Drive it Yourself: Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road
The Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road is a short but incredibly diverse mountain road between the villages of Lærdal and Aurland near Flåm in Western Norway.
The road is 45km in total length, and it has earned the nickname ‘Snow Road’ because snow typically remains on the mountains all year round.
With most of the tourist roads in Norway, you really can do them in either direction. For Aurlandsfjellet, however, I strongly recommend you start at Lærdal and head to Aurland. The reveal of the mountains and fjords is much more dramatic.
Aurlandsfjellet was completed in 1967, and it used to be the main road between the two towns. Since 2000, however, the main highway E16 has gone through the new Lærdal Tunnel instead. The Lærdal Tunnel is 24.5km long, making it one of the longest tunnels in the world. You can take the tunnel, I mean it is quicker, but the Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road is much more fun!
Here’s my guide on where to stop for photos and what to do on the Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road.
In this article...
Download this Guide
All of our guides can be downloaded via my online store.
I offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on my online store.
Online Guide
- Information about points of interest
- Images of each point of interest
- Historic overview of the neighbourhood
- Directions between points
- Historic photos
- Information about facilities along the way
Downloadable Guide
- Information about points of interest
- Images of each point of interest
- Historic overview of the region & towns
- Directions between points
- Historic photos
- Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.
Watch on Youtube
All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like.
Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road
Lærdal
This drive begins in Lærdal, a historic trading town. Originally, the main market town used to be across the fjord in Kaupanger (see my article on Kaupanger Stave Church). However, some time in the 15th or 16th century, it moved acoss to Lærdal.
Lærdal is on the historic postal route between Bergen and Oslo. When coming from Oslo, Lærdal was the place where the postal workers would leave their horses and embark on boats. They would dock at Gudvangen, take horses to Bolstadoyri, and then take boats to Bergen.
In Lærdal you have to stop at the historic district. These are a collection of preserved wooden houses from the 17th to 19th centuries. The main street is Øyragata, and you can see different architectural styles from traditional building customs to Swiss and Art Nouveau, and then Classicism and Functionalism. There’s a telecommunications and postal museum in the town today.
Another attraction is the Norwegian Wild Salmon Centre, which was opened by King Harald in 1996. It has a salmon ladder, salmon observatory, rapids with live fish, exhibitions, cafes and restaurant.
Vedhaugane
Scenic Stop
This is a scenic overlook of the mountains. From here, you can see the Jotunheimen massif – on a clear day! A walkway and an ‘infinity’ bench curve away from the road.
Flotane
Scenic Stop
This is where you feel like you are on top of the world! There’s a rest area with benches and restrooms – they are only open in the summer.
Stegastein Viewpoint
Scenic Stop
This is where you feel like you are on top of the world! There’s a rest area with benches and restrooms – they are only open in the summer.
Aurland
We’ve made it to Aurland! That was easy. There’s a lot to see and do in Aurland, so don’t simply pass through it on your way to Flåm. In fact, Aurland is the more peaceful version of Flåm.
The Previous Drive
Sognefjellet Tourist Road
Drive through the dramatic Sognefjellet Tourist Road to reach the Sognefjord.
This drive is part of the multi-day series “The Ultimate Norwegian Road-trip”, where we cover the best of Norway in an incredible 10 day drive. You can view the whole road-trip via the link below.
If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!
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