The road over Aurland Mountain is a journey across a barren plateau of desolate landscape of snow and rocks with the occasional sprig of grass, known as The “Snow Road” between the Fjords.
Stegastein, a known viewpoint.
Photo: Per Kollstad / Statens vegvesen
The mountain road between Lærdal and Aurland in 1300 meters height
Photo: Helge Stikbakke / Statens vegvesen
A thousand metres down inside the mountain, motorists are passing through the blue and green light of the three mountain halls of the Lærdal Tunnel, at 24.5 kilometres the worlds longest. Both roads connect the pulsating tourist villages of Aurland and Lærdal in the heart of Sogn. Together, they make up a round trip of contrasts and an experience of the mountain from both inside and outside.
Travelling from Lærdal, the view that opens up on the descent towards the dramatic fjord landscape in and around Aurland is astounding, with the award-winning Stegastein viewpoint as the pièce de résistance. Made of laminated timber and steel, this platform sticking 30 metres out into thin air, 600 metres above the fjord gives the landscape a whole new dimension.
The old buildings at Lærdalsøyri, Flåmsbanen, Aurlandsdalen and Nærøyfjord, which like Geirangerfjord is on UNESCO?s World Heritage List, are all attractions in the area that are well worth a visit. The salmon centre in Lærdal offers cultural history and a taste of salmon.
The future Aurlandsfjellet National Tourist Route runs between Aurlandsvangen and Lærdalsøyra and is 47 kilometres long. Get status by 2012.
Show National Tourist Route Aurlandsfjellet in a bigger map