Tuddalsvegen - Gaustatoppen

Road 651 Tuddalsvegen is a beautiful 52 km long mountain road between Rjukan and Saueland. You will experience the dark and steep valley of Rjukan. Climb the hairpins up towards Gaustatoppen. The snaky, narrow road over the wide open mountain plateau above the tree line and eventually the curvy road down through the woods towards Saueland.

In addition to admiring Gaustatoppen, why not plan a lunch at Tuddal Høyfjellshotell on the way down on the other side?

This road is a pleasure to ride slow and just let the varied terrain you are riding through sink in. In fact, you should combine this trip with some of the other sites and locations from my site.

What to do in the area

If you’re into hiking, the trip to Gaustatoppen is fairly easy. I brought a 6 and a 8 year old a couple of years ago. The track is 4.3 km one way. It’s not too steep, so you finish it in 2,5 to 3 hours. The view from the top is spectacular. In fact, on a clear day, you can see 1/6 of Norway from here! If you’re not into hiking, there is actually a lift inside the mountain, built by the military, but is now open to the public.

If you prefer history or museums, why not stop in Rjukan? Visit the UNESCO-listed museum Vemork and learn about the industrial development that happened in Rjukan and in Notodden.

Other nearby locations worth a visit, are the Telemark canal, the beautiful Dalen hotel and Heddal stave church.