Driving up the Trollstigen (The Trolls' Path) is well worth the trip! Wow, the view is so breathtaking!!! When you drive up the mountain, the view gets more and more spectacular with every corner that you take.
This picture was taken from the top. There is a great viewpoint here, not a long walk from the road. So do get out of your car, stretch your legs, walk the little trail to the viewpoint and just be amazed by what you see!
If you look good at the picture you can see all the 'miniature' cars on the road, the bridge over Stigfoss waterfall, and of course the fantastic view from here!
The old trail
Trollstigen
The 'Trollstigen' has always been an important connecting routes between Sunnmøre to Romsdal. The original route was not this road, but a narrow horse trail. You can still see this horse trail and the good news is that it is restored and is now used as a hiking trail. It sounds like a beautiful trail to hike, although probably very steep and exhausting to do.
If you do like me and take the car instead, you might have to think about which season to travel here. During the winter to approximately the middle of May the road is closed, depending on snow conditions.
The Trolls
On top of the 'Trollstigen' you can find some tourist shops and of course the 'obligatory' troll is sold here by the dozen. Maybe not that surprising, as this road is named after these trolls :-)) But what is a troll exactly?
A troll is a creature that according to legends from long ago lived in the forest of Norway. People didn't know what these creatures were, but they were generally believed to have supernatural powers, and they came to be known as trolls. Trolls weren't really beautiful. They had long crooked noses, only four fingers and toes and most of them had long wild hair. A troll isn't per definition small though as many people assume. They can be small, but they can also be like giants. Although they look frightening and shaggy, they are also considered as good-natured. But it is really important not to make a troll angry or you would be in deep deep trouble!
So are there any chances of seeing a troll? Oh yes there are! The trolls only come out of their hiding-places after sunset through and they are gone before the morning sun gets up. They stand can't direct sunlight, because this might make them crack and turn them into stone. But when you are in the dark forests in Norway, you better beware.. After dark there is not only you... you are there surrounded by the trolls! Hahaha, and if you do see one, please take a picture! I would love to see one 'for real' :-)))
a Troll
From Trollstigen to Geiranger
Waterfall close to Heggen
After the 'Trollstigen', the landscape becomes more 'quiet', but it is still beautiful. On the highest tops here in the mountains you could still see some snow. Further along the long drive to Geiranger you get into 'strawberry country'. In many places along the road they were selling fresh strawberries. And although it was at the end of the strawberry-season, I was able to buy a nice basket full of them. Hmmmmm, that would make a delicious dessert for tonight! :-))
Close to the village of Heggen I saw this little waterfall. A nice spot to get out of the stretch your legs after a long drive and admire the landscape. Heggen is located approximately 15 minutes before you get to the ferry to Geiranger (ferry from Linge to Eidsdal).
Ferry from Trollstigen to Geiranger
Ferry from Trollstigen to Geiranger
This is the first ferry trip on our journey through Norway, the first of many more to come. I was surprised by the ferry system though, it is very efficient and only on a few occasions I had to wait for a long time for the ferry. The costs will add up though if you go ferry hopping with a car too much, but it is also fun to make these short trips crossing the beautiful fjords. This is the ferry connecting the Trollstigen to Geiranger. The ferry goes from Linge to Eidsdal. The ferry crosses the fjord around 40 times a day during the summer season (beginning of June to the end of August). It is a very short crossing, it only takes 10 minutes to get to the other side. A car including driver will cost you 43 NOK and a passenger 18 NOK.
You can find more detailed information about the ferries in Norway on this website : You can also find more info and details on this website : www.mrf.no
First view over the Geiranger Fjord
viewpoint at the Ørneveien (Eagles way)
We arrived at the Geiranger fjord from the north side. Here you descend down to the valley on the Ørneveien (Eagles way). There are a few viewpoints along this road and wow those views are fantastic! They certainly are a 'must-stop'!
I was amazed by the view : the wonderful blue coloured-water of the fjord itself, the high steep walls on the sides of the fjords and far in the distance I could see some of the fantastic waterfalls along the fjord. And of course there were a lots of boats going up and down the fjord, as seeing the fjord from the water is a wonderful experience. But I'll tell and show you more about that on my Geiranger page.
Geiranger with is beautiful fjord is located 427 kilometres from Oslo and 373 kilometres from Bergen.
Viewpoint at the Ørneveien (Eagles way)
This is another view from the Ørneveien (Eagles way), not as good as the other one, hahaha, but it is still great one! In the distance you can see the village of Geiranger, which is located at the end of the fjord. Geiranger village is the destination for many tourists as this is the place where you can take boat tours on the Geiranger fjord.
I was so in luck when I arrived at Ørneveien! It was raining only 5 minutes before and I thought I wouldn't have a nice view at all, because of that. But right at the moment that I could see the Geiranger fjord, the rain decided to stop and the clouds made a little room for the sun. Now lets hope that rain can stay away for a while! Because it is time for me to find a camping spot!:-) Hahaha, and setting up a tent in the rain is not exactly what I call 'fun' :-))
Viewpoint at the Ørneveien (Eagles way)
Camping at Geiranger
Vinje Camping at Geiranger
It is time to find a campground and set up my tent. There is lots of accommodations available at Geiranger, but it is also very busy here with tourists. So finding a place to stay might be hard in high season. I was on a camping trip, so I focused myself on the campgrounds around. The ones close to Geiranger seemed to be full, but a bit up the road on the other side of Geiranger I found the perfect campground. The name of the camping place was 'Vinje Camping'.
It didn't rain, so I had time to put up my tent, make some dinner.... and oops..... it started to rain... arghhh! Hahaha, luckily there were some picnic tables under a roof, so I didn't mind it too much.
Late in the evening the weather cleared up and the sun broke through the clouds. A wonderful sight to see. The amazing thing is that it is REALLY late at night here (I think it was about 11 o'clock in the evening). Aren't these looong summer evenings amazing!!!! Hahaha, they have 'one' downside though.... it is really hard to sleep when it is light most part of the day, lol :-)))
A trip through Norway...
This was my page about my trip from Rondane National Park to the Geiranger fjord. I hope you enjoyed reading it! My journey will continue on the next page about Geiranger
