Scattered throughout Norway, national roads are not in vain called real pearls. Allowing a different look at the picturesque nature of a harsh country, these highways are of great interest to tourists.
The best way to get to know an unfamiliar country
An exciting journey by car is lovely way get to know the country better. It must be said that it is Norwegian architects who have recently made a loud statement about themselves by installing unusual art objects along the routes, emphasizing the exceptional beauty of local landscapes.
National roads that combine nature and design into a single whole is a unique project of the state, in which local and foreign specialists are involved.
The most scenic highway
In 1989, the opening of a new road - Atlanterhavsvegen (Atlantic Road), recognized as the most picturesque in the world. Laid along the western coast, the highway, more than eight kilometers long, passes through numerous islands of the ocean located between settlements. atlantic road(Norway) is a section of a two-lane highway of an unusual design.
The history of the appearance of the popular tourist highway
A marvel of Norwegian engineering is a fairly powerful road track with bridges that are over 23 meters above sea level. The highway running through the Eide archipelago was planned to be used as railway line However, at the beginning of the 20th century, this idea was abandoned due to the difficulty of laying paths.
In 1983, large-scale work began, interrupted by many problems and adverse weather conditions: 12 powerful hurricanes are known to hit this area. Six years later, the Atlantic Road (Norway), declared the best highway for travel, was opened. Within a year, all the funds invested in the construction paid off.
Part of cultural heritage
We can say with full confidence that the highway with a width of more than six meters has become part of not only the country's infrastructure, but also cultural heritage. The Atlantic Road (Norway) includes eight bridges and four panoramic observation decks.
The most visited attraction of the state in Northern Europe is a favorite place for tourists who dream of riding with the breeze through the amazing building of the century with unique architecture, illusory effects, and amazing views of the ocean.
The Atlantic Road (Norway), the photo of which shows its sharp turns, is equipped with spare pockets where you can easily park your vehicle and go to the rocks to go fishing.
The bridges of the road are of incredible interest to visitors. For example, Storseisundet is popularly nicknamed "drunk" and reminds everyone famous attraction Rollercoaster: From certain angles, the ski-jump-like structure appears to drop right into the sky, an optical illusion that delights and terrifies travelers. As the tourists themselves respond, in order to drive along the road, you need really strong nerves.
Creating a structure 260 meters long, the architects pursued the idea to attract the attention of travelers, and in addition, it was necessary to provide convenient access for ships to land. The Sturseysundet Bridge, which offers a breathtaking view of the ocean, is a truly unique structure that does not inspire confidence in those who travel along the Norwegian road for the first time.
Atlantic Road (Norway): Address, Atlantic Road Reviews: 4.5/5
Guests of the country admit that the zigzag highway causes not only admiration. Special feelings appear during a violent storm, when rolling waves that want to devour tourists break next to the road. During an extreme journey, adrenaline is released into the blood, and emotions go wild. It's not only beautiful road but also one of the most dangerous. So, in 2003, a tourist from Israel was washed into the ocean. huge wave, but despite the tragedy, the highway attracts millions of visitors to the country.
Thanks to the amazing bridge designs, passengers do not see where the Atlantic Road (Norway) ends and begins while riding, and such unusual journey, combining the romance of adventure and the thrill, is remembered forever.
Many note that along the highway there are cozy hotels where you can relax and enjoy the bad weather from the window of a comfortable room. In addition, the area is ideal for diving, and during the summer, snorkellers from all over the world stop here. Fishing tours organized by sports centers are also very popular.
Tours to Norway
For many years, the Atlantic Road (Norway) intended for guests has enjoyed increased interest. The Fly&Drive tour allows everyone to get acquainted with the main sights of the northern country, which, according to legend, is inhabited by trolls.
This is a unique opportunity to visit the main cities of the Scandinavian state, see the picturesque fjords with your own eyes and drive along mountain serpentines of roads, including the most picturesque of them.
If I were to make a list of the most beautiful places that every traveler should visit, in the top ten would undoubtedly be the Atlantic Road in Norway. Winding several kilometers through islands and skerries, the road leads to the ocean coast. Built at the end of the last century between small islands, it was instantly recognized as the "Main Norwegian building of the 20th century."
The British The Guardian awarded the track the first place in the nomination of the most picturesque roads in the world, and this is well deserved. But its main feature is in the magic bridge. When you ride along it, it seems that this is Ledzepellin's "Stairway to Heaven" and approaching the middle, you instinctively group up, preparing to jump ...
