The most beautiful natural sites to discover Åndalsnes

The Troll Road is the most visited tourist route in Norway. This route includes the famous section called Trollstigen, the Troll Ladder, or The Golden Route. From the end of June to the 10th of August, the Troll Route Museum is open. Climb up Ørnesvingen, the Eagle Bend, a ledge from which you can enjoy a last magnificent view of Geiranger and the fjord. After 20 km, take the Eidsdal-Linge ferry. The road passes through high mountain scenery for about 40 km before starting the descent to Trollstigen. For hundreds of years, an old mule track, climbing up the 180 m high Stigfossen waterfall, was the only communication route between the fjords in Sunnmøre and Romsdal counties. It is now a hiking trail (for those not prone to vertigo). The new Trollstigen road, completed in 1936, winds its way up the side of the mountain with 11 sharp bends and a gradient of 12%. The road, which closes for the winter from mid-September, is not recommended for caravans. Before starting the descent there is a mountain hut, Trollstigen Fjellstue, with a souvenir stand and a cafeteria. A footpath behind the lodge leads to a breathtaking viewpoint near the Giant's Potholes. On the road, from the bend called Bispesvingen, or Bishop's Bend, there is a beautiful view of Åndalsnes and the Romsdal Fjord.

The Troll Wall is a vertical wall more than 1,000 m high, whose ascent is considered to be one of the most difficult in the world. Uncharted until 1965, it is now used for climbing in summer and winter. In the 1980s, the wall became, unfortunately, very popular for paragliding jumps. The dangerous and treacherous rising winds caused several fatal accidents, and paragliding was finally banned in 1986.

The horn of the Romsdal valley, which rises 1,550m above the valley, hides a hydroelectric station in its side. An old noble farm, which has belonged to English lords (the Davenports) for generations, nestles on the banks of the Rauma River, which flows through the Romsdal Valley before emptying into the fjord near Åndalsnes. For many years it has been considered one of Norway's best salmon and trout rivers.