Sognefjord

  • Dombås, Lom, National Highways, Road-trips, Sognefjord, Vågåmo

    Drive it Yourself: Lom to Dombås on the Rv15 & E6

    Drive it Yourself: Lom to Dombås on the Rv15 & E6

    Here’s my guide from Lom to Dombås on the Rv15 and E6 highways. In June 2023 Sean and I decided to take a scenic road-trip through the fjords of Western Norway while the weather was good. My goal was to redo Trollstigen, which we had already done but only ever in bad weather. To get there, I thought it would be interesting to drive from Dombås along the Trollveggen mountains. This drive from Lom to Dombås doesn’t exactly have the most spectacular views, but it is a practical way of getting from west to east Norway. There are some interesting historic places along the way, and we cover those below. 

    In this article...

    Download this Guide

    All of our guides can be downloaded via our online store. 

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    View on 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.

    Lom to Dombås via the Rv15 and E6

    Lom Travel Guide

    Lom is a beautiful town and well worth a visit when in Norway. It is located between some of Norway’s most famous national parks and is home to Lom Stave Church, one of the most impressive stave churches left. 

    Lom Travel Guide

    Garmo

    Village

    Garmo is an interesting historic village. The village is mentioned in documents back to the 13th century as a major farm. Over the centuries it has been divided into smaller farms.

    One of the famous legends from Garmo is how it got its first church. The legend says that Torgeir, an old man from Garmo, was given fishing rights by King Olav (later Saint Olav) after a dispute in 1021 in exchange for converting to Christianity and building a church. The right to fish was always highly valued.

    Garmo Stave Church is from around 1130. The church is no longer in the village; it was moved to Maihaugen in Lillehammer in 1921. The writer and Nobel Prize winner Knut Hamsun was baptized at the stave church in Garmo. His childhood home was located near Lom.  

    Today the village is known for its tradition-rich fiddling community.

    Vågå Municipality

    We are now in the Våga municipality, which itself is located within the Otta Valley. The area is mentioned in the Old Norse Sagas, and it is said that King Olav stayed here while christianising the region. The population was told they had to become Christian, or their homes would be burned down.

    Most of the municipality is higher than 900m above sea level, and on the northern side of the valley the mountains can reach peaks of 1500m – 1600m above sea level.

    Valdresflye Tourist Road

    Just before reaching the village of Vågåmo, you’ll pass the turn to drive onto the Valdresflye Tourist Road, one of Norway’s 18 national tourist roads. You can learn more about it in a separate article. 

    Valdresflye Tourist Road

    Vågåmo

    Vågåmo is a small village with around 1,500 people living there. It is located by the Våga Lake. In the centre of town is the Vågå Chruch from the 17th century that was partly built with parts from an older stave church. The Vågå rectory (Ullinsvin) is where Edvard Munch’s great grandmother had a herb garden.

    Vågåmo is one of the driest areas in Norway but has been hit by floods and landslides. Extreme floods and landslides have occurred throughout history; the best known is from 1789 while the most recent major event was in 2006.

    Edvard Munch's Vågå

    Sel Municipality

    Sel is regarded as the gateway to some of the most beautiful mountain areas in Norway, including Rondane and Jotunheimen. The word ‘sel’ comes from the Old Norse ‘sil’, which means ‘still, flowing water’. Here there is little rainfall, cold winters, and warm summers.

    The village of Sel has several historic farmhouses. The famous novel “Kristin Lavransdatter” by Sigrid Undset is set in Sel on a fictional farm, and the movie from the 1990s was filmed here.

    Rondane National Park

    When the Rv15 meets up with the E6, there will be some turn-offs to head towards the Rondane National Park. We covered this in a separate article. 

    Rondane National Park

    Dovre Municipality

    Dovre is a municipality within the Gudbrandsdalen valley. Large parts of the municipality include the Rondane, Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella and Dovre national parks. The municipality is known for its rich flora and fauna, especially the musk ox. There are also populations of wild reindeer and wolverines.

    Dombås

    Dombås is a small town with a population of around 1,161 and is located at the northern part of Gudbrandsdalen. The village is a popular hub for access to the national parks in the surrounding area.

    In historic times, Dombås was an important station for travellers heading between Oslo and Trondheim. Today it is still an important transport hub, with the Dovrebanen and Raumabanen railways meeting here. Also, the E6 and E136 highways meet here.

    Dombås Travel Guide

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

    Previous Drive

    Lærdal to Lom

    See the previous day’s drive from Lærdal to Lom via Tindeveien and the Sognefjellet Tourist Road. 

    Lærdal to Lom

    Next Drive

    Dombås to Åndalsnes

    On the next drive, we take the E136 from Dombås to Åndalsnes, driving alongside the incredible Trollveggen mountain range. 

    Dombås to Åndalsnes
  • Årdal, Lærdal, Lom, Road-trips, Scenic Drives, Sognefjord

    Drive it Yourself: Lærdal to Lom via Tindeveien & Sognefjellet

    Drive it Yourself: Lærdal to Lom via Tindeveien & Sognefjellet

    Here’s my self-guided drive for the journey from Lærdal to Lom via the Sognefjellet Tourist Road. In June 2023, Sean and I decided to head out for a weekend in the fjords. Very good weather was forecast, and we didn’t want to miss an opportunity to see this area in the sun! The last time we did Sognefjellet, in September 2020, it was incredibly stormy and we missed all the views. 

    We left Bergen in the afternoon and had a brief break in Lærdal before beginning the journey. I didn’t know what to expect when driving through Årdal to get to Sognefejllet; I had never heard of Tindeveien before and figured it would just be some back road. But wow, was I wrong. Tindeveien was one of the most beautiful roads I have driven on in Norway. Why don’t more people know about it? Well, hopefully I can share it to other people driving in Western Norway.

    Here’s my guide to the very, very scenic drive from Lærdal to Lom via Tindeveien and Sognefjellet. 

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    Lærdal to Lom via Tindeveien & Sognefjellet

    Lærdal Travel Guide

    Lærdal has been a trading place since the Middle Ages and probably took over from the old Viking marketplace Kaupanger. Coastal farmers brought herring and fish and exchanged goods with mountain farmers from Valdres and Hallingdal. The Lærdal Market is first mentioned in written sources in 1596. It eventually ended but restarted in 1982 and is still held every year.