The road from Alesund towards Molde. Ahead is a mountain with “teeth marks”: it seems that a fairy-tale giant bit her right at the top:
3. 
There is another ferry in Molde for 1700 rubles (217 crowns):
4. 
The ship and cabin company are small:
5. 
In Molde itself, we did not particularly linger. Even last time the town seemed boring and unremarkable to me. We limited ourselves to climbing to the observation deck and took a couple of shots:
6. 
We parked next to a funny car. I deliberately stood nearby so that my Discovery caught up with her. The machine turned out to be almost two times shorter:
7. 
In 2007, when I came here for the first time, there were no quadcopters yet and it was impossible to assess the scale of the road in one frame:
8. 
The length of the highway is almost 8.5 kilometers and consists of several roads and large bridges, viaducts:
9. 
Until 1970, a ferry ran between the islands, but even then it became clear that the waterway could not cope with the growing flow of cars. It was decided to lay the road. Designed and planned construction for several years, the start was made in 1983:
10. 
The construction was difficult. For six years, the road survived 12 powerful hurricanes (fortunately, there were no casualties). In the period from 1989 to 1999, the Atlantic Road was tolled, then, when the construction was fully paid off, it was opened to all motorists:
11. 
The Storsesandet Bridge is the longest and most famous bridge on the Atlantic Road:
12. 
The locals call it the "Drunken Bridge", because it does not stand like ordinary bridges - exactly - but twists left and right, up and down. If you look at it from a certain angle, it seems that the top is directed upwards and the cars passing along the roadway are about to take off into the sky:
13. 
The Storsesandet Bridge is also the high point the entire route. It is raised above the water to a height of 23 meters. The design of the bridge is made in such a way as to let ships pass under it:
14. 
On this day we lived in an excellent hotel just 2 kilometers from the Storsesandet bridge. I took a few photos from the copter right from the hotel room, since modern drones can fly within a radius of 2.5 km. True, I did not take into account one thing: he flew to the bridge in the wind at a speed of 12 meters per second, and back - twice as slow. There was a risk that the battery would run out, but everything worked out:
15. 
The hotel stands on an island and to get to it, you need to swim a little on a boat:
16. 
Departure to the island of Hochholmen cottage village Håholmen Havstuer takes place every hour. Moreover, this is not just a "water minibus", but a historical restored ship. Please note that the steering wheel is not in the center of the boat, but on the side, like the Vikings:
17. 
The boat only accepts passengers. Cars must be left in the parking lot near the pier. By the way, parking is free.
18. 
Our hotel on the island:
19. 
20. 
A hotel in Hoolmen cost about 12,500 rubles per family per day (1,590 crowns). A large cottage with 5 bedrooms (8 beds) was booked for us, with a bathroom and a large living room:
21. 
The bedrooms are small but very comfortable:
22. 
View from the window:
23. 
Download track of the day
A unique stretch of road that leads along the edge of the ocean. In 2005, the road was recognized as the "Engineering Feat of the Century" in Norway. This is the most beautiful road I have ever seen in my life. And this is not the only engineering feat of Norway, which will be discussed in this article.
The Atlantic Road connects Averøy to the mainland via a series of small islands and islets. On a section of the road with a length of only 8274 meters, 8 bridges were built. The Atlantic Road was opened in 1989 and is absolutely free, paid and expensive to this moment is the passage through the Atlantic Tunnel, they also take money for entering Kristiansund, it is this fee that many consider to be the entry fee for the Atlantic road.
It so happened that almost the whole day of our trip to Norway turned out to be devoted to the Norwegian engineering genius. We woke up in Valdala, moved towards the Atlantic road from the side, I described it and the surrounding landscapes in a previous article.
Fare: Troll Road - Atlantic Road - Atlantic Tunnel
Since tourists often travel along this route: Troll Road - Atlantic Road - Atlantic Tunnel (any of these sections of the path is an engineering miracle), I will calculate the fare.
In general, it turns out quite an expensive pleasure. The map has links to Norwegian sites where you can check the fare, click on the red marks.
These are shots taken on the way to the Atlantic Road. Fortunately, the Troll Road is completely free, but you had to pay for the Molde-Vestnes ferry crossing.
The blue dot on the map indicates the Troll Church (Trollkyrkja - Trollkirche). It is small hiking route to the cave, a walk back and forth will take about 3 hours, be sure to take a flashlight with you, the cave is dark, only at its end is a very beautiful hall with a waterfall.
