Laerdal Tunnel: The World’s Longest Road Tunnel

It is practically impossible in Norway to drive from one place to another without making a mountain crossing or riding on a ferry across a fjord. Those who’ve travelled Norway knows, how the beautiful country this is, but its complex geography created by a maze of fjords, glaciers, and mountains meant that several Norwegian communities remain isolated from one each other during the long winter months. Amazingly neighbors may live less than a mile from each other, but on opposite sides of the fjord or mountain, and that’s a world apart. That was before Norway started building an extensive network of tunnels. Therefore, if a mountain stands on the way, they will start to drill through it. A fjord is too long to build a bridge? Then Go under? You know, Tunnels make driving through the country much easier than taking circuitous routes along mountains or ferry hopping.

There’re more than 900 road tunnels in Norway with total length surpassing 750 km, and at least 33 undersea tunnels. According to some sources, the numbers are even higher above one thousand. For a country the size of Norway, that’s an awfully too many tunnels. However the longest of these engineering phenomena is the Lærdal Tunnel. The Laerdal Tunnel is around 24.5km long road tunnel, the longest in the world, connecting the villages of Lærdal and Aurland, but basically linking the capital of Oslo to Bergen and the country’s second-largest city of Bergen. You can easily said the records straight, Laerdal Tunnel is the longest “road” tunnel. The true longest tunnel is the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland at 57 km, but it’s used only by trains.

In 1992, the government decided to build the Laerdal Tunnel, whey realized that a reliable all-weather snow-free, fjord-free land connection was needed between the two cities. The tunnel, which is one of many that lies along the European Route E16, lets uninhibited flow of traffic while preserving the alpine environment of the region. One of the major challenges faced by the engineers was how to keep drivers alert through the 20-minute-long monotonous drive. This was indeed very vital for drivers, who could lose concentration leading to accidents. To break the monotony occasional slight curves were included between straight stretches of the road, and at every 6 km interval is a large cavern. The caves are meant to break the routine, providing a refreshing view and allowing drivers to take a short rest. The caverns are also used as turnaround points and for break areas to help lift claustrophobia.

Moreover a very special attention has been given to the lighting, and only white light is used in the tunnel itself, the mountain caves are equipped with blue and yellow light which gives one the illusion of driving into daylight every 6 kilometers, and the golden light along the floor gives the illusion of sunrise. Hence to keep the car driver from being inattentive or falling asleep, therefore causing head-on collisions, each lane is supplied with a loud rumble strip toward the center. Well, another major concern is proper ventilation. High air quality in the tunnel is achieved in two ways, by ventilation and purification. Very big fans draw air in from both entrances, and polluted air is expelled through a single ventilation tunnel located 18kilometers from the Aurland end of the tunnel. The Lærdal Tunnel is the first in the world to be equipped with an air treatment plant, situated in a 100-meter cavern 9.5 kilometers from Aurland that removes both dust and nitrogen dioxide from the tunnel air.

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Amazing Penthouse Located at the Top of a Historic Ski Jump in Norway

This historic ski jump will soon be serving overnight visitors reaching new heights with an astonishing, modernized penthouse apartment that is suspended around 200 feet in the air. The lofty living space at the top of the Holmenkollen competitive arena in Norway was before a waiting room for the participants of 1952 Winter Olympics. Now it has been emerged in an apartment set to open at the end of March. Therefore adventure lovers and ski passionate can relish the remarkable vantage point overlooking snowcapped mountains with all the comforts of home. Hence from the rooftop terrace, visitors can even take glimpses of the “Northern Lights” on a clear night. Moreover the lodging company AirBnB commissioned the project as part of a promotional contest, in which the company will give away the first night’s stay to the winner of an essay competition. The progressively popular website that coordinates “places to stay from local hosts in 190+ countries” is famous for providing accommodations in strange venues.Without any doubt the ski jump lodge ranks among the most exclusive. The apartment’s webpage amusingly advises would-be guests, “Please do not apply if you are scared of heights.”

Geirangerfjord, in Norway

You know, there’re two most popular waterfalls in the Geirangerfjord, which’re Seven Sisters and the Suitor. Most of the inhabitants are engaged with tourism and the area populations are around 240 in Geiranger. The area is widespread tourist spot, and more than 700,000 visitors pay the visit every year. The surrounded village is cover by steep mountains on either side of the fjord that made one of great tourist destination. 

In Geiranger a comfortable sightseeing boat takes you a fjord cruise in one and half hour, bringing you close to the cascading waterfalls, tall mountains, and abandoned mountain farms. Moreover the fjord has several stunning waterfalls, but most prominent waterfall is Geirangerfjord are De Syv Søstre(the seven sisters) and Friaren (the suitor or 'the Wooer'). But make sure, two beautiful waterfalls facing each other across the fjord, and the suitor is opposite to seven sisters. However; Seven Sisters are famous as Knivsflåfossen is the 39th tallest waterfall in Norway. The impressive waterfall consists of seven separate streams, and it is situated along the Geirangerfjord in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Geirangerfjord is recognized as the real jewel of the Norwegian fjords, with its characteristic “S” shape, high waterfalls and uninhibited mountain farms, the fjord landscape unspoiled and beautiful nature and cultural experiences the whole year round.

The waterfall is located just south of the historic Knivsflå farm, across the fjord from the old Skageflå farm. The falls are about 6.5 kilometers west of the village of Geiranger. However the tallest of the seven has a free fall that measures 820 feet. Although the legend of the seven sisters is that they dance playfully down the mountain, while a single waterfall opposite the seven sisters very much famous as the Courter, or Suitor, a male onlooker flirts playfully from across the fjord. 

It is a enchanted landscape with its imposing, snow-covered mountain tops, wild and lovely waterfalls, lush green vegetation and the deep, blue fjord,. In Norwegian, 'The Suitor' is Friaren" awesome side view of this famous, foaming waterfall, as plunges into the fjord from the piercing peaks, of the steepest and most outrageous mountains on the whole west coast, wetting the pictorial small tour boat at the fall base. The magnificent view of the fjord, actually a UNESCO's World Heritage site, that hosts a few very inspiring waterfalls, will be forever burned into your memory.