Touring from Coast to High Mountains

3 nights and 4 days. A driving experience from the North Sea coast, over the high mountains and into the Gudbrandsdalen valley, linking three historic hotels with some of Southern Norway's finest roads.

This route takes you from Egersund on the North Sea, north along the Jæren coast, up into the wild highlands of Sirdal and over Suleskardvegen, one of Norway's great driving roads, before it descends into Setesdal and continues east. Along the way the landscape changes character hour by hour, from open sea to deep valleys, bare mountains and lush valley floors. We have linked three of our historic gems, so each day on the road ends with good food, warm hospitality and a bed with character.

 

This short break includes:

  • 3 nights at Grand Hotell Egersund, Straand Hotel and Nermo Hotell
  • Breakfast at every hotel
  • Optional dinner at each hotel. You choose whether you want dinner included (half board) or room and breakfast only, hotel by hotel.

This trip is based on travel by your own car or motorcycle. The quoted "from" price covers room and breakfast. Dinner can be added per hotel at the time of booking.

FROM

Day 1: Welcome to Egersund

 

The journey begins where the land lets go and the sea takes over. Grand Hotell Egersund sits in the heart of town, just a short walk from the harbour and the charming old wooden quarter of one of south-western Norway's best preserved wooden towns. Egersund is the gateway to the Magma UNESCO Geopark, a dramatic landscape shaped by some of the oldest bedrock in Northern Europe, and to the long, windswept sandy beaches of Jæren. Stroll down to the quayside, take in the smell of sea and tar, and let calm settle in before tomorrow's big day over the mountains. In the evening the hotel restaurant tempts with good food before your first night in historic surroundings.

 

Tip along the way: an evening walk along Vågen and through the old town is worth it before the sun sets over the sea.

 

 

Day 2: Over the mountains to Vrådal (approx. 289 km)

 

This is the day many will remember longest. From Egersund you first follow the Jæren coast north, before the road turns inland into the quiet mountains and moorland of Dalane. It then climbs into Sirdal and culminates on Suleskardvegen, a high mountain pass that has long been a gathering point for motorcyclists, with curves, open plateaus and views in every direction. On the far side you roll down into venerable Setesdal, one of Norway's most tradition-rich valleys, before the trip takes you east into Telemark. The stage is varied and full of contrasts, so allow plenty of time to stop, breathe and take in the scenery.

 

You arrive at Straand Hotel in Vrådal in the early afternoon. The hotel began as a coaching inn in 1864 and is run today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Straand family, hospitality passed down for over 150 years. Straand is also Norway's first "Bikers Welcome" hotel, where you are met with a good cup of coffee and tips for the road ahead. Just below the hotel lies Lake Nisser, where the vintage boat MS Fram invites you on an atmospheric lock and cruise trip through magnificent scenery (check departure days in advance). Back at the hotel, relax on the large terrace overlooking Vrådal, and the evening can be rounded off with a lovely dinner in the restaurant.

 

Tip along the way: take time for a photo stop at the top of Suleskardvegen, this is where the trip truly lodges in your memory.

 

Day 3: Through Telemark and up to Gudbrandsdalen (approx. 428 km)

 

Today's stage is the longest of the trip, and one of the most varied. Start early and allow plenty of time, because this is a big day in the saddle that rewards you with constantly changing scenery. From Vrådal the road runs through the inner districts of Telemark, past Seljord by the lake where the legend of the sea serpent Selma still lives on, and on towards the Kongsberg area. From there the route climbs north through Sigdal and Eggedal, along the long Lake Krøderen, into Hallingdal and over towards Valdres, before finally rolling down through Gausdal and into the Gudbrandsdalen valley.

 

The destination is Nermo Hotell in Øyer, a farm hotel at the foot of Hafjell. Here the kitchen stays close to its ingredients, with much sourced from the hotel's own farm, so a good, local dinner in the restaurant can be the perfect end to a long day on the road. Lillehammer, with its Olympic memories and the Maihaugen open-air museum, is just a short distance away.

 

Tip along the way: split the day in two with a relaxed lunch break in Hallingdal or Valdres, and the long stage becomes a pleasure rather than a transit leg.

 

Day 4: Check-out and new adventures

 

After a hearty breakfast at Nermo, it is time to set your course onward. Spend the morning exploring the area if you like, whether that is Hafjell, the Hunderfossen family park, central Lillehammer or one last bend through Gudbrandsdalen before the journey home. Whether you finish here or let the adventure continue north, you carry with you memories of a trip that took you from the open sea to the high mountains, through a cross section of Southern Norway's most beautiful driving country.