    Lærdal Travel Guide

    Sognefjord

    Fjord

    We are now driving along the Sognefjord, which is the longest and deepest fjord in Norway. It is 205km (approx. 125 mi) long and 1303m deep at its deepest point. The width varies from 1 to 2km up to 4 to 5km. Many of the mountains around the fjord are around 1,000 metres high.

    The Sognefjord has been an important transport artery since ancient times. From the innermost arms of the fjord it is a relatively short distance to the inland villages in Eastern Norway.

    The Sognefjord has good herring fishing. In the outer parts of the fjord, salmon has traditionally been fished. There is also some fish farming in the outer parts.

    Årdal Municipality

    Årdal has long been known as a municipality for heavy industry. In 1702, the Årdal Copperworks was established, and there were also sawmills and hydropower plants in this area. In 1948, aluminium production started in Årdal. The aluminium works has been the cornerstone company in Årdal for over 50 years. It was started by the Nazis furing World War II.

    In recent years there has been a lot of investment into tourism and green industries. The municipality has been featured on several television programs in recent years, and the hike in Øvre Årdal has become famous on social media.

    Årdal is still at the forefront of industrial technological development in the fields of aluminium, solar cell production and hydropower.

    Årdal

    Årdalstangen is the main town in Årdal municipality, with a population of around 1,3700. This is largely an industrial town, with a shipping port for the Aluminium company here. There is also a carbon plant, laboratory and administration building for Norsk Hydro here. The old mining office from 1702 is located at the administration building.

    Årdal Travel Guide

    Øvre Årdal

    Village

    Øvre Årdal is a settlement and industrial site. It is where the major aluminium plant is in the region. In Øvre Årdal you’ll also find the famous hiking trail called Tusenmeteren, which was the old road from Øvre Årdal to Valdres constructed in 1937. The train has become increasingly popular on social media because of its incredible views.

    Tindeveien

    Scenic Road

    Tindeveien is the old mountain road between Årdal and Turtagrø. The road is also the main link between the Sognefjord to the Jotunheimen National Park area. The road is only open from May to November due to snow. The road is also part of the shortest land connection between Bergen and Trondheim.

    The road does have a toll booth – payable by credit card. The toll booth is located at the highest point on the road, 1315 metres above sea level.

    Turtagrø

    Mountain Lodge

    Turtagrø is located at 900 metres above sea level and is a popular starting point for many hiking trips. The area has been an important stopping place on the road over the mountain between Lom and Skjolden for a long time. In the 1880s the farmer Ole Berge gave travellers food and shelter, and many Englishmen and pioneers in Nordic mountain sports came to his farm.

    The first hotel was built here in 1888 and helped developed the area as an important meeting place and haunt for mountaineers and hikers. Edvard Grieg also played at the hotel several times. The historic building burned down in 2001 and Ole Berge Draegni, the fourth generation owner, quickly planned a new hotel. It reopened in 2002. Ole Berge Draegni died in the flood disaster in Thailand in 2004. His daughter took over from him.

    The area, known as Hurrungane, is one of Norway’s most alpine areas, with 24 peaks over 2,000 metres above sea level. The peaks have sharp tops and are often separated by glacier formations. Many of the mountains require experienced climbers.

    Nedre Oscarshaug

    Photo Stop

    Nedre Oscarshaug is one of the popular photo stops on the Sognefjellet Tourist Road. Here you can see many of the mountains over the Hurrungane mountain range as well as the valley down to the Sognefjord.

    Sognefjellet

    Tourist Road

    The Sognefjellet Tourist Road is one of Norway’s 18 national tourist roads. It is located on the border between the Innlandet and Vestlandet counties. The mountain crossing has been used for centuries, and it was a popular trade route for bringing grain over from the east to the west.

    From the 19th century onwards, the area developed as a popular place for hikers and climbers, and a number of mountain lodges were established. The first road was completed in 1915, though it has been upgraded since then. Today it is one of the most popular tourist roads. The road is only open in the summer months.

    Innlandet County

    You will cross into Innlandet County, which is a county located in the inner parts of Norway. It has no connection to the sea. 

    Galdbygde

    Village

    Galdbygde is a small village with lodgings for the mountains. It is also where you take the road up to Galdhøpiggen, the highest mountain in Norway. Of course, you can’t drive all the way to the top. This takes you to the start of the hiking trail. 

    Lom Municipality

    You drive into Lom Municipality, which is where our final stop is. 

    Lom

    Welcome to Lom! Lom is a gorgeous village located between three national parks. It is also home to one of Norway’s most impressive stave churches. 

    Lom Travel Guide

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

    Next Drive

    Lom to Dombås

    Follow our next drive from Lom to Dombås. 

    Lom to Dombås
  • Balestrand, Bergen, European Highways, Road-trips, Sogndal, Sognefjord

    Drive it Yourself: Bergen to Balestrand on the E39

    Drive it Yourself: Bergen to Balestrand on the E39

    This drive really grew out of boredom. I was tired of always doing the same road out of Bergen. Follow the E16 towards Oslo. Surely there’s more to Bergen than that!

    The area north of the city always felt like a mystery to me, and it was one I wanted to explore.

    Balestrand, on the other hand is a place I knew very well. I have met many travellers who have passed through Balestrand as an alternative to touristy Flåm, and they loved it. I was curious – what was Balestrand like? Was it was amazing as I was hearing?

    So off we go. Exploring the hidden north above Bergen before visiting one of the most popular fjord towns in the country. 

    This drive was a delight. It’s so diverse and so scenic. The best part is that it doesn’t get crowded with tourists. 

    Be sure to combine it with the Gaulafjellet Tourist Road. 

    In this article...

    Download this Guide

    All of our guides can be downloaded via our online store. 

    We offer downloadable versions of our self-guided drives on our online store. 

    View at the 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. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: Bergen to Balestrand

    Bergen

    This drive begins in Bergen, the second-largest city in Norway. You can read our detailed guide to Bergen via the button below. 

    Bergen Travel Guide

    Nordhordland Bridge

    Bridge

    The bridge that we are going to cross first is the Nordhordland Bridge, a combined cable-stayed and pontoon bridge. It is 1.6km long. Plans have existed for the bridge since the 1960s, but it wasn’t funded until 1989. Construction started in 1991 and it opened in 1994. The bridge is the second-longest in Norway. 

