Great hiking area in both forest and on mountain. Starting point is 3.5km from Vrådal Hyttegrend.
Veneli Hiking Area has four exiting hiking recommendation (3 - 7.2 km). Venelifjell hike takes you to the peak of Veneli mountain, situated 904 meters above sea level. The starting point is Bendiksmyr parking, 4.5km from the RV41 toll payment box.
To get to Bendiksmyr from Vrådal Hyttegrend, follow road 41 towards Vrådal centre. Take a right at the sign for Veneli Parking 4.5km. From here, the road is a private dirt road. after 1.5km, there will be a box where you will be requires to pay the toll payment. The toll is 70 NOK and can be payed with cash or card. From here, there is only 3km until you reach the parking lot. The lot is 640 meters above sea level, and is a great starting point for the following hikes. It is also possible to park by Vrådal Hyttegrend for those who wish for a longer hike (3km).
Venelitjørni, 800 m.a.s.l. t/r: 3 km – 1,5 hours. Total elevation: 195m. Difficulty: middle.
The trail first crosses a swamp where a path has been laid with wood. From here, there is a trail on rock until you arrive at Venlitjørni. Here you can bathe in the pond, and rest at the rest area. Beautiful mountain terrain and view. Hiking shoes recommended.
Venelifjellet, 905 m.a.s.l. t/r: 4,1km – 2,5 hours. Total elevation: 305m. Difficulty: middle.
From Venelitjørni, you can follow the trail all the way to the peak of Venelifjell (Veneli mountain). In clear weather, you can see all the way to the sea by Kragerø, as well as the mountains on Hardangervidda and Gaustatoppen. Dry terrain.
Venelifjellet roundtrip 7,2 km - 5 hours. Total elevation: 406m Difficulty: demanding.
From the peak, follow the hiking trail along the ridge of the mountain to the east. Great view of Grytedalen Nature Reserve. Here, you can often see the golden eagle hunt for it's pray. Here, grand boulders gives a spectacular background for taking imiges.
Venelifjellet roundtrip 6,9 km - 4 hours Total elevation: 321m Difficulty: middle .
This hike takes you through varying mountain and forest terrain. This is the kingdom of the elk. Most of the hike is on tractor roads. On the north side of Venelifjell, the hike follows an old horse trail through a protected, primeval forest. The hike passes two 'støyler' (sheilings), where the more than 100 year old cabin can be seen. The Venelistøyl cabin is open for visits. Between Tjørnstøyl and Venelistøyl you can see The Big Stone. It was left there by glaciers during the last ice age and is 10 meters tall and weighs over 1000 tons. Some wet areas.
