roadtrip

  • Fagernes, Gudbrandsdalen, National Tourist Roads, Road-trips, Valdres

    Drive it Yourself: The Valdresflye National Tourist Road

    Drive it Yourself: The Valdresflye National Tourist Road

    If you are looking for a great scenic road near the mountains, I do recommend Valdresflye. Everyone has heard of the Jotunheimen National Park, but you can’t exactly drive through the middle of it. The best way to see the park is to get out of your car and go for a hike. However, if you take the Valdresflye Scenic Road, you do get a glimpse at Jotunheimen’s beauty.

    Valdresflye is a mountain plateau in the easternmost part of Jotunheimen National Park. Reaching a height of 1,389m (4,557ft), it’s the second-highest mountain pass after Sognefjellet, a road famous for its bad weather. Valdresflye is a lot safer than Sognefjellet, and it is open longer than Sognefjellet.

    Valdresflye Scenic Road is not a long road (49km/30 mi), so you can take the time to park and go for many of the marked hikes. 

    If you are interested in historical sites, along the road you pass many ancient summer farms and mountain pastures.

    I got to do the Valdresflye National Scenic Road in September 2020, when I was travelling from Fagernes to the Gudbrandsdalen Valley. Below you’ll find all the info you need to do the drive yourself!

    In this article...

    View Our 'Ultimate Norway' Road-trip

    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: Valdresflye Tourist Road

    Fagernes

    I recommend that you begin this drive in Fagernes. 

    Fagernes Travel Guide

    Hegge Stave Church

    Stave Church

    Hegge Stave Church is a 13th century stave church located on the hillside near Heggenes village. It has undergone many repairs over the years, altering its appearance dramatically. The staves inside are still original, though. 

    Hegge Stave Church

    Beitostølen

    Ski Resort/Town

    Beitostølen is a small town located 900m (3000ft) above sea level. As of January 2020, the population was 360. It is largely a tourist area, with several large hotels, cabins, shops and restaurants.

    Due to the proximity to Jotunheimen, as well as its height, Beitostølen is among the most snow-sure winter sports resorts in Europe, and ski season usually lasts from November to April.

    There are alpine slopes and cross-country trails totalling 320km. In summer, Beitostølen is very popular with hikers.

    The village has hosted the FIS Cross-Country World Cup and the Biathlon World Cup competitions.

    There is the Beitøstolen Health Sports Centre, a rehabilitation for the disabled. Ridderrennet, an international ski race for the disabled, is held at Beitostølen every year.

    Today Beitostølen is the second largest tourist destination in Innlandet County after Lillehammer.

    Bitihorn

    Mountain

    The most prominent peak you’ll see after starting the scenic road is Bitihorn, which is 1607m high. It’s a popular hike, and there’s a parking lot on the left where you can park. It’s near a Sami camp.

    Here is some info about hikes in the area.

    Bygdin Mountain Hotel

    Historic Hotel

    The history of the hotel goes back to 1867, when two brothers had an idea to build a hotel here and generate tourism. Originally their hotel was in a different location; when the road was finished and it didn’t go past their hotel, they moved it to the current location. The building was completed in 1897 and is now the oldest pat of the present-day hotel.

    Bygdin Hotel quickly became popular thanks to its good standard and location on the mountain pass. In winter, planes would land on the frozen lake with tourists.

    The first major renovation of the hotel was in 1910-1912, and you can still see this renovation in some of the historic rooms, the salon, and the entrance.

    During World War II, the hotel was used as an officer’s quarters. German and Austrian troops came here to practice warfare in the mountains. Up to 20,000 men and 600 horses passed through the area. At the hotel, a lot of furniture, paintings and valuables were confiscated. The piano was recovered after the war; it was found all the way in Trondheim. The piano is in the ladies’ lounge today.

    In 1964 a new brick building was added to the property. New owners took over in 2017, after stopping at the hotel to buy a waffle and deciding to buy it! The new owners are making efforts to preserve its historic character.