    The floating section is a steel box girder bridge with ten pontoons, and it is like this because of the fjord’s depth. The fjord end of the main span is supported by a 30m (98ft) deep foundation, where the two bridges meet. It is the second pontoon bridge to be built in Norway. 

    The European Highway 39 is sometimes referred to as the coastal highway. It starts on the south coast of Norway, close to Kristiansand, and then follows the coast all the way up to Trondheim. There are many ferries along the road because the road practically hugs the coastline. 

    Alver Municipality

    Alver is a municipality just north of Bergen. Mongstad is Norway’s largest oil refinery, owned by Equinor and Shell, and is in the municipality. It is important to the business life here. Petrol, diesel oil, jet fuel and other products are produced at the factory and then sent abroad.  

    Knarvik

    Town

    The town we can see is Knarvik, the administrative centre of Alver. The E39 runs right through the middle of the village, cutting it into two. On the north is the Knarvik Senter, the largest shopping centre in the region. The southern part is older with its original buildings and shops. Knarvik has schools, a church, and an active community. The Knarvik upper secondary school is one of the county’s largest. 

    Before the 1970s, the community didn’t have more than 30 people in it. However, the council decided that Knarvik should be built up as a regional centre, and this caused the population to grow quickly. Because of this, Knarvik isn’t a very historic town, and the city centre does look a little 1970s. Now they are redoing the road, so it’s going to look like a messy construction site. 

    Masfjorden Municipality

    Masfjorden is a small municipality around the Masfjorden (a fjord). The entire municipality has a population of around 1,630 people. Masfjorden is an industrial municipality with construction, power, and water companies. There are large hydropower resrouces here because of the mountains and high rainfall. 

    Matre

    Town

    Matre is a small village with around 100 people living here. The Institute for Marine Research has a research station here. There is a fantastic museum here called the Bjørn West Museum, which shows the resistance struggle during World War II. 

    Gulen Municipality

    Gulen is a historic municipality. In historic times, the region was strategically located to both Hordaland (where Bergen is) and Sunnfjord (close to Ålesund). This was also the starting point for sailing into the Sognefjord. Finds from the Stone Age, Iron Age and Bronze Age indicate that this area has been used for thousands of years. 

    In Gulen was the Gulatinget, a place where chieftains and farmers from Western Norway gathered to settle legal disputes and pay homage to Norwegian hereditary kings. The ‘ting’ was established in 930 and the Gulating took place here for 400 years, when it was moved to Bergen. The kings, lords, and landowners met once a year and the hearing was governed by the appointed lawman. The Gulatinget is one of the most important institutions in older Norwegian history. The Gulating Act applied to most of Western Norway, the mountain areas of Valdres and Hallingdal, and the Faroe Islands and Shetland. The Gulating Act was considered one of the freest and most democratic laws in Europe 1,000 years ago. The laws in Norway today are based on the old Gulating laws. It is possible to visit the Gulatinget site today. 

    Gulen was important in the Christianisation of Western Norway. The first cross stood here before it was moved to the church Håkon Håkonsson built at Kyrkjehaugen. The areas importance eventually declined but remained an important agricultural area for the region. Gulen has many cultural relics from the Stone and Bronze Ages along the coast, and from the Viking Age around Eivindvik. There are also many old stone-built houses. 

    Otherwise, the municipality is important for agriculture and fishing. Fish farming is especially important to the community. The climate is like Bergen but snowier. 

    Oppedal - Lavik Ferry

    Ferry

    This is a short 20 minute ferry trip across the Sognefjord. 

    Høyanger Municipality

    Høyanger is part of the traditional region of Sogn, which surrounds the Sognefjord. Høyanger is known as having one of the first industrial towns in Norway. The steep mountains and rainfall were used for producing hydroelectricity needed for electrolysis. The main product produced here is aluminium. 

    The Sognefjord divides the municipality and is the fjord you will be following for the rest of the journey. The Sognefjord is Norway’s longest and deepest fjord, reaching 205km long and 1303m deep. The Sognefjord is the third-longest fjord in the world. 

    Aven

    Town

    Aven is a small village with around 15 people living here. The name comes from the word ‘vin’, which meant fertile plain in the Viking Age. There has been a settlement here for over 1,000 years but experienced depopulation after the Second World War. 

    Vadheim

    Town

    Vadheim is a small village with a population of around 238. 

    Høyanger

    Town

    Høyanger is a small settlement with around 1,983 people living there. It is an industrial town with an industrial park. The Høyanger Aluminium Works produces raw aluminium. There is also a car rim factory that supplies rims to the car factory Audi. 

    Sogndal Municipality

    Sogndal is a relatively new municipality; it was a merger between several different municipalities, including the old Balestand municipality. Sogndal is an old place and archaeological excavations show that people have been living here as far back as 700BC. Since ancient times, agriculture has been the most important trade. Fruit, especially apples, has been grown back as far as written sources.

    Sogndal emerged as an industrial community towards the end of the 19th century. There has been a matchstick factory here and later a wool mill and then a bottling plant for softdrinks and fruit juices. A hydroelectric plant was built here in 1911 and was one of the first ones to be built in rural Norway. 

    Balestrand

    Balestrand is the last stop on today’s drive and a perfect place to spend some time if you want to enjoy the fjords. Balestrand has been a well-known tourist spot since the end of the 1800s.

    Balestrand is home to Kviknes Hotel, a historic hotel from 1877. This hotel is where Kaiser Wilhelm II received the message about the outbreak of the First World War. The church has been owned by the Kvikne family ever since it opened. The hotel has 195 rooms.

    St. Olafs Church is a well-known wooden church from 1897. It is often known as the English church because one of the English tourists who visited in the 19th century, climbing pioneer Margaret Sophia Green, enjoyed the Norwegian mountains so much that she married the innkeeper of Kviknes Hotel, Knut Kvikne, and moved to the area. Sadly, she contracted tuberculosis and died in 1894. On her deathbed, she told her husband that she had a dream that an English church would be built in Balestrand.

    Knut Kvikne allocated a big plot of land close to the hotel and, with the generous help of monetary gifts from two American women, built the church. The church is designed to look like a stave church.

