Norway troll path. The Troll Road is Norway's most famous route. Service for tourists

The Troll Staircase (Norwegian Trollstigen, in Russian sources the name Troll Road is also common) is one of the most popular and visited tourist places in Norway. Located in the northern part of western Norway (Vestland).

Description

The Troll Staircase is part of the Norwegian national road RV63, connecting the towns of Åndalsnes in Røuma and Valldal in Nordal in Møre og Romsdal. The road was opened by King Haakon VII on July 31, 1936, after 8 years of construction. Even today, the Troll Staircase can serve as an example of engineering and design art. During the ascent, the road makes 11 sharp turns, the height of the rise is sometimes 9%. About halfway up the climb there is a bridge over the Stigfossen waterfall (Norwegian Stigfossen). In some places, the width of the road does not exceed 3.3 meters, so the passage of vehicles longer than 12.4 meters is prohibited. During the autumn-winter period, the Troll Staircase is closed to traffic. Typically this section of the road opens in the second half of May and closes in October, but depending on weather conditions these dates may shift. In the summer of 2005, tests were carried out on the road renovation work, during which approximately NOK 16 million was spent on protection against rockfalls and ensuring the safety of motorists. At the very top (858 meters above sea level) there is a large parking lot and many souvenir shops. Within walking distance from the parking lot there is observation deck, which offers views of the winding Troll Staircase and the Stigfossen waterfall, which is 180 meters high.

History of construction

In the period from 1533 to 1875. There was a Romsdal fair on Devold in Romsdalen. It was the main reason why the inhabitants of the Valldalen Valley wanted more convenient communication through Trollstigen. The population of Romsdalen was also interested in building a road to Walldalen. In 1891, an 8 km road was built from Veblungsnes to Kvernbroa in Isterdalen. Then she went to Knutseter, located in the depths of the valley. In the same year, the county authorities of Nordahl and Grütten agreed to approach the amtman with a request to develop a plan and build a road through the mountains. The head of the Amta decided in 1893 to apply to the Construction Department to consider the possibility of construction and draw up an estimate of its cost. The director of the department, Krag, commissioned engineer Nils Hovdenak (Norwegian Nils Hovdenak) to develop a plan for laying a road through the mountains. In the summer of 1894, Hovdenak explored the entire area between Evstestøl (Norwegian Øvstestøl) and Knutseter. In his opinion, the road was worth building from Evstestöl to Stigfjällröra, since it could later become a highway. However, construction at the Stigen site highway it would be too expensive. However, the site was quite suitable for building a trail for the movement of people with horses. Director Krag did not believe in the possibility of a road through Trollstigen...

Do you believe in trolls, those ugly creatures from Norse mythology? In search of confirmation of the reality of their existence, we will go to the snow-capped mountains of Norway. Or rather, to the Troll Staircase stretching among them.

A little delving into Norwegian mythology will allow us to better reveal the image of these mysterious creatures and draw a conclusion about whether the game is worth the candle or whether it is better to avoid any possible meeting with them. Trolls are important people not only in Norway, but throughout Scandinavian mythology in general. Mention of them is noted in Sweden and Iceland, but in the latter case they are usually called thirds.

In the question of the origin of trolls, we inevitably encounter harsh historical facts: after the glacier that preserved the virginity of the territory began its movement to the east, making way for the first human settlements, high mountains, difficult conditions and an ominously foaming sea played a cruel joke on the human imagination, and people came up with eternally annoying illusory enemies - trolls.

Photo: bubblegothinspired.blogspot.com

Did you come up with it? Illusory? You correctly noted: the point of view reflected above is nothing more than the view of a rationalist wise by progress, far from belief in supernatural forces in general and ugly giants living among the mountains in particular. However, there is another position, much more romantic and attractive. According to her, trolls were the only living creatures among the covered multi-year ice mountains The appearance of people on their territory caused a certain movement in the ranks of the trolls, and they began to actively invade the privacy of the first human settlements.

Photo: use-it.unginfo.oslo.no

This is a typical Norwegian troll: a head vaguely reminiscent of a stump with grass growing on it, a large fleshy nose dotted with disgusting warts, cunning and narrowed eyes - with all its appearance, the troll expresses, if not the danger itself, then at least its imminent approach.

