Gaupne sits at the head of the Lustrafjord, which is the innermost arm of the Sognefjord, and it is a small village in a very large landscape. The fjord here is narrow and deep, with steep mountainsides rising straight from the water and farms perched on the shelves above, and from the village you can see glimpses of the Jostedalsbreen glacier plateau to the north. Gaupne has just over a thousand people and the municipal centre of Luster, with shops, a petrol station and a few places to eat, and Sogndal, about twenty kilometres away, is the larger town if you need more.
The road you have been riding is the Sognefjellet, the highest mountain pass road in northern Europe, which crosses at about 1,430 metres between Lom in the east and the Lustrafjord in the west. It was built in the 1930s and it is a fine road, with wide curves, long views over bare rock and snowfields, and a surface that is generally excellent. The high section is closed in winter, usually from around November until May, and snow can remain beside the road well into summer. On the western descent, the road drops through a series of bends into the valley of the Jostedøla and then along the fjord.
The nearby Urnes stave church, on the opposite shore of the fjord, is one of the oldest of its kind, built in the twelfth century and listed by UNESCO. Its carvings of twisting animals and plants gave a name to the Urnes style, and the little ferry across the fjord from Solvorn is a pleasant crossing. In the village, orchards grow in the mild micro-climate, and the Lustrafjord is known for cherries and apples in late summer. The Norwegian Glacier Museum at Fjærland, on the other side of the mountain, is a trip for another day.
Practicalities are easy: fill up here before or after the pass, since fuel is thin in the mountains. Cafes serve waffles, coffee and open sandwiches, and local cider is available in season. Weather can change fast, from sunshine to rain, and the high road can be cold even in July, so wear layers. In the evening, when the light hits the fjord at a low angle, the water turns silver. It is a good place to pause at the end of the road.