- Address: Norge
- Length of the road: 106 km
- Maximum altitude above sea level: 858 m
Those who are fond of a series of books about Harry Potter, known as "The Path of Trolls" - this is the name of one of the books of Professor Lokons. But it turns out, the Road of the trolls exists in reality, and it is in Norway . This serpentine road in the mountains is one of the most popular tourist sites, a national landmark . The trolley road is part of the national route Rv63, which connects the city of Ondalsnes, located in the commune of Røuma, to the town of Wallald, located in the municipality of Nurdal.
More often used is another name - the trolley ladder, as the Road of trolls on the map of Norway looks exactly like a staircase with very sharp steps: sharp corners and turns are here as many as 11. The name of its road was obtained thanks to King Hokon VII, during whose reign it was built.
History of creation
The need for such a road arose in 1533, when a large agricultural fair began to work at Devolda in Romsdalen. Naturally, the residents of the Valdallen Valley wanted to get there, and the city's residents were interested in the road to the valley.
However, the construction of the first part of the road began only in 1891 (despite the fact that the fair ceased to exist in 1875). It was built only 8 km, after which for a while the construction was frozen. In 1894, engineer Niels Hovdenak conducted a survey of the entire area between Euststeel and Knutseter. In 1905, the construction of another "piece" was started, and in 1913 - completed.
And the modern trolley Ladder was opened in Norway on July 31, 1936. Its construction lasted 8 years. Today, the trolley ladder is one of the most visited attractions in Norway, taking pictures of the road itself and the stunningly beautiful views that open from its viewing platforms every year from half a million to a million people.
Construction of stairs
The staircase of trolls without exaggeration can be called a model of engineering. 11 sharp turns with different lift heights (in some cases it reaches 9%) impose some dimensional restrictions on the size of cars entering the road. Today, only cars with a depth of not more than 12.4 m are permitted to enter here, and this rule began to operate only from 2012, when some of the bends after the road reconstruction became wider.
In the summer of 2012, several buses with a length of 13.1 m were also launched along the route as an experiment. Some sections of the road have different widths; in some of the most narrow places it is only 3.3 m.
Special attention is paid to road safety, therefore, there are fences made of natural stone. In 2005, the staircase acquired a new protection against rockfalls.
Information Center
The tourist center near the beginning of the trolley stairs was opened in 2012. There is an information office, a cafe, a gift shop . In addition, tourists can swim in one of the stepped pools.
How to visit the trolley ladder?
From October to the second half of May, the staircase of trolls for visits is closed, because in winter it can be just dangerous. Dates may shift depending on what weather conditions occur in the current year.
As already mentioned, the Road of the trolls is part of the Rv63 route. The best way to go is by car. From Oslo , you should first get to Lillehammer - either along the E6 route through Hamar , or on E4 through Jovik. From Lillehammer you need to drive E6 to Dumbos, before reaching 5 km to the city of Ondalsnes, you need to turn onto the Fv63, and then go to Trollstigen.
To visit the Trolley Road by public transport , you need to travel from the city of Ondalsnes by a route that follows to Valldal and Geiranger. This bus runs only from June 15 to August 31.