Unloading ferry Molde-Vestnes 
Bridge In Mold, this is not the Atlantic road yet, although it looks very similar Atlantic Road things to do
Much will depend on weather conditions on the Atlantic Road. We were lucky the weather was great, the views are amazing. But even in clear weather, quite a strong wind blows on the Atlantic Road. 4 observation decks with parking lots and billboards were made along the road tourist information. There are places where you can leave the fishing rod in the sea directly from the shore or from one of the bridges and there will be quite deep sections right in front of you. The water in the sea was clear, fish, jellyfish and seaweed were clearly visible. You could even sunbathe on the rocks downwind.
The fish laughed at us again, it even swam for the bait, but was too lazy to swallow it, the nearby, more successful fishermen said that the bite was over, the tide was out. Fishing in the fjords depends on the ebb and flow of the tide. As the experience of our trip, which is already coming to an end, has shown that in order to catch fish, you need to set aside time for fishing, just like that, fish is not caught in between times.
We found such a place to leave the bait There is a possibility to rent a boat, go diving and even stay in a campsite right on this road.
From the history of the creation of the Atlantic road
The Norwegians began to think about building this road at the beginning of the 20th century, then it was supposed to be a railway one, but the real project began to be prepared only in 1970, and construction began on August 1, 1983. The road was opened on July 7, 1989. During the years of construction, 12 hurricanes swept over the future road. The construction cost was NOK 122 million. To reimburse them, the road was tolled from 1989 to 1999. The middle bridge, which leads to nowhere in the most spectacular shots, is made the highest so that ships can sail freely under it.
The Atlantic Road is one of the 10 most dangerous roads in the world. During a storm, waves often roll over sections of the road, but this is not the worst thing. Hurricane winds can lead to much more terrifying consequences.
There were cases when cars were literally blown off bridges, especially strong winds are dangerous for trucks. I can't resist posting someone else's video. It seems to me that it is much more fun to watch such adventures on video than to take part in them. It's scary indeed.
atlantic tunnel
The Atlantic Tunnel connects the island of Averoy and Kristiansund, the depth of the tunnel reaches 250 meters, which makes it one of the deepest underwater tunnels in the world, the length is about 5.727 km, the slope is quite significant, take care of your brakes, a grandiose tunnel carved into granite rocks, inside several points to call emergency help.
There is only one way to save money on the Atlantic Tunnel: ride the free Atlantic road, turn around and drive in the opposite direction. The Atlantic Tunnel is certainly an engineering marvel, but the fare is disappointing. And the passage itself through the tunnel in general cannot cause any emotions. We in St. Petersburg almost every day ride the subway, no one considers it a tourist attraction.
In principle, Kristiansund is not a must see city, except for the sculpture of a woman with a cod there is nothing to look at. Most of all, we were surprised by paid parking next to the Remi supermarket on the city's waterfront.
Leaving Kristiansund, we decided to look for a campsite. As it rained evilly, we stopped at campsites and asked for a house, but alas, there were no free houses, so we had already driven more than 100 km from Kristiansund, there were no free houses anywhere, we decided to put up a tent in
Why is Norway's Atlantic Road famous? How to get there and what to see. Where to leave the car and how to find viewing platforms.
Under mysterious name The "Atlantic Road" hides a two-lane highway in the Norwegian governorate of Møre og Romsdal. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, this road in Norway was recognized as the best and most picturesque among the tourist highways in the world. Many guests of the country who were lucky enough to visit here also think so.
The construction of the Atlantic Road was started back in 1983, but it was not completed in the shortest possible time. Therefore, the building was ready only by the summer of 1989. During this period, builders have seen 12 hurricanes. Becoming a continuation of the 36-kilometer tourist highway No. 64, new road, with a length of 8.27 km, received in 2005 the title of "Building of the Century in Norway".
Today, the highway winds like a roller coaster and passes through several bridges that connect the islands between two settlements - cities Molde And Kristiansund. The highest of the bridges is called Sturseisunde. It was built at a height of 23 meters, especially for the passage of ships under it.
When is the best time to take the Atlantic Road?
Many travelers flock to Norway's Atlantic Road in autumn when the weather is windy. During a raging storm, breaking right onto the track, the waves create an incredible spectacle.
