Trollstigen – one of Norway's most dramatic roads

Text and photo: Helena Bergström

Trollstigen is one of Norway's most iconic tourist routes - a winding mountain road with eleven hairpin bends, dramatic cliffs and waterfalls cascading down the mountainside. During our motorhome trip in Norway, it was an obvious destination, and we were not disappointed.

Trollstigen in Norway

We came to Trollstigen from the Åndalsnes side and drove the road from the bottom up, in the direction of Valldal. This was a truly adventurous and fascinating experience, we promise.

Our path towards Trollstigen

The night before, we spent the night at Bjorli Rastplats together with Peter's youngest son Billie and his girlfriend Amy, who met us by car from Sweden. The rest stop is beautifully situated next to a roaring rapid and was a perfect starting point for the next day's adventure.

An unexpected stop

We started by scouting out a nice little swimming spot, which we found between Bjorli Rastplats and Trollveggen.

We found it by observing a place where many cars were parked along the road and then we followed the path into the forest. We were not disappointed when we arrived and experienced the clear, green-shimmering water.

The Troll Wall

We then continued our journey, through a landscape that was spectacular long before we reached the main destination for the day.

Before reaching Trollstigen, we also stopped at Trollväggen (Norwegian: Trollveggen), which is Europe's highest vertical rock face. From the valley floor to the highest peaks, the height difference is about 1,700 meters, while the closest vertical rock face rises about 1,000 meters. The wall has become popular with climbers who want to challenge themselves, and unfortunately, some have also lost their lives here.

There is a visitor center here, with information signs, a cafe and toilets. We stopped briefly for an ice cream and a ”troll photo”.

Driving the Trollstigen – from the bottom up

We chose to drive the classic stretch of the Trollstigen, from below Åndalsnes and up towards the plateau. The first few curves felt almost surreal, before we cautiously began to take in the majestic landscape.

The road winds close to the mountainside while Stigfossen plunges thunderously down beside the road. After each curve new views open up. We took photos and photos, but it's hard to capture the feeling in a picture.

Although the road is narrow, we found it to be well-ordered. It's important to take it easy, keep your distance, and be prepared for oncoming traffic – especially large vehicles like campers and long tour buses taking turns.

It's hard not to stop time and time again. Every curve feels like a new postcard, and it's almost a little hard to believe that this spectacle is real.

The viewing platforms at the top

Once you reach the top, it's time for new experiences. There is a large parking lot here, and services in the form of toilets, a café and a souvenir shop. From the parking lot, you can walk to several nice viewing platforms. The visitor center and viewing platforms are designed to blend into the landscape and have been awarded for their modern architecture.

In fact, it is from here that you get the finest views and the very best photos. The outermost viewpoints are breathtaking and gave me (who suffers from a fear of heights) a large dose of vertigo, but there are also benches further back where you can enjoy this natural painting in peace and quiet.

The road ahead towards Valldal

Once you have made it up Trollstigen, you can continue on the road over the mountain, in the direction of Valldal. The mountain experience started right at the visitor center, in the form of a large herd of sheep strolling around the parking lot.

The mountain plateau offers incredibly beautiful views. Along the way we saw several small gravel parking lots where campers were parked with expansive mountain views around them. If you want to spend the night here, there is certainly a possibility, although of course you have to check the current signage and show consideration for nature and traffic. However, it may be good to be prepared that the Internet coverage is weak here, which is why we chose to continue on.

Gudbrandsjuvet

We stopped at Gudbrandsjuvet – a five-meter narrow and 20-25-meter high ravine, where the Valldøla rapids rush forward. The water levels are impressive and the views are truly stunning.

Overnight stay at a campsite

We primarily alternate free camping with overnight stays at Norwegian farms via the Nortrip concept, but it also happens that we go camping – especially when there are four of us in the camper. This night we went to Skoglund Camping, which is a relatively small and simple, but scenic and pleasant campsite. Here we could relax in peace and quiet after the day's intense adventure.

More experiences in this part of Norway

Of course, there is much more to see and experience around Norway. Here you will find more tips and reports on places nearby:

• Atlantic Road
• Vinnufossen – Europe's highest waterfall
• Geirangerfjord