    Balestrand is also where you can visit an apple farm called Ciderhuset to go on a tour or buy some cider. There is also the Norwegian Reiselivsmuseum, or the Museum of Tourism in Norway, and the Sognefjord Aquarium. Tours on the fjord and to a nearby glacier can be organised from Balestrand.

    Balestrand Travel Guide
  • Førde, National Tourist Roads, Road-trips, Sognefjord

    Drive it Yourself: The Gaularfjellet Tourist Road

    Drive it Yourself: The Gaularfjellet Tourist Road

    Gaularfjellet is a mountain area that separates the traditional regions of Sogn and Sunnfjord. The mountains reach as high as 1,615 metres. The tourist road has been open since 1938 and is very popular because of the rapid transition from fjord to mountain. For many, though, it is still a well-kept secret as it is not as popular or well-known as the other tourist roads.

    The road was established as a tourist road because of its high number of waterfalls but also the engineering that went into building a road over the mountains.

    We decided to do this drive after heading to Balestrand for the day from Bergen. This tourist road isn’t as talked about as the others that I’ve been on, so I was curious to see exactly what it was like. I must admit – it was pretty neat! It’s not as spectacular as, say, Trollstigen or Hardanger, but there’s something charming about this tourist road. Maybe it’s because no one really knows about it. It’s much shorter than the other tourist roads, but in that short amount of time you’ll see some spectacular country. 

    In this article...

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    Watch on Youtube

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    The drive: Gaularfjellet Tourist Road

    Balestrand

    This drive begins in Balestrand, a scenic tourist town by the Sognefjord. 

    Balestrand Travel Guide

    Dragsvik

    Settlement

    Located just outside Balestrand, Dragsvik is a resort hotel and ferry pier. The ferry connects the settlement to the other side of the Sognefjord. The hotel has both cabins and rooms, and they provide lots of information about hikes in the region. 

    Gaularsfjellet Viewing Platform

    Photo stop

    The viewpoint opened in 2016. The viewpoint is a construction that has three ‘wings’ where you can take in unobstructed views over the mountains. There’s also a restroom here.

    Sunnfjord Municipality

    Sunnfjord is a traditional district and municipality. The central geographic characteristic of the region are the fjords and outdoor activities, including fishing, white-water rafting, and glaciers.

    Førde

    Førde is a town built up around the river Jølstra at the point where it flows into the Førdefjord. The town is surrounded by mountains, as we can see. Around 10,500 people live in Førde, making it a relatively large town for the region. There are schools at all levels here, as well as a major hospital. There is also a small airport.

    Førde is an administrative centre, so it has all the facilities for the surrounding area. The town does have a slight industrial feel; it has often been voted by Norwegians as one of the ugliest towns in Norway. This is mostly due to the neighbourhood of Øyrane, which sits on the fjord by the river and was developed as a shipyard in the 1970s.

    Førde Travel Guide

    Where to Go From Here

    Førde is located on the E39, which links Bergen to Ålesund. We have written a guide to the drive from Bergen north along the E39, which you can view below. 

    Bergen to Balestrand on the E39

    You can get a printable version of this drive over on our online store. 

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Aurland, Flåm, Lærdal, National Tourist Roads, Road-trips, Sognefjord

    Drive it Yourself: Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road

    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. 

    View at the 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. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    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. 

    Lærdal Travel Guide

    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. 

    Aurland Travel Guide

    The Previous Drive

    Sognefjellet Tourist Road

    Drive through the dramatic Sognefjellet Tourist Road to reach the Sognefjord. 

    Sognefjellet Tourist Road

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Sogndal, Sognefjord, Stave Churches

    The Historic Market Town: Kaupanger Stave Church

    The Historic Market Town: Kaupanger Stave Church

    No trip to the Sognefjord is complete without a visit to Kaupanger Stave Church. It’s a tall church standing proudly alongside the fjord; in fact, it’s the largest church in Vestland county. While Kaupanger may seem like a sleepy village today, during the Viking Age it was one of the busiest settlements in Norway. Also, as the name suggests, it was an important trading place. 

    Kaupanger is on the way to the Laerdal ferry from Sogndal, so be sure to take the quick detour and visit this church! That’s exactly what I did back in September 2020. Here’s my guide to what you can see at Kaupanger Stave Church. 

    In this article...

    The Rv5 Highway

    Kaupanger Stave Church is located on the Rv5 highway. You can find my guide to the Rv5 by clicking the link below. 

    The Rv5 Highway
    Sogndal Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    The market village Kaupanger

    Kaupanger has been a settlement since at least the Viking Age, though likely before as well. Kaupang is an old Norse word for trading or marketplace, and you’ll see the name throughout Norway. The latter half of the name angr means ‘fjord’ or ‘harbour’. So, the name means ‘buy harbour’. It’s like the literal translation of Copenhagen. 

    Kaupanger likely was one of the starting points for the Viking expeditions. Additionally, it was a tingstad, meaning meeting place and administrative centre. Kaupanger is mentioned in old documents as one of the 16 densely populated centres in Norway. 

    The importance of Kaupanger declined after the Black Death (Plague) in 1349. At some point, the market moved across the fjord to Laerdal. It is not known when Laerdal took over, but it is first mentioned in 1656 and by that point, it had been operating for a while. 

    A church is established in Kaupanger

    A church in Kaupanger was first mentioned in 1308, but the church is much older than that. The present church stands on the ruins of two previous churches. These churches had load-bearing pillars placed directly into the ground. This causes the logs to rot much quicker and is probably why they replaced the churches. 

    An old burial ground existed in the area before they built a church. The oldest tombs are from the second half of the 10th century, and the graves are according to Christian customs.

    So, Kaupanger Stave Church is from around the time Christianity was sweeping across Norway. Dendrochronology has revealed that the timber used for building the church is from 1137. Kaupanger is mentioned in Sverre’s Saga in 1184 when King Sverre burned the village down as punishment for the villagers disobeying him. The stave church likely survived this attack. 

    Even though, as we’ll read, the church has undergone a huge restoration, it is one of the stave churches that is the best taken care of. 

    The stave church with the most staves

    The nave of Kaupanger stave church has 22 staves, making this the church with the largest number of staves in any one stave church. There are eight on each of the longest sides and then three on the shorter sides. 

