Home»Photo Galleries»Europe»Norway»Norway 2015 - Geiranger to Trollstigen

Perhaps no place in the Norway fjords has received more attention than Geirangerfjord. Formed in the shape of an "S," perhaps it is appropriate that it is described by so many Superlatives: Spectacular, Striking, Stunning, Stupendous. Its beauty is certainly exceptional, earning it the moniker “The Pearl of the Fjords,” as well as a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Geirangerfjord is an astonishing creation of Mother Nature, with majestic vertical walls rising from both sides of the water, with impressively beautiful waterfalls flowing from the snow-melt and rain high above: the Seven Sisters, the Suitor, and the Bride’s Veil are three of the most famous. There are several abandoned farms sitting on impossibly small plots of hillside near the shore and high on the hillside. The extremely well-done Geiranger Fjord Centre offers insight into both the people who lived on these farms and the unsurpassed natural scenery of the area.

Although we didn’t stay in Geiranger village on our trip, we were able to experience Geirangerfjord from several different vantage points. On our drive from Lom, after passing between Breheimen and Reinheimen National Parks and the turnoff to the famous Dalsnibba viewpoint, we stopped at Flydalsjuvet Canyon viewpoint. This gave us a fabulous overview of Geiranger and the head of its fjord. After passing through Geiranger, we stopped at the Ornesvingen viewpoint on one of the upper bends of the “Eagle Road” as it climbed through its 11 hairpin bends. From there we saw further into the fjord, with a view of the Seven Sisters waterfall. Then a few days later, after completing our stay at Isfjorden, we saw Geiranger fjord from the western end, looking deep into the fjord in the direction of the village of Geiranger. We came along by the viewpoint just as the clouds were lifting and the sun was slipping through for a few brief moments at the end of the day. It was truly a magical scene. Then, while staying in Volda, we drove back to the village of Hellesylt and took the ferry boat through the S-shaped fjord to Geiranger. It was a rainy day, but we had close-up views of the Seven Sisters and many of the other cascades flowing over the steep mountainsides. It was a good day to visit the Fjord Museum to learn about the farm life on the fjord and about how the fjords were formed over the millennia. It was a great history and geography lesson for us, helping us appreciate the sights even more. Although our schedule and the weather didn’t allow us to do any hiking in the Geiranger area, we came away with a rich set of images, inspired by the beauty of this fjord that fully lives up to its reputation.

Between Geiranger and Isfjorden we drove the Geiranger-Trollstigen National Tourist Route, which has been a favorite of tourists for decades. The most famous point along the route is the Trollstigplataet, which features two viewpoints looking out over the Trollstigen Mountain Road. The viewpoints provide a bird’s eye view of the Isterdalen Valley and the road that winds its way down the mountain and through the valley to the town of Andalsnes. Opened in 1936, the narrow serpentine road, with its steep (10%) incline and 11 hairpin curves, is among the most visited places in Norway, with over 150,000 vehicles passing daily during the tourist season. Fortunately, we passed through late in the evening on our way to Isfjorden, so we had the road and the viewpoint nearly to ourselves. And when we drove back up the road a few days later, it was a rainy, foggy day that discouraged many from making the harrowing drive.

I will note here that we don’t have any photos from our stay in Isfjorden, where we were treated to four days of rain and low clouds, preventing us from having a view of the majestic mountains of the Ramsdal region and from hiking the famous Romsdalseggen Ridge or visiting the Trolls’ Wall or seeing the Romsdalshorn. I guess we saved that for another time!