A true mountain-escape road trip.
Norway ? Yes way ! This jape is dreadful . The Norse country is not .
With wildflower - mottle mound , steep fjords , and lapis - puritanic ocean water supply , the Land of the Midnight Sun straight up sparkles . You might be wondering if a visit to the ocean - cable country would ram you to survive on a diet of just seafood and Pisces the Fishes or if you ’ll be unmercifully attacked by a pack of stuck - in-11th - 100 vikings ( no , just me ? ) , but fear not . The answer to both is a reverberating no .
But I really could n’t aid but question if Norway would be alike to nearby - neighbour Iceland , with glacier , other - wordly beauty , and Dr. Seuss - esque rock formation . The comparison is n’t just propinquity - based , but is furthered by the similarity in names of their two most famous tourist route : the Golden Road and the Golden Circle , respectively .
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Iceland ’s Golden Circle connects a handful of the island ’s most popular attraction like Gullfoss Waterfall , the Great Geysir , and Þingvellir National Park , while Norway ’s Golden Road head travelers through sustainable food , beverage , graphics , and handiwork stops to allow for a diverse glimpse of small - Ithiel Town living , mountainside escapes , and even sandlike beaches .
The route slip through Norway ’s Trøndelag region is offered byUp Norway , a travel office that specializes in creating personalised route tailored specifically to unique and sustainable culinary , dangerous undertaking , and ethnical experience . In fact , they ’re the local agency when it come to sail the Golden Road in fussy , having partner with the 22 dedicated landmarks that have been approved by the co - op ( yes , the businesses operate together and implement for membership ! ) for prescribed cellular inclusion along the 66 - mile route via the neighborhood ’s main E6 roadway .
Here are a few of the must - see highlight along the way , perfect for any European holiday , group or solo misstep , and even honeymoon for the couple who appreciates aliveness in the fast lane .
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Pamper yourself in Trondheim
The journeying originate and ends in Norway ’s third most thickly settled city of Trondheim . access code to the once - unmanageable - to - get - to metropolis is now quite convenient with frequent ( and inexpensive ! ) flights on budget airline likePLAY , which provide extended layover in Iceland , should you want to liken and contrast the two “ golden ” way in one trip .
A hitch at theBritannia Hotelto bookend your excursion is an absolute must . Not only is it the city ’s most voluptuary accommodation in expressive style , location , and service , but it also boasts a pool - laden spa with multiple skin - strengthening saunas and Michelin - star restaurantSpeilsalen , accomplished with a caviare and Champagne barroom . The beds are also one of the most well-to-do I ’ve ever slept in — plush and thick with oversized pillows and sheets that carry on a virtuoso of coolness that endure through the entire night .
Trondheim is also chock - full of chronicle with catamenia of polarizing kings , inflow of sauceboat - aweary immigrant due to its tight law of proximity to water , and the aforesaid Viking . Book a walking tour throughHands on Historyand be sure to also explore the region ’s most famous monument , theNidaros Cathedral , which ride above a labyrinth of crypts and hidden chambers .
Skjølberg Søndre Kretsløpsgård
For a more modern ( and slightly dot - trippy ) glance of the town , a jaunt throughK - U - Kwill showcase contemporary paintings and sculpture from local creative person , both establish and new . Cap your evening with a meal at adjoiningGubalari , which draws inspiration from topically - sourced ingredients like smoked redfish and spring salad with primroses and cured ham .
Spill all the tea with sheep
One of the first stops on the Golden Circle isGulburet , a multi - building farm , art studio , talent shop , and cottage where you could sip chamomile tea and nosh on prime - adorned oat bar before petting a herd of friendly sheep .
The hitch features a plethora of hours - quondam butters , soft cheeses , and other Norwegian countryside staples for purchasing and nibbling on for the remainder of the journey .
Should you choose to go the opposite direction or need to end your stumble on a like note , moot a farm visit toSkjølberg Søndre . The biodynamic belongings supply herbaceous plant , meats , and dairy farm merchandise to some of Norway ’s most famous restaurants . It also persist a weekend - only dining way in a tastily - decorated and cosy , country - style farmhouse with flowered prints and mismatch china . Meals are served with a crusty and pillowy sourdough bread that was , by far , my favorite intellectual nourishment from the integral misstep .
Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell
Live inside a mountain at Øyna Cultural Landscape Hotel
A nimble , though somewhat straining e - wheel trip is the most scenic ( and healthy , candidly ) path to go from Gulburet ’s region of Straumen to Inderøy . This sleepy-eyed - town peninsula features a cliffside background topped by the 18 - roomØyna Cultural Landscape Hotel , which greets its guests from above a mountain . The architecturally sensational building is literally construct into the Earth in fiat to conform to nature and offer bird’s-eye views of the Trondheim Fjord and the Fosen Alps . suite are minimalist with industrial cementum and pine wall , cascade balconies , and roofs covered in grass ( which you’re able to actually stand on when not inside ) .
Sustainability is at the cutting edge of the hostel ’s commission statement , offering drink and meals with ingredients source only from within a few - mile radius , from produce and kernel to dairy farm products and even aquavit . Owner Frode Sakshaug , a former squealer farmer himself , even leave dinner early to pick up food that would be served the next sidereal day . He also wakes up before dawn , almost daily , to longline - Pisces for cod , haddock , and other ocean - derived proteins that take leading roles on the eating place ’s always - change menu .
Sleep in an oceanside triangle on Stokkoya Island
Stokkøya Sjøsenterresort is slightly off the beaten — err — freshly - paved way of the Golden Road , but it ’s an right-down must - cease for a complete alteration in scenery . The beach settlement is aligned with rows of shipping container - manner room made from recycled materials like burlap and polyester canvass fiber , as well as coastal cottages with unobstructed view of the ocean . There is even an area with pointy tents to camp right on the sand , complete with toilets , grilling stations , and a exuberant herb garden .
On - site restaurantStrandbaren(which translates to “ Beach Bar ” ) mirrors Øyna ’s delegacy by attend only the fresh of local ingredients , like its signature mussel that savour and unthaw on the natural language like mellifluous butter .
But it ’s nearbyNaustet Stokkøya , a loft - style boathouse , that will wow even the most jaded of opulence travelers with its sleek , all - mordant design and oversized deck to lodge outdoor dinners , a firepit , jacuzzi , and even a sweat room .
Stokkøya Strandhotell og Strandbaren
There are also two triangle - determine rooms disjoined from the main home that are perched above stone with story to roof - windows ; idealistic for any node who wants an added level of privacy .
Host Remi will keep the wine and local beer flowing as he encourages guests to scollop - dive immediately off the dockage to harvest , straw , and immediately top the briney meat with a simple splash of ponzu sauce , all while Edgar Albert Guest chefs like Gallic Laundry - trained Adrian Lovold set up a sunset spread .
Without trying to sound too hyperbolic , the sentiment from the letting and its apparently never - ending orange , purple , and cherry-red - hue sky was one of — if not the most beautiful sights — I’ve ever experienced in my years as a travel writer . It go forth me and my fellow housemate in a state of awe , cut off only by my rotten attempt at a joke to overcome the spell of this res publica that had left us , quite literally , speechless : “ Norway ? Yes means . ”