    The staves are unlike the other staves found in this fjord region. They don’t have crosses or beams linking them together, as seen in Borgund and Urnes Stave Churches. Additionally, the portals are not equipped with dragon ornaments or other rich decorations. These types of decorations are in most stave churches. It is unknown why this church is different in that regard. 

    Like every stave church, this one has changed over the years. Before I get into the restoration work, I’ll tell you about some of the early changes to the church. In the Middle Ages, extensions of the ship out west meant more space inside. This expansion likely took place before the Black Death. Additionally, there used to be a hallway around the church. It is where (it’s thought) the Vikings left their shields before going inside. They removed the hallway in the 17th century. It’s possible that the roofing and annex were added to the church shortly after the Reformation. 

    The ‘Brutal Modernisation’ of Kaupanger Stave Church

    In 1862, Kaupanger Stave Church underwent a huge renovation. Today, historians refer to it as a ‘brutal modernisation’ – my new favourite term. Basically, what they did was cut windows into the sides of the church, placed white exterior panelling around the exterior, and added dark roof tiles to the roof. The idea was to make it look like the 19th-century churches going up all over the country in a Classicist style. The Kaupanger Manor, which stands nearby, had a similar renovation. 

    The new style of the church didn’t last too long. In 1959-1960, work was carried out to un-renovate the church and take it back to its 17th-century look. Despite the heavy changes it underwent, most of the medieval structure is preserved. Phew.

    What's Inside

    The interior is from after the Reformation in the 16th century when Norway changed from being Catholic to Lutheran. The pulpit, altarpiece and font are all from the 17th century. They are donations from the major landowner and owner of Kaupanger Manor, Gjøde Pederssøn. A memorial plaque over the choir is believed to be for him and his family. An earlier altarpiece, believed to be from 1609, is now in Jostedal Church. 

    Meanwhile, at the Bergen Museum

    When the ‘brutal modernisation’ was underway, some items from the church went to the Historic Museum in Bergen. The most known piece is an antemensale, or altar table front. It’s made of oak and depicts scenes from the lives of saints including St. Olav, St. Andreas, and St. Nicholas. It is from the second half of the 12th century. Two pillars with decorations, two dragons’ heads, and an animal head were also moved to the museum in 1862. 

    Around the Area

    The stave church and Kaupanger Manor are closely related, and the property stands next to the church. Today, you’ll see the long red barn. The main manor house, a white timber structure, is down by the fjord and difficult to see from the road. Archaeological excavations show that the farm goes back to 1800BC. What the farm originally looked like is unknown. However, it has always been one of the major farms in the area. The property came under the ownership of the Knagenhjelm Family, a Danish and Norwegian noble family. They bought the property sometime in the 1600s, and the direct descendants still own the property today. 

    Close by is the Heiberg Collection: one of the oldest museums in the country. It is from 1909 and consists of a collection of local buildings to show how people have lived and worked here from the Middle Ages until the present day. You can view their website here: http://dhs.museum.no/en

    The church today

    Today Kaupanger Stave Church is a Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site. The Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments owns the property. 

    The church is open in the summer months and operates as a museum. Guided tours are available and highly recommended. 

    Up-to-date visitor information can be found here:

    https://www.stavechurch.com/kaupanger-stavkirke/

    Otherwise, the church is still the parish church and is used for service. 

    Kaupanger Stave Church is located just off the main road from Sogndal down to the ferry pier that goes over to Laerdal. 

    Resources

    The Rv5 Highway

    Kaupanger Stave Church is located on the Rv5 highway. You can find my guide to the Rv5 by clicking the link below. 

    The Rv5 Highway
    Sogndal Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Sognefjord

    On the UNESCO World Heritage List: Urnes Stave Church

    On the UNESCO World Heritage List: Urnes Stave Church

    No trip to Norway is complete without a visit to one of the 28 stave churches. Of the 28, only one of them is UNESCO World Heritage-listed: Urnes Stave Church. Nestled on the Lustrafjord, a branch of the Sognefjord, this gorgeous old church is Norway’s oldest and one of the most important. Today the church is a museum with regular guided tours. 

    I visited Urnes Stave Church back in September 2020 and got to go inside with a guided tour. I did some research on the church beforehand, and there is a lot of information online. I’ve done my best to tell a condensed story of Urnes Stave Church. This way, you will know why the church is so special before you go. I have relied on a lot of articles written by experts, and I’ll link to all those at the bottom. I’ve also done my best to cover the practical bits so your visit can go well. Still, get a guide! They are experts on the subject and included in the admission fee.

    Here’s my overview of Urnes Stave Church. 

    The Fv55 Highway

    Urnes Stave Church is located close to the Fv55, one of Norway’s tourist roads. You can find my guide to the Fv55 by clicking the link below. 

    The Fv55 Highway
    Solvorn Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    In this article...

    The many churches at Urnes

    Urnes Stave Church is not the first one to sit on the site: in fact, it is probably the fourth church on the site. The current church is from sometime around the late 12th century and is still on the same site. 

    Summary of all the churches

    • Church One: Built around the time Norway was Christianised (1030-ish). It was a ‘palisade style’ church, where the structural posts placed into the ground. It had the same orientation as the current church but was smaller.
    • Church Two: Built in the second half of the 11th century. It had posts dug into the ground, which rot. It was torn down in the mid-12th century.
    • Church Three: Based on the second church, but also different. It incorporated the raised central nave and had 16 staves. The design was an inspiration for later stave churches. This church was a mix between the architecture and art from the Viking Age and architecture found in Christian churches around Europe. This church had the exterior wooden carvings – the “Urnes style” carvings around its main portal.

    The current church

    Urnes Stave Church likely came at the end of the 12th century. On the largest portal, it says “St. Nicholaus Church”, referring to who they dedicated the church to. Above the runes is a cross, likely from the consecration of the church. 

    Why was it built here?

    The location is remote, and the church sits high up on a hill. Why was a church built here, and how has it been able to survive for so long?

    Well, as was common for stave churches, Urnes Stave Church was a private farm church. The wealthiest landowners would build themselves a church to prove how wealthy they were. That’s why there were over 1,000 stave churches in Norway at its peak. In the early years of Christianity, it was a cult for the wealthy. Stave churches showed off how important, wealthy, and smart these landowners were. 