Trolls have always worried the minds of creative people. The outstanding Norwegian writer and playwright Heinrich Ibsen made the troll part of the gallery of characters in one of his most famous works, Peer Gynt. In the image of the cute and dear to the heart of every child, the mummy trolls are easy to read the external features of typical Norwegian trolls, but in Tove Jansson they have significantly decreased in size and have finally taken the side of good.

These unusual creatures excite the minds of people of art to this day. Thus, the modern Finnish writer Olaf Kurten made trolls part of his fantasy universe, giving them an extremely important place back in the era of primitive people. Many Hollywood and other filmmakers, tired of the stream of monotonous villains in widely circulated horror films, are trying to scare the viewer with new sinister images, and trolls are perfectly suited for this role. The film by Norwegian director Andre Øvredal “Trollhunters (Trolljegeren)” in an accessible and entertaining way tells about the very possible existence of giants in the very north of Norway, where if a person’s foot touches the ground, it obviously belongs to some incorrigible enthusiastic explorer.

If all of the above did not scare you away, and you are still full of desire to set foot on the Troll Staircase, then here are the exact space-time coordinates: warm season, namely from May to October; county of Møre og Romsdal in the Vestland region; an impressive section of the national road RV63 (over 106 kilometers, 11 really dangerous turns). It is at this time that a modest place in the southwest of Norway awakens from winter hibernation and kindly opens its conventional doors to every tourist who decides to satisfy their curiosity about the presence/absence of real trolls here.

Photo: thebkspecial.blogspot.com

Everything, as we know, begins somewhere – and the road laid between the cities of Åndalsnes and Valldal is an example of a highly complex technical solution implemented to ensure optimal trade communication and the implementation of everything tourism potential unique in terms of the region's topography. The idea came to the minds of officials more than a hundred years ago, but construction began specifically only in 1928, after the issue of allocating considerable funds was resolved and the documentation for the facility was put in order. Formally, the road passed through a steep pass with an impressive plateau, which seriously complicated the work of the builders, and the difficult weather conditions in which they had to build the facility, coupled with the constant risk to life due to the threat of rockfall, scared off even seasoned craftsmen. However, the Troll Staircase was built in just over eight years - in 1936 the grand opening of the road took place.

The object received its name from King Haakon VII of Norway himself, who signed the deed of delivery of the site and gave it a telling name - Troll Staircase (Trollstigen). This road is a real engineering masterpiece, the fruit of a non-trivial design idea and was created, it would seem, to last for centuries. But this does not in the least prevent engineers from recently expanding the road and installing additional protection elements on it. So, despite the fact that technically a car more than 13 meters long can pass on the road, in fact, passage is only allowed for vehicles no more than 12.4 meters long.

As noted above, if you want to enjoy all the beauties of Trollstigen, you should plan your visit so that it falls between the end of May and the beginning of October. At other times, the road poses a real threat to life and therefore is covered with snow to prevent various kinds of incidents.

The real highlight of Trollstigen is the Stigfossen waterfall. Massive streams of water fall from a height of more than 180 meters, creating a unique feeling of perpetual movement. This beauty is crowned by an elegant bridge located in the middle of the road.

From a bird's eye view, this road resembles an incredibly steep and dangerous serpentine road, along which you want to ride with all your heart, pressing the gas pedal all the way. But in reality, all those who like to show off on the road will be severely disappointed: high traffic at the height of the season (up to 2,500 cars per day) and a speed limit of up to 80 kilometers per hour do not contribute to the release of adrenaline into the blood. And what's the point of driving if such views open up before you? magical beauty that it’s just right to pick up the lower jaw that has fallen somewhere into the car’s interior.

However, there are those brave souls for whom the Troll Road presents a real challenge: we are talking about motorcyclists. Local bikers regularly organize multi-day rides around the site, challenging nature, God and, apparently, trolls.