    You can stop here for a bite to eat and to admire the hotel.

    Historical info taken from the hotel’s website. 

    Flye1389

    Scenic viewpoint

    This is the highest point on the road, at 1389m above sea level (4557 ft). The cafe inside has food from Valdres and Gudbrandsdalen, plus incredible views over the mountain peaks. You can rent hiking equipment here. 

    Steinplassen

    Monument

    At the same photostop where I took the above photos you’ll see Steinplassen, a monument to all the cairns found on mountains. The mountain range here is the Jotunheimen mountains. 

    Bessheim Fjellstue & Hytter

    Historic Hotel

    Bessheim is a historic lodgings.

    The site was a sæter, which is a kind of old building and base that had everything anyone would need when in the mountains. It was important to those coming to their summer farms, but also for fishers and hunters. They would find equipment here, plus shelter if there was a storm. 

    As the area became more popular for hikers in the second half of the 19th century, the sæter became a good place for those seeking shelter. Eventually the sæter’s (there were three here) grew into lodges. The first building built for tourism was in 1890. The lodge ceased being used for cows and goats in the 1960s – yes, historically these lodges were also for animals! 

    There is one sæter still on the property, Sandnesstuggu, which you can rent for the night.  The hotel has remained in the family since 1890, with the current owner being the great-great granddaughter of the woman who built the lodge in 1890.

    Historic info taken from the hotel’s website (click here). 

    Hindsæter Hotel

    Historic Hotel

    Hindsæter Hotel is a small, historic timber hotel from 1898. Much like Bessheim, the hotel was originally a sæter; a farm that welcomed guests. As more people began to come here in the late 19th century, the farmer owner built a hotel. The landscape is historic, with old timber houses, stone fences, ski guards and grazing animals. The hotel even has its own hydropower plant.

    History taken from the hotels website (click here). 

    Ridderspranget Ravine

    Natural Attraction

    Ridderspranget, or ‘The Knight’s Leap’ in English, is a ravine formed by a river that has gnawed deep into the bedrock, so erosion has only taken place in the riverbed. The name comes from a legend about Sigvat Leirholar, one of the king’s advisers, who received a letter that a beautiful girl was to marry a knight. The girl did not want to marry the knight, so Sigvat decided to set her free! He picked her up and fled with her – the knight cased them but Sigvat jumped after Ridderspranget with the girl in his arms and they were free.

    It is a short and relatively easy walk to get to Ridderspranget. 

    Vågå Municipality

    Randsverk

    Settlement

    Randsverk is a small settlement with mostly cabins and campgrounds. There is a supermarket here, too!

    They have a lovely website, which you can view here. 

    In Randsverk you’ll find signs pointing to Jotunheimen National Park, but keep in mind that the road is gravel. You can also find the road down to Gudbrandsdalen. 

    Vågåmo

    Our final stop is Vågåmo, a picturesque small town located just off the Rv15. Information on Vågåmo can be found via the link below. 

    Edvard Munch & Vågå

    Continue the drive

    Telemark

    Take the scenic drive through Telemark from Dalen to Kongsberg.

    Telemark Scenic Drive

    Previous Drive

    Numedal Valley

    Numedal is home to a large number of medieval buildings, including four stave churches. 

    Numedal Valley

    This drive is part of the multi-day series “Ultimate Norway”. You can read about the whole drive below. 

    View Our 'Ultimate Norway' Road-trip

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

  • National Tourist Roads, Road-trips, Southern Norway

    Drive it Yourself: the Ryfylke Scenic Road

    Drive it Yourself: the Ryfylke Tourist Road

    Rocky mountains, steep cliffs and scenic views. The Ryfylke Scenic Road is a true gem of southern Norway; built to serve the new hydropower plants, it’s hard to believe that this wasn’t designed as a tourist road. Today, it’s a scenic alternative to the main highway between Bergen and Stavanger.

