Lake Byglandfjorden to Atra – 250 kms
Lattitude: 59.8
Welcome to Day 11 and another day of stunning Norway. Nobody joined us at our camping spot overnight, and it was a very quiet night. Possibly too quiet!
Today, we kept to narrow roads that wound along the edge of beautiful lakes. Slick rock walls rose up on either side, shaped possibly by glaciers a long time ago. The scenery shifted constantly, and each turn offered something worth pulling over for. Reflections on the water. A waterfall. Or just a short nap.
Then we climbed higher into the mountains, navigating tight, twisty lanes that clung to the cliffs. Traditional wooden huts with grass roofs dotted the landscape, and goats grazed in the paddocks.
Before long, we hit the snow line and the air grew sharp and cold. We pulled into a small town, where the locals warned us the weather was about to turn nasty, maybe even bring snow.
We continued to climb up and up, until we reached a peak. We felt on top of the world as we looked down on the town of Dalen. To drive down was a series of hairpin turns with sheer drop offs to the side, reminding me of the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado. We stopped at Dalen, a small town in the valley, to refuel, and everyone town looked very miserable. So we didn’t linger.
We met a couple of Polish guys today driving Norway in their tiny little Fiat. It was all painted up and they have a following on instagram and tiktok. They gave us a couple of stickers and a cardboard thingy of their car which we have to make. We are doing it in style compared to them!
Then we went up again, over another mountain pass. It’s a little bit scary being in the passenger seat where the driver would normally sit. I’m constantly telling Mike to keep over! As we drove down another narrow, winding road with hairpin turns, a massive hydroelectric power station loomed on our right. Thick pipes ran straight down the mountainside, channelling water into the turbines below.
We drove into the town of Rjukan and I instantly felt the history oozing from its pores. I had no idea what history, just that there was a creepy vibe emanating from the town. We drove to the spot I’d marked to stay the night, but I already knew I wouldn’t be staying here. I can’t quite pinpoint why. Maybe it was the shadowy old buildings, or maybe it was just a gut feeling. I decided to Google the place, and wow, Rjukan has some interesting facts.
For starters, the town doesn’t get any direct sunlight from September through to March. That’s six months of the year living in shade! How freaky would that be? They actually installed giant mirrors on the mountainside to reflect sunlight into the town during winter.
But Rjukan’s past is even darker than its winters. During World War II, the nearby Vemork power plant was a key site for Nazi heavy water production, essential for developing nuclear weapons. In one of the most famous sabotage missions of the war, Norwegian resistance fighters blew up the facility, crippling the program and stopping a shipment that could’ve changed history.
And we drove right on through!
We continued on, looking for a place to camp. And then it started snowing! Okay, not real snow, just a light flutter. But it was falling ice, hitting the windscreen! There was a shortage of places to stay along this stretch. We eventually found a place off the main road (yes, less main than the twisty things we’ve been on.) It overlooks a river… and bonus, there are pit toilets here!
Oh, and it’s freezing! We are thankful for our diesel heater!