    Church-building took place on the initiative of kinds and nobles on their farms. The church was a royal and aristocratic project until the 12th century. The church’s position in Norway started to become more powerful. Norway introduced a parish church system, which still exists today. 

    This change came from the Civil War. The important men of Western Norway were introduced to Christian culture from overseas. They knew the church was going to become a powerful part of society. These chieftains saw a strengthened church organisation as a spiritual good and measure to make Norwegian society more in step with its foreign neighbours. 

    The strategic location of the church on a promontory on the Lustrafjord signalled both power and prosperity. Large and very visible burial mounds bear witness to the fact that people have lived here for over 4,000 years. The fjord was the main thoroughfare for people who lived here. Kaupanger and Skjolden were two important harbours. The fjord was also the main passageway to Norway’s biggest city in the Middle Ages: Bergen. 

    Original owners of the church

    Gaut and his family

    Historians have researched who owned the church. One theory is that it was a man called Gaut of Ornesi. He is mentioned in Sverre’s Sagas. It was likely his father who built the church. 

    The Civil War and change in church structure happened while Gaut was raising his sons at the Ornes Farm. Gaut was a man of high status, likely a warrior with loyalty to the church and king. Gaut and his family explains why the church had a rich 12th-century inventory. 

    His sons, Jon and Munun, were masters of a warship under King Magnus Erlingsson’s fleet. Jon died in battle and his son, Arnbjørn, took over the farm. Arnbjørn was only four at the time, so he went to be raised by Nikolas Arnesson, who became the Bishop of Oslo in 1190. Through Nikolas, Arnbjørn grew up under Christianity and ended up working for the King. He didn’t spend much time at Ornes throughout his life but probably gave the church nice items. 

    Later Owners

    Who took over the church after Arnbjørn? It’s believed that the estate had already left the family when he died. A couple of generations later, around 1300, Norway’s richest and most powerful man, Baron Bjarne Erlingsson, owned the church. He was a royal advisor and lived in Bergen. In the mid-15th century, a famous nobleman who lived in Eastern Norway owned the church. It’s clear Ornes wasn’t a place to live. Maybe it was just too isolated?

    Danish-Norwegian noble families inherited the property throughout the centuries. No changes were made to the interior until the 17th century. There is hardly an object from the time the church left Gaut’s family until the 17th century, well after the Reformation. 

    Urnes Stave Church has likely survived because the location is so remote. Additionally, there were no owners on the property to fiddle with the church or dream up renovation ideas. Also, Gaut’s estate comprised of the whole hamlet, so there was never a huge congregation to attend the church and create a need for expansion. 

    Architecture

    Urnes Stave Church is a basilica-style church. The main inspiration came from European Christian churches, which are also built in the same plan. The cylindrical columns and semi-circular arches came from Romanesque stone architecture. 

    The current church has pieces from older churches. The oldest log in the church began to grow in 765. There are two beams in the church that are from 946. Parts of the church, including the north wall and the Urnes carvings, come from an earlier church and date to 1069. 

    The church has seen very few extensions, which is unique if you’ve read my articles on the other stave churches. The nave was extended southwards in the 17th century. There were other additions to the church, but they were removed later. 

    The interior of the church was very dark with no windows. Light came through a small opening by the roof. The Lutheran Reformation in 1537 brought about changes. There needed to be good lighting so the congregation could read their hymns and join in singing. The windows are from the 18th century. 

    Interior Decoration

    Romanesque Columns

    The interior of the church is very richly decorated. The wooden columns (staves) inside have unique capitals with carvings of humans, animals, mythical creatures and vegetal motifs. Some of these carvings are very abstract, while others interlace the designs of Viking tradition. One of the capitals, the centaur, is now the logo for the Preservation Society.

    The capitals take inspiration from Romanesque stone architecture, for example in Canterbury Cathedral: https://web.archive.org/web/20070316220305/http://kunsthistorie.com/galleri/index.php?album=England%2FCantebury&page=2&sortby=name&order=asc

    These capitals are well preserved considering how old they are. They are unique to Urnes Stave Church. Many attempts have been made to interpret them, but the most conclusive understanding of them is that they were inspired by international culture. 

    Church Inventory

    The church pews, pulpit and altar are from after the Reformation. During Gaut’s time, there were benches along the wall for the elderly. A bench is still preserved on the north side of the west wall. Gaut probably had a seat, too. Right in the middle of the church – just to remind everyone how powerful he was! No trace of the chair is in the middle of the church, but the reserved chair in the choir may have been his chair. It was maybe moved to the choir after the Reformation for the priest to sit. This chair is of very high craftsmanship and is one of the original furnishings from the 12th century. 

    Most of the sculptures from the church are now in the University of Bergen Museum. Those that remain are from the 12th century. There is one of Jesus on the cross. Jesus’ loincloth is painted with the expensive blue colour, which may have found its way to Urnes along the Silk Road. The figures have been in the church since the 12th century, making them some of the oldest and best-preserved Norwegian medieval artefacts. 

    The interior walls have many runic inscriptions on them. The guide will highlight them to you, as well as explain what they say. They need a torch to highlight them!

    Exterior Decoration

    The exterior decorations are evidence of how the Viking’s culture transformed and adopted Christianity. Strap-work panels were taken from one of the earlier churches and incorporated into the new structure, keeping elements of Viking tradition alive. This is most evident in the North Portal.

    Urnes style carvings

    The Famous North Portal in Urnes Style

    The north portal is from the third church to stand on the site. It may have been the original main portal on the western side. In mythology and religion, the portal is meant to let other people enter God’s house. The portals are the symbolic embodiment that represents the chaos and struggle with evil. Here, the portal depicts a struggle between a serpent and a beast. It’s believed to represent the onset of Ragnarok, a Viking belief. The earlier church likely had scenes from Norse Mythology. This is a likely reason for its premature reconstruction in the 12th century. The animals may be Níðhöggr eating the roots of Yggdrasil. Intertwined snakes and dragons represent the end of the world according to the Norse legend of Ragnarok.

