The Wilderness Route
National Cycle Route 9
The part of Norway kept out of sight from the tourist brochures. No fjords, glaciers, or instagrammable places. Just the birds, squirrels, and moose to keep you company through Norway’s vast eastern forests.
The Undiscovered Norway
Known as the wilderness route, this is certainly a part of Norway that few people get to experience. Ride from Halden in the South East of Norway near the Swedish border all the way to the historical city of Trondheim. The route is a dream for those who love to explore remote nature. Along the route, there are many shelters and cabins that are free and open for anyone to use. Some are part of the route, others require a small detour, but if you prefer to pitch a tent or sleep under the stars there is no shortage of great places to wild camp.
You will find that the route follows compacted gravel and paved roads with very little traffic – sometimes you will not see a car for hours. With only the sound of your own breath, the tires rolling over gravel and the wind whispering through the trees – this is bikepacking at its finest.
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Connecting Routes
The Pilgrim Route
This is less a bike route and more a journey into the past as you follow in the footsteps of Norway’s great Viking King Olaf II. The route takes you up the historic valley of Gudbrandsdalsleden and ends at the 1000-year-old Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim
- 798km
- <10% unpaved
- 5-13 days
- 5.5/10 difficulty
Follow the Viking King
Numedal & Mjølkevegen
If you want a mixture of forest and mountains, gravel and paved, warm and cold, and barren and lush then ride this one!
- 594m
- 40% unpaved
- 3-8 days
- 7/10 difficulty
Travel back in Time
Svinesund – Lindesnes
The southeast of Norway is the warmest and sunniest area of the country. It’s also reasonably flat along safe and quiet roads. If you’re looking for an introduction to Norway without too much hard work this is the perfect route to follow.
- 587km
- 10% unpaved
- 3-8 days
- 3/10 difficulty
Norway’s Riviera
