Detour #70: Trollstigen, Norway
Photo: Ivars Utinans / Unsplash
First a word of caution. Not about the trolls that give this incredible road its name, but about the tourists who flock to drive it. The Trollstigen (Troll’s tongue) road is the most popular tourist drive in Norway with more than half a million visitors each summer.
So, as we always recommend, if you want to enjoy the drive up this marvel of engineering in a landscape of pure natural wonder, then start when the sun rises and the tourists are still sleeping.
Begin in Andalsnes, Norway’s mountaineering capital and follow take the 63 south through pine forests and towards the spectacular peaks ahead.
When you reach the bottom of the Trollstigen you’re in for a treat. No less than 11 hairpin bends will elevate you to the dizzying 852m peak, at which point you’re still dwarfed by the surrounding mountains which reach double that height. Each corner has its own name, often one that comes from the construction worker who oversaw its building back in the 1930s.
Carved right out of the mountainside itself, this road is a breathtaking drive, with genuinely awe-inspiring views through the mountains. As the road is only open in the summer months it is well-surfaced and its combination of kinks, sweepers and tight switchbacks make the ascent exciting.
At the top you’ll find a cantilevered lookout, where those not afraid of heights can gaze down on their achievement.
Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Ivars Utinans / Knut Troim / Kristoffer Eknes / Mark Konig / Unsplash
