 The area was backed by the glaciers of the Hardangervidda and on the east any land force would have to go around the long, narrow, and deep waters of the Sørfjord or Eid Fjord.It was an ideal defensive position for Vikings.Christianity arrived in the 11th century, and the wooden Kinsarvik Church was built at Kinsarvik, which was an important economic centre in the region of inner Hardanger.