Scenic route Gamle Strynefjellsvegen
Along stone walls and guard stones
The old roadway between east and west is a museum experience in itself. It is a historic alternative to the new trunk road across Strynefjellet Mountain.
Built by manual labour towards the end of the 19th century, this road conveys a historical narrative. The road is an attraction in itself and a testimony to a masterpiece of engineering design from a bygone time.
Old hand-built walls of meticulously cut stones and long rows of guard stones characterise the stretch of road across the mountain. The scenic route between Eastern and Western Norway was listed as a protected road in 2009.
The route is closed.
Travel information
- Length
- 27 km
- MASL
- 465 – 1139
Norwegian Scenic Route Gamle Strynefjellsvegen runs between Grotli and Videsæter [258]. The small village of Hjelle also plays an important role in the tourist route since the old road starts at the jetty in Hjelle.
For cyclists: Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is a relatively short route, and we recommend that you start at Grotli. Parts of the route run on gravel roads.
Traffic and road information
Telephone +47 815 48 991
Traffic alerts in map (Norwegian only)
Overview Scenic Routes closed in winter season
- GPS, Grotli:
- 62.013444, 7.630327
- GPS, Videsæter:
- 61.937043, 7.264409
Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is closed in the winter season. The road is normally closed from September to June. Previous closures have started between 15 September and 11 October. Previous openings have taken place between 15 May and 29 June.
It is important to note that even when roads have been opened for the summer season, they may still for some time be closed at night. Spring is a volatile season in the mountains, and in bad weather the road may be closed on short notice.
A red line in the map marks a road that is closed in winter.
In places this stretch is narrow with a number of bends and there are restrictions. Vehicles that are more than 8 metres long and have an axle load of more than 8 tonnes will be banned from driving on Gamle Strynefjellsvegen from Grotli to the Vestland county boundary.
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Photo 1 of 10: Heillstuguvatnet. Photo: Jarle Wæhler, Statens vegvesen -
Photo 2 of 10: Grotli-Videdalen. Norwegian Scenic Route Gamle Strynefjellsvegen. Photo: Jarle Wæhler, Statens vegvesen -
Photo 3 of 10: Vassvendtjønnin, Norwegian Scenic Route Gamle Strynefjellsvegen. Photo: Silja Lena Løken, Statens vegvesen -
Photo 4 of 10: Videdalen. Norwegian Scenic Route Gamle Strynefjellsvegen. Photo: Roger Ellingsen, Statens vegvesen -
Photo 5 of 10: Videfossen. Norwegian Scenic Route Gamle Strynefjellsvegen. Photo: Jarle Wæhler, Statens vegvesen -
Photo 6 of 10: Jøl bru. Photo: Trine Kanter Zerwekh, Statens vegvesen -
Photo 7 of 10: Øvstefossen. Photo: Werner Harstad, Statens vegvesen -
Photo 8 of 10: Hjelledalen. Photo: Helge Stikbakke, Statens vegvesen -
Photo 9 of 10: Segestad. Norwegian Scenic Route Gamle Strynefjellsvegen. Photo: Werner Harstad, Statens vegvesen -
Photo 10 of 10: Hjelle. Norwegian Scenic Route Gamle Strynefjellsvegen. Photo: Werner Harstad
Experiences
When the villages along western fiords began to experience tourism in the last few decades of the 19th century, the idea emerged of a drivable road across Strynefjellet. In 1881, it was therefore decided to build a road. People from Skjåk and surrounding villages, Swedish navvies and construction workers from Gudbrandsdalen worked ten-hour days to complete the road in the period 1889-1894.
Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is a chaussee, typical of its time, with hand-built stonemasonry walls and long rows of guard stones along the road. These formed a roadside guardrail at a time when horses and wagons were more common than cars.
The landscape around the road provides a variety of different hiking options. Walk along the many mountain lakes, follow an old travel route, or let your hike take you to one of the mountain farms in the area. From Gamle Strynefjellsvegen there is a nice drive down to Hjelle, the idyllic village on Lake Strynsvatnet in the valley of Hjelledalen.
Useful links
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The official travel guide to Norway
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Map with information on sleep, eat and do
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Travel by bus, train, ferry, metro and plane
The 18 Norwegian Scenic Routes
Norwegian Scenic Routes are roads that run through unique Norwegian nature. Along the roads you will find artworks, viewpoints and rest areas with innovative architecture in beautiful landscapes.
