Although situated in one of the most scenic regions in Norway, Andalsnes itself is rather banal. That's because the invading Nazis in 1940 bombed it out of existence. The king and his family used Andalsnes as their exit route in their dramatic escape from Norway, following the German invasion of their borders. The royals made it, but Andalsnes was left to pay the price. The town today is modern, and all too ready to forget the period when it was used as a military base for the Nazis.
Attractions
Andalsnes is the starting point for one of the great motor drives in Norway: the Trollstigvegen, a 2-hour drive along Route 63 south to Geiranger. The highway climbs to 620m (2,034 ft.) over a distance of 8km (5 miles). The Orneveien or "Eagle's Road" down to Geiranger was a marvel of Norwegian engineering upon its completion in 1952.
Currency
The local currency is the krone.