Riding Trollstigen, Norway's famous hairpin road

3 min read

Aerial view of the Trollstigen road zigzagging down a steep green mountainside beside a waterfall.

Trollstigen ("the Troll's Path") is the stretch of County Road 63 between Åndalsnes and Valldal in western Norway that climbs 11 hairpin bends up a steep mountainside, past the 320 m (1,050 ft) Stigfossen waterfall. It's open from about mid-May to October, and it's one of the most visited places in Norway, so plan to get there early.

When it's open

Trollstigen closes for the winter. It usually opens in mid-May and closes in October, but snow moves both dates: it has opened as early as 29 April and as late as 12 June. Check Statens vegvesen's road status before you ride.

Riding the hairpins

The road opened in 1936 and climbs at up to 10%, with the 11 bends stacked almost on top of each other. Vehicles over 12.4 m (41 ft) are banned, but you'll still share the bends with cars and campers, so expect to stop and wait on the tightest ones in the middle of a summer day.

Red-bordered triangular road sign with a troll silhouette, warning of trolls, against green trees.

The weather in the mountains changes fast, even in summer. Pack warm layers and rain gear, since the road can be wet and cold at the top when it's dry in the valley.

At the top

The road levels out on a plateau at about 700 m, with a car park, a restaurant and viewing platforms over the hairpins and Stigfossen. Stop here: it's the view you came for, with the whole climb laid out below and the Isterdalen valley beyond.

Visitors on a viewing platform jutting out over the valley, with the Trollstigen hairpins below.

Where to stop nearby

  • Geirangerfjord: carry on south on County Road 63, take the ferry from Linge to Eidsdal, and ride down to Geiranger through the hairpins at the Ørnesvingen viewpoint, high above the fjord's steep cliffs and waterfalls.
  • Dalsnibba: a 5 km toll road off County Road 63, about 15 km south of Geiranger, climbs to a viewpoint at almost 1,500 m, said to be the highest fjord view from a road in Europe. Like Trollstigen, it's open from about mid-May to October.
  • The Atlantic Road: a coastal road over a chain of islands and bridges, north of Åndalsnes. See our Atlantic Road guide.
  • The Troll Wall (Trollveggen): Europe's tallest vertical rock face, about 1,100 m (3,600 ft), above the Romsdalen valley on the E136, about 8 km from Åndalsnes. You see it best from the Trollveggen visitor center in the valley.
  • Åndalsnes: the town by the fjord at the north end of Trollstigen, a good base to rest, refuel and eat before or after the climb.

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