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3 MORE Things to Do in Norway

Cat
Jul 7, 2017
3 min read

If you can't tell by now, we LOVED Norway. In addition to the previous four posts, there's still MORE you just HAVE to do in the Sogne Fjord region if you go.

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Have a picnic along a stream. Norway has a similar policy to Finland - whereby any man is permitted to roam and camp anywhere they like, provided they are not 100 meters from a residence. There are other minor rules about fires, but I didn't pay too much attention since we weren't going to light one. In an effort to have a unique experience (READ: save money!), we decided to have a picnic one afternoon rather than eating out. We stopped at a grocery store and picked up bananas, blueberries, deli meat, sliced cheese, chips, cookies, a chocolate bar, nuts and raisins and headed out to find the perfect spot. Our effort to save money cost us 70€! But it WAS cheaper than eating out actually, the food was delicious, and the views were unbelievable. We found a perfect spot near Flam, pulled over, and hiked down to the water. We found a picnic shed along the water and hung out there because there was a table and benches! While sitting there, we heard a loud crack and rumbling above us - we looked around confused at first and then something struck me. I don't know where I had heard that noise before, but I cried out, "It's an avalanche!" and sure enough, about 5 seconds later, we could see the snow tumbling off the cliff side a thousand feet above us (on the other side of the river). Luckily it was a very small one and no snow fell to ground level, so we were perfectly safe, but it was a little nerve-racking!

Visit Stegastein for AMAZING views. Just up the mountain from Aurland is a lookout point called Stegastein. Take the 243 (National Tourist Road) from Aurland up the STEEP and windy road. The lookout is magnificent. It's modern architecture meets nature with smooth clean lines leading out to hang over the cliff. At the end of the lookout is a glass wall tilted a few degrees out and over the ledge. If you don't like heights, stay away from the glass wall, you can still admire the view from a few meters back. If heights aren't an issue for you, get as close as possible! It's an impressive view.

Drive up the Snow Road. The national tourist road, also called Aurlandsfjellet is closed during the winter, but even if you visit before it opens, you can see some pretty cool things. Take the road up the mountains, and keep climbing. It seems to go forever (probably because the speed limit is low and you are ogling everything outside your window). You'll see the scenery change the higher in elevation you go, and before you know it, the snow will be taller along the roadside than your car! Turn around when the road closes and you can't venture further. If you visit in the summer, the road is open and cuts through the entire way, but the snow remains on the ground almost year round, so be prepared.