Driving northwesterly out of Oslo, we were grateful we had a GPS on our rental car. We’ve definitely gotten spoiled by this technology, especially in a country where we can’t read any of the road signs. With no particular itinerary, we had 4 days to make it to our destination. With no accommodation booked and very few hotels along the road, we spent our first night in a cabin in the community of Vang. Located at the beginning of the fjord region, our site was near the water and provided us with beautiful reflective views.
Stopping at the Borgund Stave Church built in 1180, we were visiting one of the oldest and best-preserved churches of this type. There are only 28 of these wooden medieval Christian churches still surviving of the original 1000 or so. The church is coated with tar pitch every 5-10 years to help preserve the exterior. Religious services are only held in this church once a year, on St. Olaf’s Day (Norway’s patron saint). Services for the town have been held in the “new” church since 1868.
It rains a lot in this part of the world. But, the weather seemed to change frequently throughout the day, so we could start with rain, then have sun, have it change to thunderstorms and then back to sun again. We had packed rain jackets and umbrellas though, so proceeded with all our activities oblivious to the weather.
Heading deeper into fjord country, we crossed the Sognefjord on the Mannheller ferry. Two ferries move back and forth from side to side about every 15-minutes, providing transportation and great scenery. The cost for both of us and the car was only around $14. Landing for the day in Solvorn, there were no accommodations available, but walking through town we saw a little house with a “For Rent” sign on the front lawn. Bottom line, we had a bed for the night in this cozy little town. With a population of only 150, the community doesn’t support a market of any type, but we were able to get traditional Norwegian dinners at one of the restaurants from their limited menu, salmon for me and Norwegian meatballs for Alan, and we bought some freshly picked giant raspberries at a roadside stand for breakfast. Numerous trails near the waterfront show off the Lustrafjord the town is known for and provided a pleasant evening hike.
Driving a few hours north the next morning, we arrived at the Nygard arm of the Jostedal Glacier. At 185 square miles, this is Europe’s largest glacier. All the guided glacier hikes were booked for the day. Walking on the glacier is only allowed with a guide and proper outfitting, which includes crampons for walking on the ice. A 10-minute drive from the visitor’s center, though, led us to the beginning of a rocky trail that leads close to the base of the glacier, about a one hour hike. Without proper hiking shoes, the walk/climb was a little more difficult, but we made it without incident. It was a gorgeous location and surprisingly busy considering its distance from anywhere.
After backtracking on the ferry, we headed to the “snow road”. This is a narrow, zigzagging 30-mile route that leads from Laerdal over Aurlandsfjellet to Aurland. Venturing above the tree-line, we frequently had to veer to the very edge of the road to allow other vehicles to pass. Often times there was no or minimal guard rail protecting us from a scary plunge down the mountainside. Drivers were patient and considerate on the narrow approaches which were made a little easier by occasional pullouts along the way. Desolate farms located along the way provided the occasional sheep or goat that would wander into the road. Views along the drive were spectacular and made the drive worth the effort. The other option for this route is a 15-mile tunnel. Norway has over 1000 tunnels, many more than anywhere we have ever driven, but the idea of a mind-numbing 15-mile tunnel drive was scarier than the narrow winding mountain road.
Arriving in Aurland without reservations, we spent time running around, and calling hotels and campgrounds there and nearby, and finally figured out that not a single bed was available in the vicinity. Moving westerly, we dropped into the tiny town of Undredal (80 residents) located along the Aurlandsfjord. At this point, we were getting a little desperate. But, here we found a teepee for rent. Furnished with a small sofa, a chair, and a large air mattress, we were set for the night. It even had a heater to keep us warm as the overnight temperatures dipped into the 50’s. Passing a few goat farms as we drove into the village should have been a clue to the food offerings in town. The restaurant had a limited menu. They served goat stew, goat steak, or pizza topped with either brown or white goat cheese, with goat salami as an optional topping. The brown cheese is unique to Norway, known as Brunost, it is a caramelized goat cheese with a creamy, slightly sweet taste.
Several miles up the road from Undredal, we decided to take a detour that led us down a road called Stalheimskleiva. With an 18% downhill grade, this is the steepest road in Norway, and the steepest we have ever driven. Buses doing the “Norway in the Nutshell” tour come down this narrow road as well. A bus traveling down just behind us had a guide from the bus run down the road ahead to help enable their trip. Only a handful of pullouts exist on this road, so meeting another vehicle would be a major challenge for a bus. Two beautiful waterfalls and stunning views are the payoffs for taking the road. It has 13 hairpin turns in the short trip, it's just a little over 1 mile long.
Throughout our trip, awesome scenery was topped by even more spectacular scenery at the next turn. Winding roads, hundreds of waterfalls, dramatic skies, and soaring fjords accompanied us for the entire journey.
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