However, most often the following picture is observed: the car is neatly parked in a special area, and the people who arrived in it admire the natural splendor that opens and fight with all their hearts against the sun shining in all four directions. A special highlight is the moment when its fiery disk slowly disappears behind the pass. Incredible beauty with a spicy taste of romance!

In addition to its natural beauties, Trollstigen can offer tourists a well-established infrastructure: the plateau has an abundance of various campsites, cafes, small souvenir shops, cycling trails and other entertainment that help brighten up the leisure time of guests of the Troll Staircase and make their trip truly memorable and exciting.

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One of the attractions of the Staircase is Observation deck Aurland Look: from a height of 600 meters there is a magnificent view of one of the most beautiful fjords in Norway. The playground itself is a real design revelation: its design in the form of a wooden slide that goes steeply down, coupled with almost imperceptible glass, creates the illusion of reality disappearing from under your feet.

Looking at these peaks crowning the serpentine mountains, bearing the names King, Dronningen (Queen) and Biskop (Bishop), you involuntarily become imbued with the characteristic Nordic tranquility and feel the greatness of the monarchical tradition carried through time. The highest point of the Trollstigen pass is called Stigrøre. The height of 858 meters above sea level causes, if not shock, then at least serious respect.

Some landscapes are so perfect that any human intervention seems rude and an unnecessary barbaric act. At such moments you come to the conclusion that the real owners here are not people, but precisely those same trolls hiding somewhere behind the pass or on the snowy mountain peaks Oh.

By the way, about trolls. These cute signs “Beware of trolls!” remind you of them here. in the manner of our usual road signs. When asked by local residents whether they have ever seen anyone even remotely resembling a famous character from Norse mythology, the answers most often follow are stingy and do not really clarify anything, behind which there is some semblance of reverence for these inhabitants of the mountain peaks. And although the presence of trolls on the Staircase was not recorded, none of the guests of this unique tourist site were disappointed. Looking at such breathtaking beauty, you somehow completely forget about the ugly mythological hooligans. And who knows, maybe this is for the better?

A bizarre string of asphalt with sharp turns in western Norway is the world-famous Troll Road (Troll Staircase). Even in modern times The road, completed in 1936, is considered a benchmark of engineering excellence.

From the history.
There has been a fair in Romsdalen since the 16th century. As a result, it served as the impetus for the construction of the road to Valldalen. Already in 1891, the first eight kilometers of road were laid from Veblungsnes. At the same time, the county authorities of Grütten and Nordahl drew up an appeal to the amtman, which asked for help in developing a plan for building a road through mountain range. The appeal was accepted, and in 1894 engineer Nilsson Hovdenak examined the area around the proposed road and reported that a route should be built to Stigfjällrør from Evstestøl. He connected this with the potential of transforming the road into a highway. However, this section of the Stigen road was quite expensive, but it was suitable for a trail where horses and people could move freely. The director of the Kraga department did not believe in the likelihood of building a road for cars, but in the year 1896 other researchers confirmed this. Subsequently, the engineer did a lot to translate his idea into reality. His perseverance brought results, and the state budget allocated an impressive amount for construction.

Construction of the roadway began in 1905 and was completely completed in 1913. But Hovdenak could not stop there, and continued to dream of building a road for cars, starting from Walldalen to Romsdalen itself. He also mentioned that this road will become a tourist route, since the local landscape is striking in its beauty. He drew up a new plan, as well as an estimate for construction, and in 1916 the authorities gave the go-ahead for this. The construction of the famous road was completed in 1936.

It is noteworthy that the serpentine road is visible completely from bottom to top. Serpentine loops number 11, and the height difference reaches 12%. When ascending, in the middle of the path, there is a bridge laid over Stigfossen waterfall. The height of the waterfall is 180 meters.

On the top There is a parking lot, quite impressive in size, as well as an abundance of souvenir shops. Just a couple of minutes walk from the parking lot there is an observation deck, which offers an impressive view of the waterfall and the serpentine road.

It is worth noting that the width of the road at its widest part is no more than 3.3 meters, which makes it impossible for vehicles longer than 12.4 meters to pass.

