Atlantic Ocean Road & Kvernes

OVERVIEW

Behold some of Norway’s most beautiful and pristine countryside by following the serpentine Atlantic Ocean Road to a remote wooden church from medieval times. This awe-inspiring highway was voted Norway’s Engineering Feat of the Century for its scenic beauty and technological advancements that include zigzagging bridges and undersea tunnels. One of the tunnels stretches under the sea for 3½ miles. It will be quite the ride as the tunnel bottoms out nearly an eighth of a mile below sea level before ascending. A highlight of a different sort is the 14th-century Kvernes stave church, which is part of an open-air museum with more than 10,000 objects of interest. Norway is the only country in northern Europe with wooden churches from the Middle Ages, and the one at Kvernes is considered a treasure. This style of church takes its name from the multiple staves or corner posts that support the timber framework.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Follow an incredibly scenic road that was voted Norway’s Engineering Feat of the Century.
• Visit a 14th-century stave church that is the highlight of an open-air museum.
• Drive through the 3½-mile Atlantic Ocean Road Tunnel, an incredible feat of engineering.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.