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STATENS VEGVESEN: JARLE WÆHLER,
BJØRN ANDRESEN, HELGE STIKBAKKE
JUNE-JULY 2012
WIZZ MAGAZINE
41
S
OMETIMES IT'S THE JOURNEY, SOMETIMES
the destination. In Norway it’s both. The
country has some of the most breathtaking
travel destinations – five of which are on the Wizz Air
map – and this summer Tourism Norway has given 18
stretches of road National Tourist Route status. A third
are already fully developed, guiding visitors through
the country’s unique scenery and spectacular fjords,
creating viewpoints that etch into your memory.
Nine of the prospective routes are in south-
western Norway, known locally as Fjord Norway, in
the proximity of Bergen, Haugesund and Stavanger.
The ambitious project was initiated seven years ago,
uniting some of Norway’s most respected designers
and architects, and is scheduled for completion by
2020. The idea was not to create the most effective
or quickest way of travelling from point A to B, but to
find the most spectacular route. The result is a fusion
between nature, culture and modern architecture
with the construction of nature-aware rest stops,
picnic areas and observation decks. Or as Per Ritzler,
assistant project manager for the National Tourist
Routes, explains: “In a world where everything is so
streamlined, we still have roads with the purpose of
showing you what Norway is all about. This is about
being on a road trip… a journey of discovery.
“The 18 National Tourist Routes in Norway are
carefully selected to give the visitors a grand driving
experience in fantastic landscape surroundings. These
are no busy main roads with heavy traffic. The mainstay
landscape experience is about coastlines, fjords,
mountains and waterfalls, that sinks into your soul.”
TOP LEFT:
GEIRANGERFJORD.
FAR LEFT:
EAGLE’S BEND,
OR ØRNESVINGEN,
OBSERVATION DECK.
ABOVE:
PULPIT ROCK
PIET VAN NIEKERK