The record-union., 1893-11-18
Special Correspondence OF the RECORD
UNION Copyright 1891

Special Correspondence Of the RECORD
UNION. Copyright 1881
LONDON, November 2, 1893.
Travel in Norway has some unusual
and many exceedingly interesting phases.
1t was a surprising thing to learn that
more than one hundred thousand tourists
now visit this northern land every sum-
mer. The country possesses compara-
lively few miles Of railway. Conse-
ouently all routes of travel are practi-
caIly by highways and waterways. More
than a quarter Of q century since it was
seen that tourists, and particularly Euro
pean tourists, in search of scenic marvels,
were tiring of Switzerland, were turning
their faces towards the midnight sun,
and were even penetrating to the most
remote fields and giacier-helds. Norway
Immediately set about making travel
within her rugged boundaries not only
possible to all by extensive road build
ing, but systematic and reliable as be-
tween all carriers and landlords and the
tourist pu blic
This road building, involving enor-
nous expense and many splendid featS
OF engineering, has had much the same
effect upon the people OF Norway as in
Austrian GalIcla. Not so many years
ago Austria built nearly 1900 miles of
stone highway up and down and from
end to end of Galicia, or Austrian-P Z GLAND.
Previous TO that time, materially, a no
more wretched, God-lorsaken land eX-
listed on the face of the earth. In less
than ten years time these roads did more
for the 100000 people Of Austrian-Po-
.f,lr .Tal nF
than all the churches, all the books, all
The newspapers, all the battles, all the
railways, and all the governments had
ever accomplished for them from the days
of MiecZyslaW and Boleslas to the day
these roads were done.
The isolation Of the Norwegian peas
antry was never SO universal as that OF
the Austrio-Polish peasantry. They have
ever had their many and mighty nordS,
while a seLni-seafaring life always pro-
vided diversified resources and the bene-
fetal friction of change. And yet until
this road building on mighty scale was
begun, 1t often happened that the peasant
folk OF one hamlet or of valley dis
trict, were as remote from those of an
other dal not ten miles distant, where
totally different resources were relied
upon and wholly different traditions and
customs were in vogue, as though the
Tatras or Atlas Mountains stood be-
tween.
This later almost universal means of
intercommunication over these grand
stone roads, and the roads combined with
the hords, has made Norwegian folk
more homogeneous, developed the scanty
resources OF this stern north land, and
more than all tensifed the traditional
longingS of these fine and sturdy folk for
complete national liberty and independ
ence. Combined with the surprising
scenery and interesting peasant life, 1t
also brings millions OF dollars TO Nor
way each year, distributed in city, ham
let, station" and even in lonely mount
ain saeter by vast horde of tourists,
whose methods OF travel over mount
ain, through valley and over ford are
alone most interesting subject of study.
The grand Norwegian roads, while they
are more numerous and expenslvely built
IN proportion to population, than those Of
any other European country, have not
that peculiar sentimental interest attach
ing to the highways of many other Euro
pean regions, and to be found in all the
Latin countries. They possess no road
side shrines, nor are lowly pilgrim bands
ever seen upon them. The pilgrimageS
here are all to natures mighty shrines.
Three examples viii indicate their stu
pendous character and added impressive
ness from winding along, or within some
Of the most beautiful and majestic scenery
all Europe affords.
The Drammens Vel (or DRAINS Way,
because built from the revenues from
liquor icenses) of Bergen is one of the
finest roadways in the world. 1t is cut
out of the sides of the mighty FloitJeld
rising above the city Five tremendous
bends are required to reach the summit.
For its entire distance, where not blasted
from the solid rock, the bed consists first
of heavy powders, then huge slabs of
granite, and finally a thick covering of
cement and gravel. The escarped sides
are Of solid masonry, often twenty, thirty
and fifty feet high along their facades, to
secure sufficient roadbed above, and the
outel edges of nearly the entire Vel are
protected by huge pointed rocks set up
right at regular intervals. The outlook
from any OF its bends. comprising the
red-roofed city, the frozen nights to the
north, the bay, the seaward countless
islands and the thunderous ocean beyond,
is not surpassed in Europe
Near BJerkager, In the Trondhjem Dis
trlct, Is another wonderful roadway. For
its entire length of several miles it has
been blasted from solid rock. The neces-
sary dislodgements were often so great
as to give the appearance of some mighty
cOnvulslon OF nature. The steep mount
ain slope rises thousands of feet above
you to the one side, while below you, at
the other, is tremendous gorge, nearly
a thousand feet in depth, with wild
torrent raving and bowling on its way TO
the distant ford. AT the outer bends
of the road overlooking the gorge and
torrent, the scenery is indescribably SOM
ber and grand. Huge upright masses Of
rock are set in masonry along the outer
edge And 1t is along such gruesome
ways as these that the little Norwegian
ponies clatter at break-neck speed as
you breathlessly cling TO your rickety
carrlole.
T,oeoa,,lipor from, +bo ,,,,1o,,l .;,7o f.,,,,
Nossevangen, through the famous Naro-
dal to Gudvangen, the last few miles of
your journey, will bring you to still
greater com blned marvel OF road build
ing and magnificent scenery. The head
OF the valley Is walled by mountain
masses about two thousand feet high.
From this altitude mountain tops OF tive
and six thousand feet high are reached
by gentle slopes. The great cliff or klev.
called here the StalheIm, is the head OF
the ehasm or valley gorge which finally
opens out upon Gudvangen and the Nae
rofJord, the famous SOmber branch of the
Sogne. The lower level of this chasm is
reached by splenGid feat of engineering.
The road is carried en- echette down the
face OF the cliff from hight OF / 900 feet
IN twenty-slN zig gag angles of wide and
easy sweep at the angles of return. As
each corner OF this road is rounded there is
alternate view not only of the grand defile
and snow-capped mountains behind and
above, but OF those famous waterfalls,
the Stalheimfos and the Silvefos, the for
mer falling without a break Tor over
1000 feet. and the latter for a tumble of
nearly the same distance When Won
have reached the bottom of the Stalheim
gorge, enormous cone of gray felspar. the
phantom-like Jordalsnyt. lifts its cowled
head 1900 feet into the cloud-mists far
above.
The universal mode OF travel along
4Iosa NorpraeiaI1 roads is hv 20 rriolo IT.