The small village of Dirdal
County road 45 runs through the valley from E39 at Ålgård to Øvre Sirdal. The bottom six kilometers of Dirdalen are wide and flat, this is where the village of Dirdal is situated. You will find a small harbour, farm shop and café, as well as Dirdal church, a small white long wooden church from 1903.
Surrounded by mountains
The mountain slopes that border the valley are partly steep and high sides and stretch on the south-west side up towards the mountain top Vådlandsknuten (811 m). The mountain top Ramnstoknuten juts up on the north side, with a fantastic view over both Dirdal, Høgsfjord and the neighboring valley Frafjord. From the village of Gilja further up in the valley, a four kilometer long tunnel runs through the mountain to Frafjord.
Via Giljajuvet gorge to Byrkjedal
Four kilometers further up, through the gorge Giljajuvet, lies Byrkjedal, where the road splits and goes to Vikeså and the E39 over Gloppedal and the mountain scree Gloppedalsura. Another road goes over to Maudal, while county road 45 continues up through the valleys Øvstebødalen and Hunnedalen and over to Sirdal and Setesdal. In Byrkjedal you will find Byrkjedalstunet, an old cheese factory that has been converted into a candle foundry, catering and accommodation.