    I did the Ryfylke Scenic Road in September 2020 as part of my Ultimate Norwegian Road Trip. Here’s my driving guide with what you can see and experience, as well as a summary of the history and significance of each major sight. I’ve also included as much practical information as I can so you know exactly what to expect on the road.

    Ultimate Norwegian Road-Trip

    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: Ryfylke Tourist Road

    Odda

    Odda is a small industrial town located at the end of the Sørfjorden. It’s growing in popularity thanks to its nearby natural attractions, namely the Troll Tongue hike and the Folgefonna National Park.

    Odda Travel Guide

    Sandvinvatnet

    Lake

    Sandvinvatnet is the lake you’ll pass immediately after leaving Odda. The lake is 4.3km2 (1.7 sq mi) and is close to the Buarbreen glacier, which is on the opposite side from where we are driving. You can take a detour there, but it adds considerable time.

    Låte Waterfall (Låtefossen)

    Waterfall

    This is one of the most popular places for visitors to take photos, and understandably so! It’s just before the village of Skare.

    The waterfall is 95m (312ft) high and is well-known for the two separate streams flowing down from a lake on the hill. They then go under the E13 highway, and there is a historic stone six-arched bridge over the falls.

    There is a carpark and footpath here. Just keep in mind it’s still a major highway so cars do rush past, and parking is very limited for such a popular attraction.

    I’ve got a full article about the waterfall, which you can read here.

     

    Låtefossen Waterfall

    Røldalsfjellet/Seljestadjuvet

    Scenic Road

    If you’re short on time you can opt to take the tunnels to Horda, but if you want to see some scenery you can take the old road over the mountains to Horda. The turn off is just before the Seljestadtunnelen.

    The Seljestadjuvet road has recently been re-paved so it’s a modern road, but it’s very narrow and consists of several hairpin bends. The road was built between 1859 and 1865 and is considered a piece of Norwegian history. The repaved road is newer than this; it is possible to hike the original 1850s road. Pilgrims used to use this road as they made their way to the historic Røldal Stave Church; it was also used by traders on their way to Røldal Market and travellers on their way east.

    The road is only open for vehicles under 2m.

    You can see the entire road on my YouTube video.

     

    Røldal Stave Church

    Stave Church

    Click the button below for my overview of Røldal Stave Church. 

    Røldal Stave Church

    Rogaland County

    Rogaland is a county in the south-western part of Norway. The first element of the name comes from rygir, which refers to a tribe that used to live in the area. The second element, land, means ‘land’ or ‘region’. Finds of skeletons have been found from the Stone Age, while many items from the Bronze Age and Iron Age have been found. Many crosses in the Irish style have also been found.

    The coastal part of Rogaland was important during the Viking Age and rich finds indicate that there was strong chieftainship here from the Iron Age. Stavanger was a centre of power.

    Sauda Municipality

    Sauda’s business life is primarily based on metal processing, and unlike the rest of Rogaland there is no focus on agriculture here. 

    The way the landscape was formed comes from the last Ice Age. The ice that slid down from the Sauda mountains collided with a glacier. This collision created the Hylsfjord and resulted in the Saudafjord meeting the Sandsfjord. The narrow straits make it difficult for ships to call at the port of Sauda. During the Nazi occupation, the Germans planned to build a canal to make it easier. The plateaus were formed approximately 10,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. 

    Sauda

    Town

    With a population of 4,254 inhabitants, Sauda is the fifth largest town in Rogaland county. It is primarily an industrial town. From the medieval period onwards, waterfall power was used to run sawmills. People from all over the world, especially the Netherlands, started to traude with Sauda. By the end of the 19th century mining began here. In 1910 the American company Electric Furnace Company began the construction of then Europe’s largest smelting plant, which could only be built because of the large number of waterfalls. During World War II, the Germans built a large aluminium melting plant, though those buildings have since been demolished. 

    Sauda has historically been an important area for industry. It is home to Northern Europe’s largest melting plant, Eramet AS. 

