Stalheimskleiva

Stalheimskleiva drops about 250 metres in a little over a kilometre and a half through thirteen hairpin bends at gradients reaching one in five, which makes it one of the steepest roads in northern Europe open to ordinary traffic. It was completed in 1846 as part of the mail route between Bergen and Christiania, cut and walled by hand, with the Stalheimsfossen and Sivlefossen waterfalls dropping beside it. Traffic runs downhill only. It was bypassed by the E16 tunnels and is now kept as a historic route, though rockfall and landslide have closed it for extended periods in recent years, so its status should be checked before planning a drive.

What you actually see

• The thirteen hairpins - a descent at gradients up to one in five.
• The hand-built walls - 1840s stone retaining work along the bends.
• The two waterfalls - Stalheimsfossen and Sivlefossen beside the road.
• The Naeroydalen valley - the gorge opening below the descent.

When to go

May to September, when the road is normally open; it closes in winter and has been shut for long stretches by landslides. The Stalheim hotel above gives the classic view down the valley without driving it.

Honest expectations

The road is downhill only, very narrow, and unsuitable for caravans, buses or nervous drivers, with tight bends that require full lock. Closures are frequent and can last seasons. Brakes overheat easily on the descent.

Nearby

The Naeroyfjord and Gudvangen lie below; Voss and the Stalheim hotel are above.