Trollstigen


Trollstigen is a serpentine mountain road and pass in Rauma Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway.
It is part of Norwegian County Road 63 that connects the town of Åndalsnes in Rauma and the village of Valldal in Norddal Municipality. It is a popular tourist attraction due to its steep incline of 10% and eleven hairpin bends up a steep mountainside. During the top tourist season, about 2,500 vehicles pass daily. During the 2012 season, 161,421 vehicles traversed the route, compared to 155,230 vehicles during 2009.
The road is narrow with many sharp bends, and although several bends were widened during 2005 to 2012, vehicles over long are prohibited from driving the road. During the 2011 and 2012 seasons, buses up to were temporarily allowed as a trial. At the plateau there is a car park and several viewing balconies overlooking the bends and the Stigfossen waterfall. Stigfossen falls down the mountainside. The pass has an elevation of approximately.
Trollstigen is closed during late autumn and winter. A normal operating season stretches from mid-May to October, but may sometimes be shorter or longer due to weather conditions.

History

Trollstigen was opened on 31 July 1936, by King Haakon VII after eight years of construction.
A major tourist facility including a restaurant was completed in 2012. Several viewing platforms have been constructed and older constructions improved upon. Trollstigen was officially opened as a national tourist route by the Minister of Transport and Communications on 16 June 2012. Trollstigen itself lies within the Trollstigen landscape protection area, while the alpine area east of Trollstigen, including the Trolltindene range, is part of Reinheimen National Park.
In the summer of 2005, the road was repaired and about was spent on protection against rockfall, making the road safer to drive on.

Opening and closing dates

ÅrOpenClosedComment
199420 May27 September
199525 May
199624 May
19976 June24 September
199815 May15 Octoberclosed because of snow
199914 May10 Septembertemporarily closed 9 August because of landslide, early winter closing because of construction work.
200026 May20 Augustclosed early because of construction work
200121 May21 Augustclosed early because of construction work
200223 May16 SeptemberEarly closing because of maintenance work.
200328 May15 Augustclosed early because of landslide and flooding
200429 May
20051 June15 Novemberlatest closing since 1992
20063 May
200723 May17 October
200827 May4 November
200920 May23 Octoberclosed because of avalanche
201028 May4 November
201113 May24 November
20121 June5 November
201322 May13 November
20148 May1 December 8 Decembertemporarily closed 23 November
201513 May24 November 23 November
201625 May3 NovemberClosed because of snow
201724 May13 November 8 November
201811 May26 October, open again 16 Novemberclosed for the winter 26 October, open again 16 November because of warm weather Closed 2 December because of storm.
201916 May30 October-