DAY 1

This was the start of our four-day road trip to Western Norway.

The trip started from Oslo and took us six hours to drive to Åndalsnes. Magestic mountains, crystal clear rivers, streams and waterfalls, colourful cabins and houses entertained and delighted us along the way.

It was so surreal seeing the gigantic Trollwall.

We drove straight to Gjerdsetbygda Turistsenter where we stayed for our first day. The mountain and lake views were splendid, I could live there. The apartment itself was cozy, spacious and relaxing. We took our lunch there, rested for a while and drove 10 minutes away to the starting point of our hike, Rampestreken.

Rampestreken is not as popular as Trolltunga or Preikestolen, but is just as wonderful as the two. It is considered a moderate hike, an average of 2-3 hr back and forth, and even children and people of age can do it. In fact we met a lot of kids and oldies along the hike.

After the hike, we drove back to the Gjerdsetbygda and took advantage of the free kayaking offered by the place. Imagine after a 6-hr drive, we still managed to do hiking and kayaking?

Here is the link to the center and I highly recommend this place. The place is very relaxing and the host was friendly and accomodating. We booked an apartment type room which has lake and mountain view, a private bathroom and a kitchen so that we can cook our own food.

DAY 2

It was drizzling when we left Åndalsnes early in the morning and drove half an hour to Trollstigen. We took the famous Road 63, also called the Golden Route, which offered such spectacular views.

Normally this road opens late May and closes late October because of deep snow and avalanches during the winter. The road twists through 11 hairpin bends, and a waterfall Stigfossen is located in the middle.

At the top is a viewpoint, café and souvenir shops that usually open during the summer. It took us an hour or two at the viewpoint since clouds covered the view, and had to wait until it cleared off, then continued the trip to Geiranger.

The drive from Trollstigen to Geiranger was so dramatic and surreal---lush valleys, strawberry farms in Valldal, countless waterfall, lakes at the top of the mountains, farms, unique style cabins and a lot to be discovered. I recently learned from a friend that Valldall has the sweetest strawberry in Norway and sadly, we didn't try one. It was like a feast in the eye. Cabins or “hytta” which is very popular here can be seen at mountain tops end ridges and even on the narrowest mountain ledge.

Norway has more than 50 000 islands, and travelling from Valldal to Geiranger required a ferry ride, along with the car of course. We probably took 4-5 ferry rides during the entire trip to transfer from once island to another.

Expect a lot of downward and upward slopes when driving to Geiranger. Actually it was the best decision that we didn´t took the return cruise because as noon came, the road became too busy and crowded. Just watch the video and see how Geirangerfjord looks like, because I cannot even describe the feeling.

Unfortunately, it was raining when we reached the town of Geiranger. It was small and crowded because of the number of tourists. Just look how massive the cruise was, which estimated more than a thousand heads in there. It took us almost 30 minutes looking for a place to park and eat.

It is recommended to book the cruise beforehand just to secure a place, especially if you have a car. Though it was still raining when we boarded the ferry, we still enjoyed the view, though it was crowded and I was a little bit disappointed.

We docked at the town of Stranda where we booked our stay for our second night. The ski resort was far from the town center, and since it was raining, visibility along the road was poor, but it was all worth the drive. The cabin was fairytale like---a perfect place to end this tiring but spectacular and unforgettable day!

Here is the link to the ski center where our cabin was located.

It is located a little bit far from the city center so I highly recommend to buy food and stuffs you need before driving to the cabins. We fetched the key, toiletries and beddings at Stranda Tourist Center and drove all the way up.

Constructions were still ongoing when we went, and the cabin smelled and looked new. The view included a small river, mountains and beautiful traditional but modern designed Scandinavian cabins. It was also blueberry season and there were berries all over the place. We took some time to pick and had them for breakfast the next day.

DAY 3

The third day of our roadtrip was in Northwestern Norway. We took off early from Stranda Ski Center and drove 2 hrs to Ålesund, still in Møre og Romsdal County. The town is popularly known for its beautiful, artistic and fairytail like Art Nouveau architecture.

The entire town was destroyed by a devastating fire in 1904 forcing the population to evacuate, leaving thousands without homes. The town was then rebuilt in stone, brick and mortar in Art Nouveau style. To commemorate the event, townsfolk build a very enormous bonfire measuring about 40 meters high, in celebration of the summer solstice every year.

We drove all the way up to Aksla to witness a panoramic view of the city and Sunnmøre Alps. The alternative way is to walk 418 steps up to the viewpoint. There is a café located at the top, called Fjellstua.

We took an early lunch and drove next to Averøy.

Ever since we got our car, we had always hoped that one day we could drive here, and so we did.

Atlantic Ocean Road is known to be one of the worlds’ most beautiful drive. It features a unique stretch of road right out to the ocean’s edge. It connects series of small islands and islets spanned by a total of eight bridges over 8274 meters.

Though it was cloudy and windy, we enjoyed the salty air and magnificent coastal view. Some even prefer to drive this road when a storm is brewing to experience waves clashing through the road.

It was summer so when we were there, so the ocean was flat and calm.

Then we drove to our last destination, Trondheim, and stayed at Thon Hotel Nidaros for the night. We reached Trondheim at around 20:00. Unfortunately the dinner at the hotel was already closed, and since it was not yet dark outside, we went our for dinner.

DAY 4

Today is the last day of our trip. Luckily the weather was perfect for a morning stroll.

Trondheim is the third largest city in Norway, next to Oslo and Bergen. We rented a city bike to stroll the city.

We cycled to the Old Town houses at the back of Bakklandet, to the Old town bridge and Nidaros Cathedral. The neighborhood is dominated by small, colourful wooden houses, blossoming plants and cobble narrow streets.

The cathedral is the Notre Dame of Norway, a sanctuary built over the grave of St. Olav in the middle of the 12th century. He was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028.

We then cycled back to the hotel, rested, packed and drove back to Oslo after lunch.

This was a trip to remember, and I can say the best of the road trips I had so far. I can´t even explain into words how I felt during the entire trip. Everything I saw in all angles where breathtaking---the view, mountains, oceans, fjords, alps, lakes, rivers, landscape, unique cabins, waterfalls, and those cities with beautiful people and architecture. Everything!