    Urnes style carvings

    The carvings are known as Urnes Style. This style of carving is not unique to Urnes. It is found all over Scandinavia and especially in Sweden. The style is mostly found on runestones. It is characterised by slim and stylised animals interwoven in tight patterns. The animal heads are always in profile and they have slender eyes. The earliest Urnes style is from 1050. The “Mid-Urnes” style is found on coins issued by Harald Hardrada (1047-1066) and Olav Kyrre (1080-1090), while the “Late Urnes” style is what we see on the stave church. The Urnes style morphed into the Urnes-Romanesque form, not found on runestones but buildings. Torpo Stave Church has elements of Urnes style.  

    What remains of the original stave church?

    Unlike the other stave churches, there is still a good part of this church remaining. The ground beams, sills, corner posts, wall planks and aisle wall plates are from the medieval church. The raised central roof is also original.

    In addition to the Urnes-style portal, there are also two original wall planks in the northern wall, the corner post of the choir, the western gable of the nave, and the eastern gable of the choir. 

    Restoration & preservation

    The Fortidsminneforeningen (Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments) bought the church at the end of the 19th century. The church was showing signs of its age and required preservation. When they took over, there was a different opinion of stave churches. They were unsure if they should try to restore it to its original condition or keep it the same as when they took over the church. 

    In 1902, the church was carefully renovated by famous Bergen architect Jens Zetlitz Monrad Kielland. New ideas for preserving buildings had emerged, and they preserved churches as they were. That’s why the church has bits from all periods of its life.

    Today, only repairs and conservative interventions are done to prevent decay. From 2008 to 2010 they replaced the floor and foundations after the church began to sink on the north side. 

    Excavations under the floor

    During restoration work in the 20th and 21st centuries, they discovered many coins. The floor needed a lot of replacement, and during this process, they found lots of items. In total, there were over 200 Norwegian and foreign coins. The Norwegian coins are from the Middle Ages, while most of the foreign coins are from after the plague in 1349. This indicates that there was less local currency in circulation after the plague and that trade with other countries had grown considerably.

    UNESCO World Heritage List

    In 1979 the Urnes Stave Church was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. It is one of the first two heritage sites in Norway, together with Bryggen. 

    UNESCO points out that the church is a unique example of traditional Scandinavian wooden architecture. It represents the timber building tradition that spread throughout Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Also, it contains recycled decorative parts and building elements from another stave church built 100 years earlier. 

    Their page for the church is here: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/58

    The church today

    Urnes Stave Church has not been in regular use since 1881. This is when the parish of Urnes was abolished. The church is only used for special occasions such as baptisms and weddings.

    The church is a museum and one of the most popular tourist sites in Norway.

    Visitor Information

    Opening hours & prices

    Find up-to-date visitor information at stavechurch.com (click here).

    The church is open from the beginning of June until the end of September. Tickets cost 100 NOK pp but come with an included guided tour.

    You can view the interior of the church with a 3D model! Click here:  https://mpembed.com/show/?m=LW3ZtZoKJQc&mpu=287&mpv=1

    Facilities

    There is a large carpark down by the indoor museum. This is also where the counter is for tickets and tours. You’ll find souvenirs and restrooms here: there isn’t a cafe.

    It’s a short walk (no stairs) up the hill to get to the church.

    Getting Here

    If doing the Sognefjellet Tourist Road, or just in the area, you can drive to Urnes from Skjolden. The road is very narrow so be careful.

    Otherwise, the most popular way to get there is to take the ferry from Solvorn. The ferry runs infrequently in the off-season and somewhat frequently during summer. It’s worth noting that the ferry has limited capacity for vehicles. You can take it without a car, but the church is a bit of a trek up the hill.

    Visit the ferry website here.

    What is in the area?

    In Solvorn you’ll find the Walaker Hotel, the oldest in Norway (website here). From Solvorn you are a short drive away from Sogndal and Kaupanger (home to a stave church). Take the ferry across the Sognefjord and you’ll be on the E16 between Bergen and Oslo in Laerdal. Laerdal is midway between Flåm and Borgund Stave Church. Laerdal is about a 3 hour drive from Bergen.

    From Skjolden, you can do the Sognefjellet Tourist Road up to Lom, and from Lom you are a short drive from Geiranger or Valdresflye.

    There’s heaps to do just around Sogndal and the Sognefjord – I’ll get around to writing it all down soon.

    The Fv55 Highway

    Urnes Stave Church is located close to the Fv55, one of Norway’s tourist roads. You can find my guide to the Fv55 by clicking the link below. 

    The Fv55 Highway
    Solvorn Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • National Tourist Roads, Road-trips, Sognefjord

    Drive it Yourself: Sognefjellet Tourist Road

    Drive it Yourself: Sognefjellet Tourist Road

    Alright, this is the big one. The Sognefjellet Tourist Road is one of the highest roads in Norway and also the most notorious for bad weather. Winding its way from Lom through the Jotunheimen National Park and then down to the Lustrafjord, this road is nicknamed the ‘road over the roof of Norway’.

    This road has been a main traffic road since the Middle Ages, linking the coast and inland areas. Trading led to the transport of salt and fish eastwards while butter, pitch and leather were transported west.

    The decision to build a modern gravel road came in 1936 when the Minister of Social Affairs put together an initiative to employ unemployed young people. The road opened in 1938 and was the highest road at the time. It rises to a height of 1434m.

    This is where you experience true Norwegian nature. In winter the weather is so severe that the road has to close. In early spring, soon after the road opens, there are almost 10m high banks of snow on the side of the road.

    The Sognefjellet Tourist Road is notorious for bad weather, and boy did we experience that. I think I was mildly traumatised by the time I got to the bottom of the road! I would love to go back and film this when the weather is good. In the meantime, the footage and my photos aren’t great, but at least it paints a true picture of the power of nature on Sognefjellet.

    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. 

    View at the 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. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    The drive: Sognefjellet Tourist Road

    Lom

    Lom has it all. Museums, shops, scenic views, a stave church and an award-winning bakery. It’s also surrounded by tourist roads. We begin our drive here after filling up with coffee and petrol.

     

    Lom Travel Guide

    Flåklypa

    Scenic Site

    Flåklypa is the first place we’ll pass. The name comes from a Norwegian kids film called Flåklypa Grand Prix, where the place is described as a small mountain village. Historically, though, this is a place where farmers risked getting stuck when they pulled their hay on the ice – they got stuck in Flåklypa, which means ‘pinch’.

