Sognefjellet National Tourist Route

Before you rejoin the ETR heading south (or north) you should take a detour along Sognefjellet National Tourist Route, the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe, at 1,434 metres above sea level.

From the top of the Sognefjellet National Tourist Route, you have a great view over towards the Smørstabbreen Glacier with its surrounding mountain range. In some areas, this wild mountainous region seemed completly untouched by humanity, with undisturbed mosses covering the rocks, and mountain trails with no human footprints... until we came to a timber sign, pointing in all directions at once. That looked man-made.

After a few hours wandering around the hills above the lake, we made it back to the campsite, just in time to open a beer and catch a beautiful sunset, which seemed to resonate around the entire area.

We awoke the next morning, refreshed, and surrounded by glaciers and the beautiful nature of Jotunheimen. During the night, something (or a herd of somethings) had tripped over the tent lines, spreading the tent pegs over a wide radius. We managed to find them all, but couldn't figure out what had passed us in the night. Up here, you can find reindeer, foxes, mink, deer, wolverines, elk, lynx and some goats, but not too many types of people. So it must have been animal.

It's a special feeling, when a number of elements combine, to give you a unique and new experience - waking up slowly in this beautiful place, with a freshly brewed coffee in your hand, sitting on an outcrop above the lake, watching the sun's rays as they burn across this barren and windswept landscape, inhaling the fresh air, as you watch the sunlight reflecting off the glaciers, which in turn, are reflecting off the surface of the lake.

A strange contrast to all this tranquility is when the sound of engines from a group of other motorcyclists slowly makes it's way along the Sognefjellet National Tourist Route. It took a long time for them to arrive, waving as they passed by, and an even longer time for them to disappear again. Even when they were out of sight, we could still hear them.

This great piece of road is closed during winter and re-opens around the start of May, when the snow melts. They close it again in late Autumn, depending on how early the Winter arrives. We'll definitely come back some other time, and stay a few extra days, for some climbing and glacier hiking in the Hurrungane mountains. As we rode off, we passed a series of red buildings, scattered around the mountainside - the Turtagrø Mountain Hotel - maybe we'll try that next time?

Norwegian Automobile and Vehicle Museum

The Norwegian Automobile and Vehicle Museum in Lillehammer offers experiences for all the family. You should visit the interactive traffic safety center, where machinery, activities and a play-area for children and adults alike, are situated in a large open-air museum, with pleasant walks in the area. Free entry, with a separate activity program for the Autumn and Winter breaks. The museum also organizes exciting and nostalgic experiences during the weekends in Advent, and the chance to do some Christmas shopping in the museum shop.

The Norwegian Road Museum comprises a display of Norwegian auto-history, from a re-built Oldsmobile, called "Oldsfossum" from the early 1900’s, up to the "Troll", the last Norwegian-produced car, from the 1950s. A number of horse-drawn vehicles are also exhibited: sledges, gigs, carioles and carts. One section has been devoted to the history of the railway, and a model railway is on display. The museum's oldest car is a Wartburg from 1889. It has a 3hp, 2 cylinder, air-cooled combustion engine. A steam driven car from 1901, and an electric car from 1917 are also on display. Many of the vehicles are exhibited in a context showing the roads, petrol stations and workshops of the time, along with their use for work and leisure.

Aulestad - Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's home

Experience the atmosphere of beautiful Aulestad. The Nobel laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson lived here with his family, from 1875. The home is one of the best preserved artist homes in Norway.

Arriving in Lillehammer, be sure to take a ride around the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics.