July 13: Trollstigen Stuns from Beginning to End

Stunning! Absolutely stunning! My rather circuitous route to one of Europe’s top ten roads turned out to be just as impressive as the Trollstigen Road itself. Rivers, lakes, waterfalls, lush green meadows, snow-capped mountains, and one of the prettiest views I’ve ever seen of a little mountain village. The extra ferry ride I accidentally took from there turned out to be one of the best “wrong turns” ever.

I woke up this morning determined to enjoy my time on the road despite the weather forecast of cold and rain for the entire day. Within five minutes of leaving my lodging I had already snapped three of what I would normally consider to be “website-worthy” photos, none of which ended up making the final cut!

As I worked my way north on route E-6 from Vinstra and then west on road 15 I found myself surrounded by a magical world of lush green meadows and trees, dark gray and blue river water the texture of velvet, rolling tufts of fog suspended in midair, and little villages nestled in valleys. At one point a farmer tied a string across the road and proceeded to herd his dozen or so cattle from one meadow to another, taking one cow at a time.

Just when I thought I couldn’t be more impressed, I turned north on route 63 and found myself twisting and turning up and down a mountain pass on one of the best rides of my life. As I rose in elevation the air became colder and crisper and the landscape changed from lush greenery to white capped mountains, glacier-fed lakes and streams, and rocky outcroppings all around.

Twisting and turning my way down the mountain towards the little village of Geiranger on an intricate series of hairpin turns, I couldn’t believe my good fortune to have found such an exhilarating and picturesque ride. The road furled out in front of me like a roll of ribbon tossed onto the table and as the trees cleared and the image of the town became visible my breath caught in my throat.

Nestled at the base of the mountain and set next to the fjord, the village was dwarfed by the enormous mountains surrounding it on all sides, appearing like a beautiful emerald showcasing all its hues of green – dark forest green covered cliffs, light yellow-green meadows, and the silky blue green of the fjord itself.

Blindly following my navigation app, I boarded the Geiranger – Hellesylt ferry, inadvertently heading in the opposite direction of where I hoped to go. What a fortuitous mistake! The ferry turned out to be a mini cruise ship with a cafeteria below and regular broadcasts from the helm informing us of one famous viewpoint after another. My favorite was the seven sisters waterfall, cascading in multiple streams off the rocky cliffs into the glacier-fed water below and located opposite its “suitor” waterfall, the Friaren.

Back on land I realized I needed to drive on route 60 north and then take the Stranda – Liabygda ferry across another fjord to make it onto route 650 east and then 63 north to get to my bucket list item of the day – the Trollstigen Road. Considered one of the top ten motorcycling roads in Europe, this road follows a series of 11 mind blowing hairpin turns down the steep side of the Stegafjellet mountain towards the village of Andalsnes.

I stopped at the visitor’s center at the top of the mountain near the beginning of the road to get some pictures. But the fog was so thick and the rain so heavy it was  impossible to see the road – not exactly the weather conditions I hoped to complete the ride in. Fortunately, some of the fog lifted after a few minutes, allowing me to get a picture of at least part of the spectacular view.

One benefit of the poor weather and late hour was that there were fewer drivers than normal, and the other motorists were navigating cautiously down the incline. I found myself grateful for the practice I had had earlier in the day and also happy that I was able to go as slowly as I needed to get safely down the mountain.

Arriving in the little town of Andalsnes, I gratefully ate dinner and ordered a homemade dessert from Sodahlhuset, a charming little café right next door to my lodging. The almond merengue cake with lemon custard topping was off the charts delicious and a perfect end to a great day on the road.