This past weekend, my parents and I went to the Geiranger area to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. During the whole weekend, we visited Åndalsnes, Trollstigen, Valldal, Geiranger, Tafjord, and Juvet. Because I have an enormous amount of photos from it all, I’ll split the whole road trip into two-three blog posts. In the end I’ll also have an AMAZING giveaway that you can look very, very much forward to.
Now, let’s talk Åndalsnes and Valldal.
Åndalsnes: A visit to Sødahlshuset and Trollstigen
To get from where I live to Valldal, we had do drive through Åndalsnes – my absolute favorite destination when it comes to hiking and beautiful scenery. Even though we didn’t hike this time, we made a stop at the most cozy, old-stylish, vintage cafe: Sødahlshuset. I had a wrap and a chai before we set off to Trollstigen.
Trollstigen is a visual feast. I you see it from the right height and angle, you can feel the view hit you in your stomach – at least that’s how I best can describe it. On this road, even the bravest can feel the adrenaline pump through their veins.
The stretch of road Trollstigen that climbs up the mountain is not particularly long, but the National Tourist Route from Geiranger to the bottom of Romsdal valley cover a ground of 100 kilometres. It takes you through the mighty nature of Fjord Norway and offers breathtaking views, steep mountain slopes and high waterfalls. Framing the experience are lofty mountains with names like Kongen (“the King”), Dronningen (“the Queen”), Bispen (“the Bishop”) Trollveggen (“The Trolls Wall”), Romsdalshorn and Alnestind.
At the viewpoint of Trollstigen we enjoyed some ice cream, shooted the beautiful view of course, and dipped our feet in the ice water that came from the mountains. SO refreshing you guys!
Valldal: Norway’s strawberry destination
We had booked an Airbnb (Merete’s Garden) in Valldal so that we easily could visit both Geiranger and Tafjord.
The first day we got to Valldal, we bought groceries at the local store so that I could make dinner to my mom and dad (since they had anniversary), and then we just explored the area by the bay. There, I found a very creative cafe called “Under Taket” that basically had the best view of the mountains and fjord. The Sunday when we were gonna leave, we stayed at this cafe all day long, reading, eating strawberries (Valldal is Norway’s biggest strawberry destination), and enjoying the sound of the waves.
I also had a dip in the river that goes from Trollstigen and toward the fjord in Valldal. And yes – it was freezing but also so extremely refreshing! The Sunday we went back home we also made a stop at Juvet Hotel (a landscape hotel with many cabins placed around in nature) and visited the cafe for some lunch.
I really recommend to stay a bit in Valldal, especially if you’re gonna visit Geiranger. It’s a lot cheaper to stay in Valldal than it is in Geiranger, and you also get a more peaceful experience (without as many tourists). Just feel the vibe in the pictures.
I am loving your photos and the info you gave. We are heading to Alesund this weekend and though of going somewhere further, this looks amazing. Hoping to get some nice shots too 🙂