hkskyline's 2018 Road Trip in Spectacular Norway

[hkskyline]

To appreciate what Norway has to offer, you need to drive long distances and make many unexpected stops along the way. A standard itinerary covering 1/3 the length of the country can easily fill 2 weeks, with every day being long and intense thanks to the midnight sun. My road trip could only go as north as Trondheim.

Section 1 : Oslo to Bergen (2 days)

The route between Oslo and Bergen is quite popular among tourists. For single travellers, many go for a public transport itinerary with a combination of rail and ferry connections. For a larger group, I would suggest renting a car, as you can stop along the way to enjoy the mountain scenery.

From Oslo to Bergen ...



For a food break, some gas stations offer hot meals at a more reasonable price. Norway is a very high-cost country.



While I had a specific list of attractions in mind along the journey, there were also many other random places that are worth a few minutes' break.

















Near Hemsedal







You can easily have nature all to yourself. Other cars do occasionally pass but there are even less stopping and taking a look at the view.













I didn't see that many trailers on the roads. With such natural beauty, this way of touring the country would be quite sweet as well.













The Borgund Stave Church was built in 1180 and was purchased by the National Trust of Norway in 1877 for preservation.







The E16 highway connecting Oslo and Bergen turns into a tunnel across the mountains at Laerdal. For a more scenic way through the topography, head uphill along the Aurlandsfjellet, which opened as a construction access road in 1967. Reaching 1306m above the sea level, this road has various viewpoints along the way.



































Although most of this road is closed for the winter, the section from Stegastein is open year-round. This viewpoint juts out 30m from the cliffside, 650m above the Aurlandsfjord.







More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/norway.htm
Next Stop : Bergen to Hardangerfjord
 

[xzmattzx]

Nice pictures!

[hkskyline]

Section 2 : Bergen to Hardangerfjord (1 day)

With good weather in Bergen, I had an extra day to make a day trip out of the city. The weather was also very nice today, so it would be a pleasant but long drive out to Hardanger, a 179km-long fjord that is at most 900m deep. The drive is easy enough - head Oslo-bound on the E16 to Vossevangen and change to the 13.





A good break from the long drive is Skjervsfossen, which drops 150m over 2 falls. You will approach from the top end, which has a parking lot with a neat bathroom for you to observe the raging river.





















Highway 13 crosses the fjord in a tunnel-and-bridge combination, an engineering feat. The southern end has a small park where you can catch a glimpse of the bridge. You won't see any approach roads on the other side as the highway enters into the tunnel right away.



Change to highway 7, which runs along the southern edge of the fjord. The next major town is Eidfjord.







Highway 7 then makes its way uphill through a number of tunnels, yet another engineering marvel. Do stop at the various pull-outs along the way, hike out and enjoy the views.



There are no safety railings, catch nets, and other gear to keep you away from nature, raw and wild. Take care when leaning against the cliff edges.











The furthest point on today's drive would be the Fossli Hotel, which is perched at the top of the fjod and overlooks another waterfall.









More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/norway.htm
Next Stop : Bergen to Stryn
 

[hkskyline]

Section 3 : Bergen to Stryn

The drive from Bergen north to Trondheim is long but extremely scenic. Don't rush through it. Take your time and make plenty of detours. I took 4 days to explore this small quadrant of Norway and thought it was a bit rushed.

The E39 highway passes through many small towns and fjords as it heads north from Bergen. With few cars, make safe stops along the way when the scenery appeals to your senses.





The road turns into a ferry at Ytre Oppedal. Many highways in the country pass through bodies of water, and regular ferries transport both vehicles and people across, where the road resumes.











After the first ferry ride, the highway winds its way around the coast through a number of small towns.













At Vadheim, leave the highway and take the 55 along the coast for a beautiful detour.









A good lunch stop is the larger town of Balestrand, where you can eat by the coastline and admire the clear fjord waters.





After filling up, head along the coast a little more then inland on the 13.













The road will start zig-zagging uphill. This is the Gaularfjellet, one of the country's 18 scenic routes. Originally requested in 1853, it finally opened in 1938 and became a major transport route across the mountain. Stop at the Utsikten observation area where you can admire the road's ascent as well as the mountain backdrop at 700m above sea level.









After enjoying the view, continue down the 13 as it winds through a few lakes on the way back to the E39.



More photos on my website.

[hkskyline]

Gamle Strynefjellsvegen

Stryn is a good base to explore several scenic drives in the region. From my beautiful apartment with a view, I set off early to Gamle Strynefjellsvegen.



Along the way, the road skirts the southern edge of Oppstrynsvatn, offering good lake and mountain views that are worth a stop or two.





The Gamle Strynefjellsvegen was built to cater for tourists in 1894. It took Swedish immigrants over 10 years to build this mountain road, and a team of some 200 people kept it clear during the winter up until the 1950s. Although 27km long, prepare to spend a few hours slowly enjoying the drive and making many stops along this national scenic route.

























More photos on my website.

[xzmattzx]

Great pictures!

[ColDayMan]

Awesome!

[SIGSEGV]

Wow Norway is gorgeous. I've always wanted to visit but scared of the cost.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

Wow Norway is gorgeous. I've always wanted to visit but scared of the cost.

Going as a group and cooking at the BnB helped tremendously. The car rental and gas were expensive but restaurant dining soars over the roof very quickly. Self-catering, including packing sandwiches for lunch on the road (while enjoying all that beautiful scenery) are essential to keep a Norway road trip affordable.

[hkskyline]

After the last part, it was time for a lunch break. After filling up, it was time to visit the Dalsnibba viewpoint, a key scenic spot of the surrounding mountains and Geirangerfjord from 1500m above sea level.









The Nibbevegen toll road opened in 1939 and is only open from the late spring to early autumn. There is a large parking lot at the top and you are surrounded by plenty of great views.

























More photos on my website.

[hkskyline]

Heading back downhill, continue along the 63 into town at the edge of the Geiranger fjord. There would likely be many other tourists around you with some big boats offshore. Past the town, the Eagle Road goes up a number of hairpin bends for this postcard shot.





Parking for the viewpoint here is more scarce but the reward is worth the wait.



With the summer midnight sun, we comfortably continued past Geiranger to 1 more major attraction in the area, Trollstigen. This road across the mountains was opened by King Haakon VII in 1936 with 11 hairpin turns. If coming from the south, you will start at the maximum elevation of 858m above sea level and descend down.

The tourist infrastructure is well developed with a large parking lot and paths leading to the viewpoint platform.









Despite what they look like from above, it is quite easy to drive this road and there is enough space for cars to pass each other.









More photos from my road trip here : https://www.globalphotos.org/norway.htm