Gudbrandsjuvet is a narrow gorge where the river Valldøla forces its way through a slot in the rock, only a few metres wide in places, with water that has polished the stone into smooth curves and potholes over thousands of years. It sits in the upper Valldalen, between the fjord village of Valldal and the climb to Trollstigen, and the scenic route has built a set of steel walkways and platforms that let you stand directly above the roaring water. Look down, and the force of it is startling.
According to a local legend, a man named Gudbrand escaped his pursuers by leaping across the gorge, which gave it its name. Whether or not anyone ever jumped, the gorge has been a place to stop for travellers on the route between Valldal and Romsdal for a long time. It is also one of the more successful examples of the modern architecture that Norway's National Tourist Routes have placed along the scenic roads: simple, angular and good at framing the view.
The road through Valldalen is part of the Geiranger to Trollstigen route, one of the most celebrated motorcycle roads in Norway. From the fjord at Valldal, famous for its strawberries, the road climbs gently up the valley past farms and woods, then gets steeper and more open beyond Gudbrandsjuvet, rising onto the high plateau and then dropping down the famous Trollstigen hairpins into Romsdalen. The surface is good, but traffic is heavy in high summer, with buses and camper vans, and the Trollstigen section is narrow with eleven hairpins and a steep drop. Trollstigen closes in winter, usually from autumn to late May or June.
Gudbrandsjuvet is a natural pause before or after the big climb. There is a cafe and a toilet at the site in summer. Valldal, back toward the fjord, has shops, cafes and fuel, and it is the place to eat strawberries in July. Molde and Åndalsnes are the larger towns beyond the mountains. Early in the morning, before the buses arrive, the gorge is quiet except for the water, and the light comes slanting down the valley. That is the best time to see it.