    Galdhøpiggvegen

    Mountain

    If the weather is incredible, or you can at least see the mountain peaks, take a 15km detour up Galdhøpiggvegen.

    Galdhøpiggvegen offers an ascent of 1300m and, on a clear day, you get a panoramic view of Northern Europe’s highest mountains at the end of the road. The road is open mid-May to the end of October but may close throughout the season if there’s bad weather. It’s a toll road, so after 5km you have to pay – card only.

    There are tourist cabins at the top if you want to spend the night there and do some outdoor activities.

    Lisanden

    Rest Area

    Liasanden is a beautiful rest area in a pine forest. You’ll find maps, information boards, and picnic benches.

    For more info, click here. 

    Jotunheimen Mountain Hotel

    Hotel

    This is a viewpoint and great place to stay.

    Sognefjellshytta

    Hotel

    This lodge is where the tourist road reaches its highest point: 1400m. Understandably, this accommodation is also a popular training centre for ski teams from all over the world. There is a common room here where you can go and warm up or use the restrooms, or you can opt to spend the night here.

    Click here to visit their website.

    Oscarshaug Viewpoint

    Viewpoint

    This is considered the best viewpoint on the scenic drive. Keep an eye out for it: it’s off one of the hairpin turns.

    Turtagrø Hotel

    Hotel

    This is a hotel that has been a central meeting place for mountaineers since the late 19th century. The first hotel was built here in 1888 by mountain guide Ola Berge. Another hotel was built 100m away in the same year. The two hotels merged in 1911 after Berge bought the other hotel. After Berges death in 1928, his daugther Kari took over the hotel. After the Sognefjellet tourist road was finished in 1938 and the climbing assocation build their own cabin, the purpose of the hotel changed.

    On 28 April 1940, during the closing days of the Norwegian Campaign in Southern Norway, German prisoners of war and their guards arrived at Turtagrø. They spent the night here on their way to Vadheim in Sogn.

    From 1953 Johannes Drægni ran the hotel. He introduced the first climbing school in Norway at the property. Ole Berge Drægni took over the hotel in 1997, but sadly he died in the tsunami in Thailand in 2004. His four-year-old daughter Sofie inherited the majority of the stocks. His daughter still owns 80% of shares in the company, but Ingunn Weka is the manager of the hotel.

    The old main building and staff accommodation burned down in 2001, destroyed old cultural monuments. A new hotel was rebuilt by 2002.

    The area is one of Norway’s most alpine areas with 24 peaks over 2,000m above sea level. Throughout the season you can take tours with mountain guides.

    Click here to visit their website

    Fortun Overlook

    Viewpoint

    Your last chance to get some photos high up in the mountains comes a short drive after the hotel. Here you can see the village Fortun.

    Fortun

    Village

    Fortun is a small village located on the innermost part of the Lustrafjord, which we’ll now be following.

    The village is best known for its church. The present church is from 1879, but it replaced an earlier stave church.

    The earliest existing records date back to 1330, but it’s believed there was a church here built in the mid-12th century. It was originally a stave church. As with many churches, it was too small and there were plans to tear it down. However, there was some controversy about this. So, consul Fredrik Georg Gade bought the stave church and moved it to Fantoft in Bergen. It became known as Fantoft Stave Church and operated as a museum. Sadly, in 1992 it was destroyed by an arson fire. A replica has been built, but virtually all the old parts have been lost.

    The picture is of the village between 1860 and 1880, and shows the stave church just before it was moved.

    Wittgenstein

    Historic Site

    Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an Austrian-British philosopher who worked in logic, mathematics, the mind, and language. What does this have to do with Fortun?

    Well, Ludwig visited Norway and fell in love with the region. He eventually made the decision to move here. He lived in various small villages before building a small wooden house to sit on a rock to overlook the Eidsvatnet lake. The place was nicknamed “Østerrike” (Austria) by the locals. The house was dismantled in 1958 but rebuilt by the locals in 2014. Now it’s a memorial, and a rest area along the road!

    You can see a photo of the house here. 

    Skjolden

    Village

    Skjolden is a small village of 250-300 people.

    At Skjolden, you’ll reach the turn-off for Urnes Stave Church. This is where you come some options.

    Where to go from here

    The Sognefjellet Tourist Road continues to Gaupne along the Lustrafjord. However, if you take this road, you’ll miss out on one of the biggest attractions: Urnes Stave Church. I know, there are a lot of stave churches in Norway, so what makes this one so special? Well, it’s the oldest stave church! It’s also the oldest one on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The church is only open in the summer months, as is the ferry to/from it, so I highly recommend going provided it is open.

    Still, we shouldn’t ignore the rest of the Sognefjellet Tourist Road. It’s a beautiful drive and there are things to see along the way. If it’s possible, I recommend doing option one.

    Option One: Drive to Urnes Stave Church, take the ferry to Solvorn, go back along the Fv55 (recommended)

    Take the 30-40 min drive to Urnes Stave Church, then take the ferry across to Solvorn. From Solvorn, drive back along the Sognefellet Tourist Road to Dale Church – the last major point of interest. Then you can come back to Solvorn.

    Option Two: Do the Sognefjellet Tourist Road to Solvorn, take the ferry to/from Urnes Stave Church

    This is a fine option too. The only reason I don’t recommend it is that the ferry is pricey, infrequent, and the drive to Urnes is quite scenic and recommended.

    Notes:

    • The road to Urnes Stave Church is very beautiful but it’s extremely narrow and a little daunting. It’s surprisingly long, too. This is why I don’t recommend doing it both ways
    • The ferry between Ornes (the village where the church is) is a little pricey, takes few vehicles, and can be crowded. Also, it operates few times during the day. It’s great one way.
    • You can take the ferry without a car and then walk up to Urnes Stave Church, but it’s up a semi-steep hill

    Urnes Stave Church

    Urnes Stave Church is the only UNESCO World Heritage-listed stave church in the world. It is open in the summer months as a museum, too!

    Urnes Stave Church

    The Next Drive

    Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road

    On the next day we finished our ultimate Norwegian road-trip by heading across the Sognefjord to Aurland. 

    Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road

    The Previous Drive

    Geiranger to Lom

    This short but stunning drive connects the Sognefjellet Tourist Road with the Geiranger UNESCO region. 

    Geiranger to Lom

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!