In bad weather, the Atlantic road does not inspire confidence
In the warm season, landscapes become brighter
It is easier to imagine the uniqueness of the Atlantic Road in a panoramic photo
Observation platforms equipped with special platforms for catching fish are installed along the route. Thanks to these structures, you can watch local birds, as well as seals. Whales, unfortunately, rarely visit these waters, so not everyone can see them.
Fishing tours and cycling tours are organized during the summer months. Coastal waters with strong currents are suitable for diving. Therefore, tours for divers are often organized in the vicinity of the Atlantic Road. Surfers are also not uncommon in Hystadvik Bay.
Things to do and see
For most travelers, a stop at one of viewing platforms The Atlantic road is just one of the entertainments on the way to, or Tromso. One or two hours is enough for everything.
Pier in the village of Håholmen Havstuer near the Atlantic road
But if the area appeals to you, you can deviate from the winding highway and take the nearest Hoholmen Island, the area of which does not exceed four hectares. Tourists go there by boat, leaving the car in one of the parking lots (they are free and absolutely safe).
The only one on the island locality- a small village with an untranslatable name Haholmen Havstuer. As in the 18th century, in the village you can live in partially preserved, partially restored huts and feel like Vikings. For centuries, the inhabitants of the island of Hoholmen were engaged only in fishing, most likely reaching perfection in this matter. Today, these traditions are carefully preserved - however, already for tourism purposes. Traditional taverns are open in the village where you can taste the freshest fish dishes in Norway!
#1. Haholmen Havstuer
Such houses are waiting for you on Hoholmen. Views of the Atlantic Road, sunsets, fishing and other romance are guaranteed! By the way, do not worry about comfort - the rooms have all the amenities, high-quality beds, mattresses, plumbing. It’s better to keep silent about breakfast at night, looking who has been to Norway, is aware of how satisfying and generous they are fed there. There are only 3-5 types of herring.
To sum it up: is it worth the trip?
The Atlantic Road of Norway is a place from the must see list. The dream of everyone who is not indifferent to seascapes and loves to travel by car (and most importantly - do not forget to rent this very car). The building, unique in design, fits perfectly into the landscape.
However, in some places the ferries have already been replaced by bridges, which pleases - the bridge is much more convenient and faster. Although, of course, not so romantic. :-)
So we got to the Atlantic road. This road, frankly, is not quite a standard structure. It is located on two small archipelagos, consisting of dozens of tiny islands and villages. From above it looks like this:
The idea of connecting these islands has been wandering in the minds of the Norwegians for a very long time. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were even projects on how to implement this plan, but in the 30s they were given up. However, in the late 70s, the Norwegian authorities returned to the idea of building this road, and in 1983 construction began. It lasted 6 years, during which the builders survived 12 hurricanes - these places are not shielded from the open ocean, so the weather here leaves much to be desired, especially in autumn. As a result, the road was built - its length is just over 8 kilometers, but 10% of them go along bridges, which were built as many as 8 pieces. In 2005, the road was declared "Norwegian construction of the 20th century", and the Guardian magazine named it "The most attractive road in the world."
Naturally, I could not miss it, especially since the hook turned out to be quite small. :-)
When we arrived at the beginning of the road, the whole area was shrouded in fog. Through the veil one could see a huge number of small islands, most of them uninhabited.
Deciding to wait until the fog subsided a little, we walked around the neighborhood. The nature there is harsh, the vegetation is stunted. Bright red berries, which at first we mistook for lingonberries, turned out to be tasteless bearberries.
Bluebells are everywhere in Norway. :-)
One of the sides has already cleared, the sun has come out.
Finally, the fog began to dissipate, and it was already possible to make out the Storsisundet bridge, which locals called "Drunken Bridge", and tourists - "Road to Nowhere".
Why "drunk" - it will become quite clear if you look at the whimsical bend of this 23-meter bridge.
But if you drive along it, then at a certain point it seems that the bridge is simply unfinished - it breaks off like a springboard. And a few more tens of meters - and you will fall into the water.
On the other hand, it looks like a completely normal bridge:
How do you like this angle? :-) From the outside, I can't believe that ordinary cars drive along these bends, and not rollercoaster trailers.
We were quite lucky with the weather - after all, we were there in the middle of summer. But in the fall, the period of hurricanes begins, and then a trip along this road turns into a really dangerous attraction. From high seas gigantic waves are coming, completely overflowing the road. It looks like this (not my photo):
We, marveling at the man-made miracle, went further along our route, enjoying the beautiful views.
Navigator for trip reports to Norway.
