There are few roads in the world that announce themselves quite like Trollstigen. Carved into a near-vertical mountainside in Norway's Møre og Romsdal region, the Troll Road climbs and falls through eleven tight hairpin bends, with the Stigfossen waterfall thundering down beside it. This film is the full drive *down* — captured in summer, just before the morning queue of cars and tour buses begins to build.
From the top viewpoint the road unspools below you like a ribbon dropped onto the mountain. Each hairpin is sharp enough to need a near-full lock of the wheel, and the gradient is steep enough that you spend most of the descent on light brakes and lower gears. Through the windscreen you get the constantly shifting view: sheer rock walls on one side, a long green valley opening up on the other, and the waterfall reappearing at almost every turn.
The Troll Road is seasonal — it's typically open from late May to October and closed through the winter months when snow makes the pass impassable. Early morning, as in this drive, is the quietest and best time to go: arrive later in the day in peak summer and you'll share every bend with caravans and coaches. If you want the road largely to yourself, beat the crowd.
The full 21-minute descent is best watched on the largest screen you have, with the sound up. Press play above, and if you enjoy the route, the full drive lives on my channel alongside the other great Norwegian roads.
▶ Watch “The Spellbinding Troll Road in Norway - Drive Down” on YouTube →