Passage is prohibited here in autumn and winter; the opening of this section often occurs at the end of spring. In 2005, the Norwegian authorities carried out repair work. These works are aimed primarily at protecting motorists from rockfalls.

Paved above the road a tourist route for hikers. In more dangerous areas, strong chain paths are installed. At the top of the trail there is a small and unique observation deck. If you go to the very corner of this site, you can find yourself at the edge of a fabulous landscape, and also enjoy the most complete and picturesque view of the Troll Staircase.

Literally translated from Norwegian, the name of this road is translated as “stairs” and if you look at it from above, you can understand why the Norwegians call it that way.

“Troll Staircase” (Trollstigen, in Russian sources the name “Troll Road” is also common) is one of the most popular and visited tourist places in Norway. Located in the northern part of western Norway. The road is located 15 km south of the town of Åndalsnes in the province of Møre og Romsdal. Construction of the road began in the beginning. XX century The road was opened on July 31, 1936. King Haakon VII of Norway was present at the opening, who gave the name to the new road - “Troll Staircase”. This popular tourist road, connecting the Valldal and Romsdal valleys, rises to a height of 858 meters above sea level and is considered an example of engineering art.

The breathtaking serpentine road with 11 sharp turns stretches for 6 km. The road is surrounded high mountains and waterfalls falling from a great height looks enchanting.

The greatness of nature is also emphasized by the names of the local mountain peaks: King (Kongen), Queen (Dronningen), Bishop (Bispen). Rising to highest point roads and going out to the observation deck, you can admire beautiful view to the Valldal valley, Stigfossen waterfall, Åndalsnes town.

The old pedestrian road, the Kløvstien trail, is also interesting. It has been used for hundreds of years local residents as the only way to get from the Romsdal valley to the Sunnmøre region. After the opening of the Troll Road in 1936, suitable for motor vehicles, this trail is still in use. Walking tour starts in the dense forests of the valley and ends in a rocky area at the Stigfossen waterfall (height 180 m).

Even today, the Troll Staircase can serve as an example of engineering and design art. During the ascent, the road makes 11 sharp turns, the height of the rise is sometimes 9%. About halfway up the climb there is a bridge over the Stigfossen waterfall (Norwegian: Stigfossen). At the very top (858 meters above sea level) there is a large parking lot and many souvenir shops. A short walk from the parking lot, there is an observation deck with views of the winding Troll Staircase and the 180-meter-high Stigfossen waterfall.

In some places, the width of the road does not exceed 3.3 meters, so the passage of vehicles longer than 12.4 meters is prohibited.

During the autumn-winter period, the Troll Staircase is closed to traffic. Typically this section of the road opens in the second half of May and closes in October, but depending on weather conditions these dates may shift.

In the summer of 2005, repair work was carried out on the road, during which approximately NOK 16 million was spent on protecting against rockfalls and ensuring the safety of motorists.

History of construction

Road acceptance certificate signed by King Haakon VII of Norway

In the period from 1533 to 1875. There was a Romsdal fair on Devold in Romsdalen. It was the main reason why the inhabitants of the Valldalen Valley wanted more convenient communication through Trollstigen. The population of Romsdalen was also interested in building a road to Walldalen. In 1891, an 8 km road was built from Veblungsnes to Kvernbroa in Isterdalen. Then she went to Knutseter, located in the depths of the valley. In the same year, the county authorities of Nordahl and Grütten agreed to approach the amtman with a request to develop a plan and build a road through the mountains. The head of the Amta decided in 1893 to apply to the Construction Department to consider the possibility of construction and draw up an estimate of its cost. The director of the department, Krag, commissioned engineer Nils Hovdenak (Norwegian Nils Hovdenak) to develop a plan for laying a road through the mountains. In the summer of 1894, Hovdenak explored the entire area between Evstestøl (Norwegian Øvstestøl) and Knutseter. In his opinion, the road was worth building from Evstestöl to Stigfjällröra, since it could later become a highway. However, in the Stigen area, building a highway would be too expensive. However, the site was quite suitable for building a trail for the movement of people with horses. Director Krag did not believe in the possibility of a road through Trollstigen, but a new survey carried out in 1896 confirmed this. In subsequent years, Hovdenak did a lot to make the message through Trollstigen a reality. This work bore fruit, and in 1905-1906. 4,000 crowns were allocated from the state budget for the construction of the road.

