Andalsnes

Although situated in one of the most scenic regions in Norway, Andalsnes itself is rather banal. That's because the invading Nazis in 1940 bombed it out of existence. The king and his family used Andalsnes as their exit route in their dramatic escape from Norway, following the German invasion of their borders. The royals made it, but Andalsnes was left to pay the price. The town today is modern, and all too ready to forget the period when it was used as a military base for the Nazis.

Attractions

Andalsnes is the starting point for one of the great motor drives in Norway: the Trollstigvegen, a 2-hour drive along Route 63 south to Geiranger. The highway climbs to 620m (2,034 ft.) over a distance of 8km (5 miles). The Orneveien or "Eagle's Road" down to Geiranger was a marvel of Norwegian engineering upon its completion in 1952.

Activities

• Vegmuseum, Trollstigen , is a little museum at the pass, with exhibitions relating the story of how this incredible road came to be.


• Another grand highlight of the area is en route to Dombås (Rte. 9). Both road and train lines follow the Troll Wall or Trollveggen, a major challenge for mountaineers, rising 1,800m (5,905 ft.). A combined Norwegian and British team "conquered" it in 1965.


• The visitor center distributes more than a dozen leaflets outlining the best hiking trails through the Romsdalen Alps, a string of mountains enveloping Åndalsnes. The most dramatic route -- and our all-time favorite -- is the full-day jaunt that begins 50m (164 ft.) north of Åndalsnes and climbs to the summit of Nesaksla Mountain, rising 715m (2,345 ft.) over Åndalsnes. At the top you're rewarded with another one of those awesome panoramas. On a clear day you can see down to the Romsdalsfjord. From here the climb continues to the summit of Høgnosa at 991m (3,251 ft.) and on to Åkesfjellet at 1,215m (3,986 ft.).


• The Romsdalsfjord is one of the most scenic in western Norway, cutting a deep gash into the earth and extending west of Åndalsnes. The tourist office can arrange 4-hour fishing tours of the fjord at a cost of 250NOK ($36) per person. An annual local license can be obtained for180NOK ($25) from the tourist office.

Currency

The local currency is the krone.

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