Trollstigen:
A winding road down the side of a mountain filled with switchback turns that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand-up straight
After spending the weekend at a cabin in the mountains of Stranda and touring the Geirangerfjord region, we made our way back home via a different route. Trollstigen is one of the iconic scenic routes through the mountains of Norway, which means it gets crowded when it’s open.
Trollstigen is located in western Norway surrounded by mountains and fjords. This National Tourist Route is deemed the Geiranger-Trollstigen scenic route and runs from Sogge Bru in Romsdalen and Langvatnet to Strynefjellet, a total of 104 kilometers. The route consists of mountain views, fjords and ferry rides, and hairpin turns that aren’t for the faint of heart. It’s important to take your time and not rush your travels in order to really enjoy the scenery and power of Norway’s landscape.
Some people decide to bike the route. We were not those people. In fact, we only did a portion of the scenic route on our drive back home, but the slight detour was totally worth it. We ventured through the Trollstigen portion of the scenic drive.
According to visitnorway.com, construction on Trollstigen began nearly 100 years ago under the rule of King Haakon VII and opened in 1936. Due to weather conditions in the area, the road is only open and accessible between Mid-May and until the first snow of autumn. If you’re planning a trip to Norway and want to do any of the scenic drives, keep this in mind. It’s always a good idea to check that the routes are open before planning a trip around one. This year the road opened late, July 11th, due to construction. The road can also close without prior warning due to rockslides.
With the direction we were driving, we started at the top of the mountain and descended down through the eleven hairpin turns near waterfalls and cliff edges. Be prepared to take it slow. The road is narrow and filled with tourists in cars and RVs or on bikes and motorcycles. It felt a little sketchy at times.
Our first stop was the visitors center and overlook at the top of the mountain before the winding descent. It’s a small parking lot so we had to circle a couple of times before getting lucky and snagging a spot. We had declared it to be our last attempt at parking before driving down the mountain and skipping the overlook. I’m glad it worked out. The overlook was breathtaking. The visitor’s center sits a little further back from the edge and there’s a walkway that leads out to the overlook with a few stops along the way. Each overlook stop has glass barriers so you feel safe while also having an unobstructed view. Yet again, our two-year-old showed he had little fear, pressing his face against the glass to get a better look over the edge. The view includes the road and valley below filled with roaring waterfalls and luscious green landscapes.
We made it a quick stop. Taking in the views, stretching our legs, using the restroom, and meandering through the gift shop before heading back to the car for the drive down. You could, however, make a day of it at the top. There were plenty of paths and trails off to the side of the main walkway with areas to relax and enjoy a day in nature with beautiful views.
Unfortunately for us and him, our two-year-old battles car sickness, so we gave him a small dose of medicine to help settle his stomach before we re-started our drive. This was a good decision because we made it through the road trip without any “spit up” situations.
What an exciting drive down we had! The road was packed. There was a lot of stop-and-go movement to allow oncoming traffic to pass. We watched the cyclist pedaling up one directing and coasting down on the other, admiring their determination. We marveled at the brave people driving wide RVs up the road and held our breath as they passed us (you sometimes had to reverse to clear the way). We focused on anything but the steep drop off the edge of the road as we made the never-ending hairpin turns. My husband commented, “this is kind of giving me the willies,” to which I responded, “yeah, I’m glad you’re the one driving.” At one point, you drive close enough to a waterfall that you can feel its mist with the windows down. Our son particularly enjoyed this part. We had to drive with the windows rolled down for a while after this just in case another waterfall came along.
It wasn’t a long drive down, but it was certainly a unique and unforgettable experience. The views, switchback turns, and narrow roadway is one we will remember for years to come and will be added to our list of sketchy routes we’ve taken.
