Gothenburg to Fannrem

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Entering Norway

It was around 16:30 by the time we finished lunch in Gothenburg and set off again. With a few hours of driving left, I checked the map and thought we could reach one of the lakes on the outskirts of Oslo before sunset. 

Full route from Gothenburg to Fannrem

 After 2 hours on the road, we reached the Norwegian border. Ever thrifty, I filled up before crossing as diesel is roughly 10p cheaper per litre in Sweden (€ 1.42).

Quick, grab the camera, we’re entering Norway!
Border crossed, we pushed on for another 50 km before reaching the first of the lakes visible on Google Maps – Vansjø. Vansjø is a large lake by our standards and spans the municipalities of Moss, Rade, Rygge, Valer in Ostfold County. I headed for Oksenoya, an interesting looking island just off the southern shore.

Lake Vansjø and The Island of Oksenoya

Jackpot. The lake and it’s surroundings were unbelievably pleasant.

Vansjo Views

We went for a 5 km run, explored the island and cooled off in the lake. The evening concluded with a can of soup and cold lakeside beers.

Lakeside at 23:00

Race to Fannrem

The next morning, we swam then hit the road. The objective was to get as close to Fannrem as possible, roughly 550 km away. The route took us straight up the ‘3’, a beautiful road cutting north through valleys and woodland. A few kilometres passed Evenstad, we encountered ‘The Big Elk’ (Storelgen). Holding the record as the world’s largest moose sculpture, it stands 32 feet tall and was designed by the Norwegian artist Linda Bakke. This beast marks the halfway point between Oslo and Trondheim and was erected to encourage people to take a break on the long and dangerous road.

The Big Elk – Bjøråa

Heeding the moose’s advice, we stopped next to this picturesque river and dined on ham and cheese sandwiches. It would have been a lovely place to spend the night but I still had some energy so decided to press on.

Halfway Pitstop

As night fell, we were closing in on our objective so decided to pull-over and find a place to camp near Kvikne – a mountain village between Osterdalen and Trondelag. Spotting the sign below, we decided to investigate and venture up a steep dirt track. The hair-raising ascent was worth it, a deserted mountaintop our reward…

Mountain Top Spot

On the morning of the fifth day, we covered the final few kilometres to Fannrem. It was another stunning stretch of road, with countless bridges and views. Objective complete, we stopped here for breakfast and planned the journey from Fannrem to Alesund…