Why this ride
356 km one way from Jaren - plan on about 6 h 34 of riding. The stops in between: near Hønefoss, near Sande, Nesoddtangen and near Askim.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Hardanger Fjord and Waterfalls · short arc
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 356 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 6 h 34
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Oslo / Norway Scenic Roads → Hardanger Fjord and Waterfalls food stop
Slow enough to look. The surface follows the shoreline, so the corners arrive where the water decided, not where an engineer did. Water arrives beside the road and stays for 64 km. The line follows the shore because there is nowhere else for it to go.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 90 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Oslo / Norway Scenic Roads
It is the Toten plateau, a broad upland of fields, birch woods and low ridges where Norwegians grow much of their grain and potatoes, with the lake glinting below to the east. The small settlements of Reinsvoll and Lena are the nearest, and Gjøvik, the main town of the district, is a short ride north.
Read the complete Oslo / Norway Scenic Roads return write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Oslo / Norway Scenic Roads is where the day begins. Next is Food stop near Hønefoss.
2. Food stop near Hønefoss
Planning note
Food stop near Hønefoss is where this day stops to eat. Next is Photo stop near Sande.
3. Photo stop near Sande
Sande is where the inner Oslofjord pinches into a quiet bay, the Sandebukta, between Drammen and Holmestrand. The E18 thunders past it, and most traffic never slows down, but turn off and you find a gentle green landscape of farmland, low wooded ridges and small boat harbours, far softer than the fjord country further west that the bigger rides are heading for.
Read the complete Photo stop near Sande write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 197 km into the recorded legs you reach Photo stop near Sande. Next is Hardanger Fjord and Waterfalls checkpoint 8.
4. Near Nesoddtangen
Oslo's suburbs fade quickly here into forest, lakes and fjord. The point lies on the eastern side of the Bunnefjord, the inner arm of the Oslofjord, between Kolbotn and the Nesodden peninsula, an area of wooded hills, granite outcrops, small farms and houses painted in red, white and yellow. Nesoddtangen at the tip of the peninsula is linked to central Oslo by a ferry that crosses the fjord to Aker Brygge, and many locals commute by boat.
Read the complete Near Nesoddtangen write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Hardanger Fjord and Waterfalls checkpoint 8 closes the day. Next is High point near Askim.
5. High point near Askim
The Glomma, Norway's longest river, swings past Askim on its way to the sea, and the town grew up on the energy it provides. A large hydroelectric plant at Solbergfoss harnesses the river nearby, and in the twentieth century Askim became known for its rubber works, which turned out tyres and boots for half of Norway. Today it is the main town of the inland Østfold district, with a modern centre, schools and shops, surrounded by wide farmland, lakes and forested ridges.
Read the complete High point near Askim write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
High point near Askim sits at 238 km, late in the day. Next is Scenic stretch near Askim.
6. Scenic stretch near Askim
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete High point near Askim write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 356 km.
Leg by leg
Food stop near Hønefoss to Photo stop near Sande
Food stop near Hønefoss → Photo stop near Sande is 107 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Photo stop near Sande to Near Nesoddtangen
Photo stop near Sande → Near Nesoddtangen is 91 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
High point near Askim to Scenic stretch near Askim
High point near Askim → Scenic stretch near Askim is 12 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.