The scenic Dovre Railway connects two of
Norway's capital cities - the current capital, Oslo, and the
historic Viking capital, Trondheim. Nicknamed 'the trail of the
trolls', the railway runs on 553km of track, following a meandering
route through Norway's inland countryside to provide a fascinating
cross-section of scenery. Along its route the railway passes broad
farmlands, expansive lakes, babbling rivers, rich deep forests,
narrow valleys and high mountain passes, while providing a snapshot
of the country's fascinating floral and unique animal and bird
life.
After leaving Oslo heading north, the railway runs alongside
Mjosa, Norway's largest lake, before continuing to Lillehammer,
famously the host city for the 1994 Winter Olympics. As it
continues north, the Dovre Railway travels
through the valley of Gudbrandsdalen, which is known for its unique
landscape and vibrant local communities. The railway crosses Lägen,
one of Norway's' largest rivers, and passes Dombas, the connecting
station for the Rauma Railway, which is regarded as
Norway's most beautiful railway journey.
The train then reaches the highest point of the journey at
Hjerkinn, a small village and railway station in Dovre. During the
final stages of the journey the railway passes through the shadow
of Snøhetta, the highest mountain in the Dovrefjell at 2,280m.
Finally the railway line crosses over Gaula, a world-famous salmon
river, before reaching the beautiful city of Trondheim.