Work began in 1905, and the road was completed in 1913. And although the road was ready, Niels Hovdenak had more extensive plans, namely the construction of a road from Walldalen to Romsdalen. In particular, he wrote: “Among other things, the road through the mountains between Valdalen and Åndalsnes will become an important tourist route and, above all, because this pass in terms of natural landscape is the best that our country has.” Hovdenak developed a new plan and drew up cost estimates for the construction of a highway from Walldalen to Romsdalen. In a letter dated October 5, 1916, the Director of the Construction Department reported that the Department public works(Norwegian Arbeidsdepartmentet) gave permission to begin construction of the road. The first bridges to be built were Gudbrand (1919), Hohl (1921) and Kriehe (1926-27). On the Romsdal side, work began in 1928. Construction took a long time. Summer was short and the area was mountainous, so rockfalls and avalanches threatened construction. However, on July 31, 1936, the road was ready and consisted of 11 turns on steep mountain slopes with numerous artificial structures in the form of natural stone walls and bridges. King Haakon personally accepted the surrender of the road between Walldalen and Romsdalen.

Western Norway has one of the most interesting places, which every traveler definitely wants to visit. This road has a name associated with a fairy-tale character and is also recognized as one of the most dangerous roads- the driver will have to cope with 11 sharp turns encountered throughout the entire road.

As you probably already guessed, this is the famous Norwegian Troll Road or Troll Staircase (from Norwegian Trollstigen). This magical name was given to it by the Norwegian king, Haakon VII, at the grand opening in 1936 on July 31. The Troll Staircase was built to connect the Norwegian cities of Valldal and Åndalsnes. It took 8 long years to build due to the harsh Norwegian weather. The reason for the construction of this road was the following events.

In the 16th-19th centuries, the Romsdal fair was located on Devold, to which the residents of Walldalen wanted to get to it in a more convenient way. By 1981, 8 km of road had been built. Construction in the mountains became a difficulty. After submitting a petition to the Construction Department, its director Krag instructed engineer N. Hovdenak to draw up a plan for building a road in the mountains. Hovdenak did a lot to turn the message through Trollstigen into reality.

In 1905, the state budget allocated 4,000 crowns for the construction of the road. Construction was completed in 1913. N. Hovdenak did not stop there. His plans were to build a road connection between Romsdalen and Walldalen. In 1916, the Construction Department gave permission to begin construction of the highway, which lasted 20 years. Short summer, rockfalls, avalanches, and Mountain landscape made construction difficult.

Legend has it that Norway was once covered by a vast glacier. As the climate warmed, it began to melt and moved north. People began to settle in this area. Soon the settlers noticed the presence of strange creatures with supernatural abilities nearby, who began to be called trolls. Folk legend also claims that trolls roam the mountains at night, and the morning sunlight turns them into stones. People did not become hostile to them.

Since those ancient times, the wonderful custom of appeasing trolls on Christmas Eve with a bowl of porridge, which was placed on the porch, has been preserved. Troll Staircase - one of the popular tourist routes. In autumn and winter the road is closed due to weather conditions. From May to October, the season begins for the public thirsting for spectacle and adventure. At the very beginning of the road there is a warning sign that only experienced drivers can drive along it. And this is actually true.

In some places the road width is only 3.3 m and tourist buses It is extremely difficult to leave. Vehicles longer than 12.4 m are strictly prohibited from entering. In some places the rise height reaches 9-12%. Nevertheless, there are plenty of people who want to conquer the Troll Staircase. The bridge over the Stigfossen waterfall will not leave you indifferent. It is located in the middle of Trollstigen and falls from a height of 180 meters. This masterpiece of engineering was completed in 1935.

“Bishop's Turn” and the observation deck near the “Giants' Cauldron” provide an excellent opportunity to admire the bewitching and majestic panorama of the entire valley. At the very top - 858 meters above the sea - there is ample parking and numerous souvenir shops.