Lysefjord and Suleskar
A 257 km loop
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Why this ride
Scenery first, traffic last, with checkpoints that make sense on a bike. A 257 km loop that starts and ends near Fagerstrand, about 5 h 21 of riding. It goes by way of in Røyken, Sandvika, Scenic stretch near Vik and near Grua. Much of it runs through woodland.
Roadbook
- Fuel stop near Fagerstrand
fuel
Fuel at 0 km.
- High point in Røyken
swim
High point in Røyken comes up 37 km in.
- Sandvika
finish
Sandvika is the centre of Bærum, the wealthy municipality on Oslo's western edge, and it is a curious mix of shopping mall, fjord town and transport hub. Its heart is the mouth of the Sandvikselva, a short river that tumbles down from the forest and meets the fjord among marinas, footbridges and new apartment blocks, and its biggest building is one of the largest shopping centres in Norway.
As the finish of a ride from the Lysefjord and Suleskar, it marks the end of a long journey. Those roads lie far to the south-west, near Stavanger: the Lysefjord with its sheer granite walls and the famous Pulpit Rock, and the mountain road over Suleskar, a wild, empty route through bare rock and lakes that is closed for much of the year because of snow. Coming back across southern Norway takes the better part of a day, through Setesdal or Telemark, and arriving in Sandvika feels like returning to civilisation.
There are pleasant surprises nearby. Just south, the island of Kalvøya, linked by a bridge, is a green recreation area with beaches, meadows and paths, where Oslo families come to swim and picnic in summer; in the 1970s and 80s it hosted a famous rock festival. A little further along the shore, at Høvikodden, the Henie Onstad Art Centre was founded by the figure skater Sonja Henie and her husband Niels Onstad, and its collection of modern art and its sculpture park on the edge of the fjord are worth a visit if you have time.
The riding here is mostly urban. The E18 runs right past Sandvika, a busy motorway with tunnels and junctions, and the local roads have traffic lights and roundabouts. In the hills above, though, the roads into the Bærum forest, the Marka, climb through spruce and birch to lakes and farms, with quiet curves and views back over the fjord. Watch for cyclists and skiers, depending on the season.
Sandvika has everything you could need: fuel, food, shops and good trains and buses into Oslo. Grab something to eat, walk down to the river mouth and watch the boats in the marina, and let the long journey from the west settle into memory.
- Scenic stretch near Vik
swim
Scenic stretch near Vik, about halfway.
- Photo stop near Grua
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Photo stop near Grua sits at 147 km, about halfway.
- Near Aursmoen, on the way back
swim
East of Oslo, towards the Swedish border, the land flattens into a quiet country of spruce forest, bogs, small farms and lakes, and Aurskog-Høland is one of its largest municipalities. Aursmoen and Bjørkelangen are its main villages, each with a few thousand people, a church, a supermarket and a petrol station, and between them lie long roads through the woods where you may not meet another vehicle for minutes at a time.
The lakes are the attraction on a hot day. Bjørkelangen sits beside a lake of the same name, and there are many others scattered through the forest, from small ponds to long, narrow waters like Rømsjøen near the border. Most have a small beach or a wooden jetty used by locals, and the water, dark from the peat, warms up surprisingly well in July. Expect mosquitoes in the evening, and bring repellent.
This part of Norway has a quiet history. The narrow-gauge railway called Tertitten, the Urskog-Høland line, once carried timber and passengers through these forests; a short section near Sørumsand is now a museum railway, with old steam engines running on summer Sundays. The rivers that drain this land flow into the Glomma, Norway's longest river, and at Fetsund, west of here, the old timber booms, where floating logs were sorted and bundled, are preserved as a museum, the last of their kind in the country.
The roads are easy riding, with gentle curves, long straights and good surfaces, though there are also gravel roads deep in the forest. Watch for moose and deer, especially at dawn and dusk, and for tractors and logging trucks. Speed limits are low and enforced. It is not dramatic scenery, but it has a peaceful beauty, with the smell of pine and the light falling through the trees.
Aursmoen and Bjørkelangen have fuel, supermarkets and cafés, and Fetsund, about nineteen kilometres away, is the nearest larger place. Stop at a lake, take a swim, buy something sweet from the bakery and let the forest quiet settle over you.
- Food stop near Aursmoen
food
A break here at 220 km.
- Back to Lysefjord
finish
The Oslofjord narrows here, and the town to know is Drøbak, about ten kilometres away on the eastern shore. It is a long way from the real Lysefjord in Rogaland, but it has its own claim to a place in history.
On the night of 8 to 9 April 1940, the German heavy cruiser Blücher led an invasion fleet up the Oslofjord towards the capital. At Oscarsborg, a small island fortress in the narrows, old guns and torpedoes sank her, and the delay gave the Norwegian king, government and gold reserves time to leave Oslo. That is why the little fortress is treated with reverence. The fortress is open to visitors in summer, reached by a short boat from Drøbak, and the wreck of the ship is still on the bottom.
Drøbak itself is a delight, with a few thousand inhabitants in a tight huddle of white wooden houses, narrow lanes and a small harbour. It has long marketed itself as the Christmas town, and a year-round Christmas shop runs there, which sounds kitsch but is charming in the right mood. Walk along the waterfront, have a waffle, and look out at the island fortress, which sits in the water like a stone ship.
For riding, the roads down the east side of the fjord are good, with moderate bends, wooded hills and views of the water. They are not demanding, but they are pleasant, particularly outside rush hour, and a ride along the old road through the little villages is better than the motorway. Speed cameras are plentiful. The area is popular with cyclists on weekends, so give them room.
Fuel is available in Drøbak and in Nesoddtangen, though the larger choice is in Ski or Asker. Cafes at Drøbak are good for lunch, and the evenings in summer are long and light.
Visit on a calm morning in June or September, when the fjord is a sheet of silver and the traffic is light, and look for the island at the narrowest point.