Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE NORTHERN FJORDS
It'syetmorecrinklycoastlineandmoredeeplyincisedfjordsasyoupushfurthernorthwards
into the region of Møre og Romsdal. Geirangerfjord, a Unesco World Heritage Site, a must
onmosttoursandafavouriteanchorageforcruiseships,staggersbeneathitssummerinflux.
Stray from this tour operators' mecca and you'll find the waterways and roads less crowded
and the scenery almost as spectacular as further south. The coastal towns of Ålesund and
Kristiansund each deserve an overnight stop - and the spectacular drive over the Trollstigen
pass will have you checking your safety belt.
Åndalsnes
POP 2650
There are two dramatic ways to approach Åndalsnes: by road through the Trollstigen pass
or along Romsdalen as you ride the spectacularly scenic Raumabanen. The rail route down
from Dombås, it ploughs through a deeply cut glacial valley flanked by sheer walls and
plummeting waterfalls. Badly bombed during WWII, the modern town, nestled beside
Romsdalfjord, is nondescript, but the surrounding landscapes are magnificent.
Sights
Trollveggen
SHEER CLIFF
FromDombåstothesoutheast,theE136andraillinedropinparalleldownRomsdalen(you
might have a sense of déjà vu if you've seen
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
, where
the valley features). Near Åndalsnes, dramatic Trollveggen (Troll Wall), first conquered in
1958bya joint Norwegian and English team, rears skywards. The highest vertical mountain
wall in Europe, its ragged and often cloud-shrouded summit, 1800m from the valley floor,
is considered the ultimate challenge among mountaineers.
Trollstigen
MOUNTAIN ROAD
(
www.trollstigen.net
)
South of Åndalsnes, the Troll's Ladder is a thriller of a climb or des-
cent. Recently declared a National Tourist Route, it was completed in 1936 after eight years
of labour. To add an extra daredevil element to its 11 hairpin bends and a 1:12 gradient,