    Svandalsfossen

    Waterfall

    Svandalsfossen is a beautiful waterfall located just outside Sauda. What makes the waterfall interesting is that there is a staircase with 540 steps leading up the side of the waterfall. The staircase system was built in 2006 and if you make it to the top you’ll be rewarded with a nice shower from the waterfall.

    You’ll see brown tourist signs pointing to the carpark as you get close. If you don’t wish to park, you will very clearly see the waterfall as you drive past it.

    Suldal Municipality

    Suldal is a small agricultural municipality in the traditional Ryfylke district. The area has a long history of trade connections to the nearby valley regions in the north and east and is located on the historic trade route. The administrative centre is Sand i Ryfylke.

    Hålandsosen

    Settlement

    Hålandsosen is the next settlement you’ll drive through. Here you’ll see the Erfjord Church, which is a white, wooden church from 1877. There is also a historic home here called Storgarden i Erfjord, which is part of the Ryfylke Museum. The museum was built in the 17th century and is open for private tours.

    Hjelmeland Municipality

    Hjelmeland is a municipality within the traditional district of Ryfylke. Traditionally, agriculture and fruit growing have been the most important industries. There is some heavy industry here too, with a large sand outlet at Årdal. Sand is collected in the village, cleaned and then exported on ships. At Hundsnes there is a salmon abattoir. The traditional Jaeren chairs also come from here.

    Nesvik - Hjelmeland Ferry

    Settlement

    This is where you take the only ferry on this road-trip to Hjelmeland. Just follow signs to Stavanger & Hjelmeland to get onto the ferry. The ferry runs approximately every twenty minutes.

    Hjelmelandsvågen

    Village

    Hjelmelandsvagen is the small village on the other side of the ferry.

    One of the more unique things to visit here is the “World’s largest traditional Jærstol” (Jaeren Chair). It is clearly marked on Google Maps.

    Årdal

    Town

    Årdal is a small village in the Hjelmeland municipality. The main industry here is sand, crushed stone and gravel, with about one million tons shipped every year. 

    Located in the village is the historic Old Årdal Church. The church was built in 1620, though the earliest church documents date back to 1308. The first church on the site was a stave church likely built in the 13th century. The new church from 1620 was built using some of the materials from the stave church and part of the foundation under the southwest corner is on the same foundation as the medieval stave church. 

    In 1919, the new Årdal Church was built about 600 metres to the southwest of the old church, and since then Årdal Old Church has not been used regularly. It is still used for weddings and concerts. 

    Strand Municipality

    Strand municipality is known for its production of fruit, vegetables, and dairy products. There are also some mills located in the municipality. The coat-of-arms shows three red water wheels on a grey background, symbolising hydropower in the region.

    Tau

    Village

    Tau is a small village within Strand Municipality. The main employer here is Comrod Communications, which manufactures antennas for military use.

    Ryfylke Tunnel

    Tunnel

    At 14.4km (8.9 mi) long the Ryfylke Tunnel is currently the world’s longest and deepest subsea tunnel at the time it was built. In 2023 Rogfast, another subsea tunnel in Rogaland County, is expected to open and take over the title from the Ryfylke Tunnel. The tunnel opened in December 2019 after six years of construction.

    When you come out on the other side, you are in Stavanger.

    Stavanger

    Stavanger is an interesting city with strong Viking connections. However, today Stavanger is known throughout Norway for being the centre of the oil industry.

    Read more about Stavanger via the link below. 

    Stavanger Travel Guide

    Continue the drive

    The Jæren Tourist Road

    Continue your drive through Southern Norway by taking the very unique Jæren Tourist Road. 

    Jæren Tourist Road

    This drive is part of the multi-day series “From Trondheim to the Lofoten Islands & Back Again”, where we travel from Trondheim to Lofoten via the Coastal Road, and then take the E6 back south to Trondheim. You can view the entire drive below. 

    Ultimate Norway Road-Trip

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