NORWAY’S 20 MAN-MADE WONDERS

1 | Stegastein Viewpoint

A panoramic view if ever there was one! Suspended in the air, stretching out 30m from the cliff face and 650m above Aurland’s valley floor. One of the most photographed locations in Norway. It should not be missed, especially if you are a lover of heights or a photographer.

2 | Loen Sky Lift Bridge

To get to the top of Mount Hoven you can either take arguably the steepest cable car in the world or walk across a thin metal sky walkway over a gaping fjord. Only a terrifying 3315ft above the valley below. Take in the views from the restaurant if you have regained your appetite. Alternatively, continue your hike if you aren’t still stuck on the bridge struggling in a death grip with your safety cable.

Fellestur – Via Ferrata Loen by Den Norske Turistforening is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

3 | Ancient Road Vindhellavegen

This beautiful mossy serpentine road weaving its way down into the heart of the valley is definitely one of my favourite on this list. This and the next four items are in my opinion the most scenic roads in Norway. Though this one is more of a trail than a road, it guides you to a beautiful hike which leads up to Borgund Stave Church. Here you will be presented with spectacular panoramic views, and even more importantly, you will be on the doorstep of 1 of only 28 stave churches left in Norway.

Vindhellavegen by arnybo is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

4 | Lysevegen

Yet another serpentine road to test your breaks on. Though this road is definitely far steeper and scarier, requiring you to parade around 27 hairpin bends etched in to the mountain face. Originally, only intended as a service road to a hydroelectric dam, it is now a tourist attraction. Chances are its been in an episode of Top Gear at some point. On a more practical note, it’s the only connection to the outside world, other than by boat for the people of Lysevegen Fjord.

TIP…This road is closed during winter, so make sure you take a summer road trip

The road up from Lysebotn by Kalev Kevin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

5 | Trollsteigen

Another hair raising path through the mountains, built nearly 100 years ago in just 8 years! It’s also the only road in the world with a warning sign which alerts you to possible trolls crossing the roads. There are multiple viewpoints at the top, which give you a good idea of just how far you’ve climbed.

6 | Atlantic Ocean Road

The road that makes it on to the front of every magazine article or bucket list book for ‘101 Roads to Drive Before You Die’. This ‘road in the ocean’ has been on my list since I first saw it in my grandfather’s National Geographic magazine. Continuously voted one of the top 10 scenic roads in the world, this undulating wonder is made up of 7 bridges hopping from island to island. Any road that can double as an optical illusion gets top marks in my book!

7 | Lofoten Island Road

The Lofoten Islands are well known for hiking and kayaking adventures. As unlikely as it is, there is a road that links all of them, the National Tourist Route or E10. It’s the only main road, running north to south across the Lofoten islands and ends at the town of A. There are also little ‘side roads’ which branch off from the E10 to the smaller islets.

8 | The Hjørundfjord Swing

When you see Pinterest boards of the best swings in the world, they’re often in South America or Indonesia. Norway has decided not to miss out on the trend, and be the exception. You can find this swing sweeping over the Hjørund Fjord in the garden of Christian Gaard Cafe, in the hamlet of Trandal. Any big kid’s dream pit stop.

9 | Renndølsetra Huts

A collection of sod roofed huts nestled into the low lying plain of Norway’s most beautiful mountain valley, beneath the towering giant of Innerdalstårnet Mountain. This is a little known valley even to Norwegians. The Renndølsetra huts are currently used as a cafe and lodge for hikers attempting the 5km hike up the mystical pyramid of Innerdalstårnet.

You can find sod roofed huts like this all over Norway, so keep an eye out.

10 | Verdins Ende Lighthouse

The lighthouse at world’s end, known as Vippefyret, is more of a pebble hut mounted with a storm lantern. Known for its views at sunset, this little hut is the perfect panoramic spot to soak in the view and have a sunset swim (if you have a wetsuit).

Verdens Ende by visitvestfold is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

11 | Heddal Stave Church

Stave churches are European medieval churches built entirely of wood. Norway has some of the best preserved examples, the largest of which is Heddal Church in Notodden. There used to be 3000 stave churches in Norway alone, now this is 1 of the last 28 in the country.

TIP… Other impressive stave churches include Borgund, St. Olaf and Lom Stave Church

Read about Russia’s beautiful architecture, including it’s wooden churches

12 | Storehouses

If you enjoy the traditional wooden architecture, keep an eye out for a Norwegian classic, Storehouses. These squat huts, known as stabbur, were used to store food and precious possessions for the long cold winters. The gap beneath was designed to keep out rodents who could damage the winter supplies. You can find them all over the country, especially at older farms.

13 | Aksla View Point

The 418 steps to the top, start in Ålesund’s city park and are an amazing view in themselves. If you don’t want to work for your view, you can drive or take the train, but I really think you would be missing out. From the top of Aksla View Point, you can see the whole town come to life as the waterfront lights up against the inky backdrop of the fjords.

14 | Flørli 4444

The warning is in the name. At 4,444 steps this is one of the longest staircases in the world. Originally built for hydroelectric dam workers, people now climb it without the incentive of being paid. The never-ending staircase takes you from the bottom of Lysefjord all the way up above the tree line to Lake Ternevanet. From here you can take a short hike to the jaw-dropping views of Preikestolen massive.

kb11_01009 by karlabrunet is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

15 | Årdal Church

Scandinavia is home too many beautiful hand painted churches. Årdal in particular, is one of the best examples of Norway’s 17th century wooden renaissance churches. You may notice the church has a slightly unusual shape. This is because as the community grew the church had one of its shorter walls sawn out and extended. You can still see the names of prominent families hand painted on to the front pews.

TIP… If you find these church interiors beautiful, read about Romania’s painted monasteries

16 | Hope Cathedral

Now a more modern take on places of worship. Hope Cathedral in Fredrikstad is an inter-faith barge church floating on the town’s river. Its stained glass style windows are in fact made from sea plastic, more specifically, fish boxes (whatever they may be). The project was commissioned by the Church of Norway as a way to clean the country’s beaches and build something beautiful collectively.

17 | Bryggen

Norway’s second largest city has suffered many fires in its time, however, each time the buildings were rebuilt to be exactly the same as before. Thanks to attention to detail and cultural traditions, Bryggen wharf looks almost exactly as it did in the 12th century. Wood boarded houses and passageways weave their way down to the water’s edge, huddled together with their balconies overlapping. Walking the alleys will feel like stepping into the set of Lake Town in the Hobbit.

Find other beautiful towns and villages to visit in Norway.

18 | 60.873483°N, 8.495333 °E

On a road near Hemsedal, you can find a sod roof which has gone a little overboard. There are currently 3 pine tress growing out of this tiny cottage’s roof. Whilst this abandoned house may need some TLC, for now it makes for an incredible photo.

Sod roof last stage by Roede is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

19 | Helleren i Jøssingfjord

The two little houses tucked under Helleren can be found via the North Sea Road on highway 44, somewhere between Egersund and Flekkefjord. The houses are now a folk museum, open 24 hours a day. They are thought to have been built in the 19th century, with features dating further back to 16th century. Definitely fairytale cottages.

Image by jechstra is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

20 | Tromsø Arctic Herder Experience

I left this one til last as it is the hardest to define, in terms of where man begins and nature ends. You can go and experience the traditional lifestyle of the Sami people at the northern tip of Norway. Understand and learn about the skills and tools critical to live in such an environment, including dog sledding, herding hundreds of reindeer and constructing a yurt.