A little surprise between Flam and Aurland: the world’s longest traffic tunnel.
When you live in a valley carved by glaciers millions of years ago, you have very few ways of dealing with the 1,500 to 2,000 mountains that surround you. Given how steep and rocky the landscape is, going over is not an option, and given the broad bases of these gigantic peaks, going around could take even longer.
So modern Norwegians go through, tunneling their way through miles and miles of solid rock. This two-lane traffic tunnel runs 25 kilometers (fifteen miles) between Flom and Aurland, taking twenty minutes to traverse.
You can pull over in several spots, including the bizarre blue-lit oases that pop up every five miles or so. So we stopped for photos, miles from open air and miles from open sky, the weight of the mountain bearing down on us.
I didn’t think I was claustrophobic, until about five miles in … and at that point, you’re committed.
Add comment