Sometimes it is the road itself that is the destination, and this is true of ***Gamle Strynefjellsvegen. As well as being staggeringly beautiful (AND IT IS!), the scenic route from western Norway to the eastern part of southern Norway is also designated as a listed road: a landmark and a testimony to a masterpiece of engineering design. Built by manual labor towards the end of the 19th century, it features old stone masonry and long rows of guard stones, through excellent mountain passes. Only partially paved.

We took a break in Hjelledalen, a historic settlement on a lake that was quite beautiful.  It features the iconic Swiss-style Hjelle Hotel (established in 1896), which originally served as a travel hub and shuttle station for horse-drawn traffic crossing the mountains. I’d consider it for a future stay.