September 27, 2019

Norway – Stegastein Viewpoint

The Stegastein viewpoint is a platform, which hangs from a cliff, giving you 180-degree views of the Aurlandsfjord and village below. The platform juts from the rock and ends in a rounded shape. The rounded shape makes it look like you can easily walk off the platform, except there is a glass railing preventing you. The design is almost as stunning as the view. From Flam, it is a half-hour drive up a narrow switchback road to the viewpoint. However, if you were to keep driving, you would also be continuing on the Aurlandsfjellet – one of the 18 recognized scenic routes in Norway. In this post, I want to describe my visit to the Stegastein viewpoint as well as more about the Scenic Routes of Norway.

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The Stegastein Viewpoint

On our last day in the Flam area, we took the Flam Railway up to Myrdal and rode mountain bikes through the Flam valley and back to town. Before leaving town to head to Eidfjord and Ulvik, we made the drive up to the Stegastein viewpoint and I am SO glad we did. The drive from Flam to the Stegastein Viewpoint takes about a half-hour. You’ll first head to the small town/village of Aurlandsvagen. From there you will take a narrow road that has hairpin switchbacks as you quickly gain elevation. Phew, this road is nerve-wracking! My recommendation is to take it slow and keep an eye out for pull-outs, so you are ready when a car is coming from the other direction. I am not going to lie, there was some tight maneuvering for us on this route, but worth the effort.

At the Stegastein Viewpoint, there is a parking area that is uphill from the platform. There were a few people on the platform when we arrived, so we were in no rush to get out there. We tore into our picnic lunches from Cafe Rallaren (we didn’t stop for lunch while mountain biking) in the car. After coating our rental car in a thin layer of delicious crumbs, we were ready to head out the platform. Shocked, we saw the platform cleared during our late lunch! We practically had it to ourselves. This is good to keep in mind – if it is busy, hang out for a bit to see if the crowd will ebb.

At a Glance:

Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars – would do it again in a heartbeat!
Intensity: Driving Clothes, warm layers
Location: Flåm, Norway
Cost: Free
Restrooms: In the parking area – the views from the windows are over the fjords!
Timing: 30 mins to 1 hour

Highlights:

Admire Scandinavian Architecture
Absolutely insane view of the Aurlandsfjord
Get a taste a great scenic routes of Norway

Walking out on the platform

Walking out onto the Stegastein viewpoint platform is quite an experience. You’ll get increasingly gorgeous views as you move down the platform and away from surrounding trees. The end of the platform is only glass, so you’re also getting the view straight off the platform. At the point, you will have 180-degree views of the beautiful Aurlandsfjord and the little sightseeing boats that make their way across the water. I recommend taking a scenic cruise like the Flam-Gudvagen one I did. Seeing the fjord from this scenic viewpoint was a completely new experience and I was living for it.

Depending on the cloud cover, the water is a deep blue to light turquoise color and the hillsides are alive with green grasses. You’ll see the trickling streams and snow-covered mountain peaks at eye level. You’ll also get a bird’s-eye view of the little town of Aurlandsvagen, which you passed through if you came from Flam. We had a partly cloudy sky, making the view a dramatic mesmerizing show that I could have watched for hours.

As someone who is not afraid of heights, I love the viewpoint and took a million photos comfortably. My mother, on the other hand, is afraid of heights was not as comfortable. She did feel secure enough to make it all the way to the end of the platform but kept her time near the glass railing to a minimum. Though a little frightening, we were both glad we made the effort to see this unique view.

Scandinavian Architecture: Platform & Bathrooms

The architecture of the Stegastein viewpoint itself is elegant and minimal Scandinavian design. The structure of the platform creates a triangular shape with the mountainside. Instead of a point, the end of the platform curves back toward the mountain at roughly a 45-degree angle. The curved nature matches the gentle curves of the fjord and surrounding mountains. Even the colors of light wood and glass make it feel more natural to the landscape. This is a stark contrast to the American functional viewpoints with grey thick bars and right angles.

There are also bathrooms at the Stegastein Viewpoint with the same Scandinavian architecture. But I recommend you use these bathrooms because of the view! Inside one of the rooms, there is a window overlooking the fjord. How often do you get to wash your hands with a view like this?? It’s also a great place to empty the bladder if you are starting the Aurlandsfjellet Scenic Route or simply about to white knuckle your way back down the switchbacks to Flam or the surrounding area.

Scenic Routes of Norway

One of the best decisions we made when trip planning for Norway was to drive ourselves for part of the trip. We did not have the car while in Olso or Bergen but rented one specifically while we were in the fjord region and I could not be happier. This is the best way to get around the fjords and see more of the photogenic Norwegian landscape. If you do rent a car, prepare yourself for tunnels, ferries, tolls, and scenic routes. There are 18 official Scenic Routes in Norway, which I discovered during my research. These scenic routes are hand-selected to showcase some of the best scenery in Norway. Funding from the Norwegian Government made bathrooms, architectural buildings, and road maintenance possible.

The Stegastein Viewpoint is one of the special features of the Aurlandsfjellet Scenic Route, which connects Aurlandsvagen and Lærdalsøyri. This route is an alternative to the Lærdal tunnel, which is the longest road tunnel in the world at 24.5 kilometers. We stayed in Lærdal and took this tunnel to get to our Airbnb. This tunnel is unnerving because of how long it is. It causes an unexpected mental/eye strain, which is briefly relieved by 3 wide sections with colorful lighting. It almost feels like a psychological test! We hoped to take the Aurlandsfjellet Scenic Route on the way back to Flam, but were running too late and took the tunnel twice – bummer! This gave us extra motivation to drive a small portion of the scenic route to the Stegastein viewpoint.

If you are driving during your trip, I HIGHLY recommend you check out the 18 Scenic Routes. In addition to this one, we also dipped in the Hardangervidda Scenic Route from Eidfjord to visit Vøringsfossen Waterfall.

Overall Thoughts: The Stegastein Viewpoint

The Stegastein Viewpoint is a fantastic free activity if you have a car in Norway. It allows you to experience the fjords from a bird-eye perspective, giving you a better idea of how massive and stunning they are. It also gives you a small taste of the 18 Scenic Routes and Norwegian modern architecture. Overall, I had a great experience and was happy we made the drive up the hill to Stegastein.

Other things to do in the Flam Area:

I am always excited about a good scenic road trip and Norway’s was top notch! Where in the world have you taken a particularly scenic drive? Let me know in the comments so I can check it out.

Happy Travels,

Hanna