresdal makes it possible for everyone to get up high and enjoy the view.
Photo: Visit TELEMARK
The price is 20 million
It costs more than NOK 20 million. The small municipality of Telemark with a population of 1,300 contributed NOK 7.5 million.
Aslak Momrak-Haugen, Forestry Manager in Byrastal, said many people were skeptical when they saw the crazy plans and costs.
“Many people were skeptical at the beginning, but today when people go here, they are very impressed and see that we have achieved something unique,” says Aslak Momrak-Haugen, Forestry Manager at Firestal.
Photo: ROALD MARKER / NRK
– It has turned out to be even more beautiful than it looked when the project was designed, he says.
The aim is to attract more customers to the shops and tourists to the village.
It has done that. Already in June, the number of tourists has increased.
– There are always a lot of people here. 95 percent of them are viewers we don’t know. We are delighted, says Momrak-Haugen.
The store in the village has seen a 20 percent increase in turnover in the past four weeks, according to store manager Linda Aus.
It does something for a village to have such an attraction. It’s absolutely certain, says Linda Aus, a shopkeeper in Firestal.
Photo: ROALD MARKER / NRK
– Tretopveien is worth noting here. It’s great for the municipality to spend and invest so much money the way they did. We are very happy with that,” says As.
Priced at NOK 20 million
According to the municipality, tourists come from all over southern Norway, including foreign countries.
They’ve got good marketing help: put Norway on your list of places to visit this summer.
Those NRK meetings on Tretoppveien attract.
Tretopveien has in a short time become a popular tourist attraction for the small municipality in Telemark.
Photo: Visit TELEMARK
– Incredibly organized. says Jan Erik Bjelland from Grimstad, who is in a wheelchair.
Many describe it as a fascinating and wonderful natural experience.
– I saw the building and it is a true masterpiece, says Trond Sädre.
– We can see fjords and trees. Benny van der Berg and Anse Kolkman from the Netherlands found it very interesting.
– We can see fjords and trees. It was very interesting, say Benny van der Berg and Anse Golkemann.
Photo: ROALD MARKER / NRK
The municipality has emphasized that the offer is free. But the forest manager points out that it is not allowed to charge entry fee as it is an outlying area under government protection.
– Money should not be spent here, people should enjoy it for free. We will stick to it, he says.
– Unique in Norway
The Norwegian Association for the Disabled believes that Tretopveien is a unique attraction in Norway.
– This is especially unique in Norway. Oslo has Stovnertårnet, which is the same height but a quarter the length. Similar offers exist, but at ground level, says Magnhild Sørbotten, vice president of the Norwegian Handikapforbund.
– It is very important to be able to participate in the same leisure activities as others. Here they were all able to think, says Markit Sorbotten, vice president of the Norwegian Association for the Disabled.
He appreciates that this program is suitable for everyone.
– We think it’s fantastic. There are too many tourist attractions that are not accessible to everyone. Here, everyone can participate in the whole experience, says Sørbotten.
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