Skip to main content
summer drive

Remote, yet far from desolate, Norway may not be the most obvious choice for a sightseeing trip by car, except for one plain fact – the sights are spectacular. The northernmost, easternmost and westernmost of the Scandinavian countries, tiny Norway is blessed with an overabundance of natural beauty.

Click on the markers below to see images from the locations

Canadian visitors who have toured the entirety of their home and native land will recognize similarities between Norway and the coastal provinces, specifically British Columbia and Newfoundland. The peaks that frame the fjords of western Norway will not impress in terms of scale when compared with the Rockies. But there is unquestioned drama to the angle of the hills and the character lines carved during the Ice Age.

Norway also happens to be home to two roads that have been labelled among “the world’s craziest” or “the world’s wackiest” or “the world’s most dangerous,” depending on which click-happy website you’re visiting: the Atlantic Road and the Trollstigen.

All photos by Bentley Motors

Opened in 2012, the Trollstigen Visitor Centre in the county of More og Romsdal offers spectacular views of the mountain road, the Stigfossen waterfall and the valley below where both ultimately resolve themselves. A souvenir shop next door provides ample opportunity to stock up on troll dolls, the unofficial national mascot of Norway. The centre is only open when weather permits, usually from mid-May to October.

The Trollstigen mountain road, a section of Norwegian National Road 63, features a 10 per cent grade, 11 hairpin turns and huge drop-offs. This popular tourist attraction has been named one of the 10 most extreme roads in the world. The route includes regal corner names such as Kongen (the king), Dronningen (the queen) and the Bispen (the bishop).

The rule for all single-lane mountain passes in Norway, including the daunting Trollstigen: The driver coming from the top must reverse out of the way and into the closest turnout if two vehicles meet on the road. Here, one Bentley Continental GT clears a path up the mountain for a second car that follows.

Around every corner, the scenery on the west coast of Norway springs a new surprise. Here, a Bentley crosses one of the area’s many waterfalls, which allow run-off from the Scandinavian Mountains to flow into the fjords below. Despite harsh winters, the roads themselves are in fantastic shape, making the driving experience even more enjoyable.

The Atlantic Road (or the Atlantic Ocean Road), a National Tourist Route, is a series of bridges, causeways and viaducts that link several islands together. Opened in 1989 after close to six years of construction, the road is also considered one of the 10 most extreme roads in the world due to its close proximity to the at-times stormy Norwegian Sea.

The undulating bridges that comprise part of the Atlantic Road serve to create a fantastic motoring experience, particularly when the weather co-operates. The 8.3-kilometre section road leads from Karvag to the Atlantic Ocean Tunnel, opened in 2009, which completes the link to Kristiansund. The coat of arms of Kristiansund, where our drive ended, features a glacial mountain emerging from icy water.

Fitting.

The writer was a guest of Bentley Motors. Content was not subject to approval.

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Add us to your circles

Sign up for our weekly newsletter.