The Eagle Road, Ørnevegen, is the one that leaves Geiranger to the north, and the viewpoint at Ørnesvingen is where it earns its name. At this bend the road swings round the edge of a steep slope with the whole Geirangerfjord laid out below, the village at its head and the mountains stepping away on both sides. It was built in the middle of the twentieth century, and the eleven hairpins that climb out of the valley are a fine piece of mountain engineering, with the gradient kept steady enough for the cars and buses of the day.
At the viewpoint a platform juts out over the drop, and from it you can see the Seven Sisters waterfall, the fjord and the road snaking up from the water. The cruise ships look like toys, and the villages tiny. In clear weather the sight is magnificent, but even in mist it is strangely dramatic, with the cloud rolling up the valley and the sound of water echoing from the cliffs.
On a motorcycle this is a satisfying bit of road. The hairpins are tight but well surfaced, and they come in a rhythm that is easy to learn after the first few. The danger is the traffic, because tour buses and campervans take the bends slowly and sometimes wide, and tourists walk around the viewpoint with cameras. Ride with patience, brake before the bends rather than in them, and keep to your own side. In the wet, the painted lines and the metal covers can be slippery.
Eagle Road leads on toward Eidsdal and the ferry across the Norddalsfjord, and from there to Valldal and the Trollstigen. For fuel and supplies the nearest larger place is Stranda, about twenty-four kilometres away, so be sure to have what you need. A short stop at the viewpoint is almost obligatory, and the early morning, with the light low and the ships still asleep, is when the place feels best.