Trollstigen road in Møre og Romsdal, Norway - a tourist destination

Trollstigen road in Møre og Romsdal, Norway 

It is probably not surprising that this serpentine road's name translates to 'Troll's Path.' Seems fitting for a motorway that looks more like something out of a fairytale or ancient myth. But this route snaking across the mountainous landscape of Western Norway is a concrete reality:

Trollstigen is one of the country's top tourist attractions. Because it traverses such a high elevation and receives a great deal of seasonal snowfall, the potentially perilous road is closed between October and May.

But during the rest of the year here in gloriously scenic Møre og Romsdal county, more than 150,000 cars will typically travel the twisting road.

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 (along with County Road 63) was officially opened as a national tourist route by the Minister of Transport and Communications on 16 June 2012.

Trollstigen itself (and the alpine summits to the west) 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 16 million kr was spent on protection against rockfall, making the road safer to drive on.