Norangsdalen

Norangsdalen runs about fifteen kilometres from Hellesylt to the head of the Hjorundfjord at Oye, and for much of that distance the road is squeezed between walls of scree and rock that leave the valley floor in shadow for most of the day, with peaks of the Sunnmore Alps rising over 1,500 metres on both sides. Abandoned stone farmsteads stand among the boulders, and rockfall has reshaped the valley repeatedly. At Lygnstoylvatnet a landslide in 1908 dammed the river and drowned a farm and its road, still visible under the clear water. At the far end sits the Hotel Union Oye of 1891, a wooden hotel that hosted European royalty and writers in the era of fjord tourism.

What you actually see

• The narrow valley - road pressed between scree slopes and rock walls.
• The abandoned farms - stone ruins among the boulder fields.
• Lygnstoylvatnet - a lake holding a submerged farm and road.
• Hotel Union Oye - an 1891 wooden hotel at the valley's end.

When to go

June to September, when the road is open and clear; it closes in winter. Overcast weather actually suits the valley, which is atmospheric rather than sunny, and low cloud on the walls adds to it.

Honest expectations

The road is narrow and single-lane in places with passing points, and it is not suitable for large vehicles. Rockfall risk is real and the road is occasionally closed for it. There are almost no facilities along the valley.

Nearby

Hellesylt and the Geirangerfjord ferry lie east; Oye, the Hjorundfjord and Slogen are at the western end.