Setesdal is the name given to the long valley of the Otra River, which cuts deep into the heart of a region of high plateaux, wending its way south, before flowing into the Skagerrak at Kristiansand. The valley is littered with little villages and remote farms with characteristic architecture (houses with wooden beams and lofts on stone piles). The varied folklore - richly embroidered costumes, traditional music and dances, crafts revolving around sculpting wood and jewellery making - make this a pleasant region to explore.