Scandinavia… Not a country, but a beautiful area. Scandinavia is the collective name for the following Northern countries; Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Looking at history, Finland and Iceland also belong to Scandinavia: according to the Norwegian council, they also belong. All in all, Scandinavia is huge (more than a million square kilometers), while about 24 million people live there. For comparison; The Netherlands is more than 41,000 square kilometers with about 17 million inhabitants.

Of all western European countries, the Scandinavian countries probably have the most more or less untouched nature. In addition, they are countries that are easily accessible from the Netherlands. Norway is characterized by, among other things, the fjords and the Trollstigen, known to many motorcyclists. And where Sweden is known as wide and relaxing, everyone knows Finland as the land of 1000 lakes. All in all, legitimate reasons to traverse this beautiful nature in the north of Europe by means of a number of routes.

The route starts in Alingsås, lying northeast of Gothenburg. When you have almost left this place behind you will pass a gas station and an adjacent supermarket. If you want, you can stock up on some food and drinks for the road. If necessary, you can also fill up the tank at the gas station.
After this you really go on your way, further towards the far north. The route is not very long, you have enough time along the way to look at the sights. Take advantage of that, Sweden (and later Norway) are not only a pleasure to drive, but also to 'sniff culture' and take in the environment well.

After 10 kilometers you will already arrive at the first point where you can take a look, the Brobacka Nature Reserve. This area consists of a pit area of glacial origin. The pits are formed on the east side of a narrow, rocky gorge between the lakes Anten and Mjörn. You can park at the indicated spot, then continue on foot for a few impressive photos.

Barely stepped on again, around the corner from the nature reserve you will find the next place for some nice photos: Anten-Gräfsnäs Järnväg (Anten-Gräfsnäs railway). This is a museum gate line from Anten to Gräfsnäs. Old trains are used, including a steam locomotive from 1911. It is wonderful to see how they are turned with pure manpower on a large plateau to change tracks. Whether you are going to make the journey over the 12 kilometer long railway is of course up to you, but it is always nice to view and photograph the old trains.

On the north coast of the Antenmeer you will pass the Gräfsnäs castle ruins. This castle, or rather a defensive castle, was originally located on the island of Loholmen in Lake Anten and was the ancestral home of the Leijonhufvud family. The castle probably dates back to around the 14th century. Archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of a 200 meter long bridge leading to the castle and dates back to the year 1301. Detail is that the castle burned down three times in its existence, at intervals of exactly 100 years.
The parks around the ruin are of historical value and really beautifully landscaped. Be amazed by its beauty during the walk to the ruin.

After the coffee break in Vänersborg you continue through a beautiful green area on beautiful main roads. They are not really busy. After three stops within 25 kilometers, it is now time to make some kilometers, you still have to go a bit to the end. Don't forget to stop every now and then, there are so many beautiful things to see in Scandinavian nature. The varied landscape means that you will not get bored on the sometimes best along straights. But for a while the road winds through the meadows again, so plenty of variety!

In the town of Ed, located between the two lakes, you will find Ed's MC and motorcycle museum. The museum is located in 'The Galleria', with an area of 1000 square meters, in the basement under the grocery store 'Willys hemma' in downtown Ed.
The collection includes classic motorcycles, boat engines, model airplanes, radios, sewing machines, etc. There are about 150 bicycles on display, including a complete range of Swedish Rexes from 1923-1953 and the 1927 EBE which was manufactured in the town of Åmål, 35 miles east of Ed.
You can combine your visit with a lunch in one of the restaurants in the area, for example at Hotel Carl XII 100 meters away.

After lunch, turn off just outside Ed and turn onto the O2183. Get your chest wet from this point on: 45 kilometers of great driving pleasure. Beautiful surroundings, tight asphalt, wonderful curves, what more could you want. Yes, a little sun would be nice, then it is complete.
You would almost forget that you have to stop every now and then at one of the beautiful lakes you pass, they are so wonderfully relaxing! There are two points where you can enjoy all that beauty, but there are many more places where you can stop for a photo.

After driving more than 30 kilometers on the O2183 you will arrive at the border and exchange Sweden for Norway. It's a good thing there is a sign with 'Riksgräns Norge' on it, otherwise you would probably not have noticed that you are on Norwegian territory from here. The next more than 2250 kilometers will not change that and in those 2250 kilometers you will see a lot of beautiful things.

Also on the Norwegian side of the border it is certainly not a punishment to drive the first 20 kilometers, the start is good in any case. After the exit to the right, don't forget to stop at the bridge over the water. Beautiful piece of nature!

About ten kilometers after the refueling stop you arrive at Strømsfoss mølle (the mill of Strømsfoss). It was the canal builder Engebret Soot who built the first mill in Strømsfoss and founded a sawmill, brick factory, dye house and tannery there. Later, Even Soot (son of Engebret) established a nail forge on the south side of the waterfall. The first mill at the waterfall burned down in 1846. Later, two mills were built in the area that also burned down. The current mill was built in 1897 by Einar Haneborg. The drive in the mill consisted of 6 smaller water wheels, one for each mill. The construction mill was constantly being modernized. In 1951 it was among other things added a floor. The mill was in operation until 1966. Whether you visit the mill or not, it is fun to walk around here, look and of course take a few pictures.

The part of the route after the Strømsfoss mølle is again delicious. Wonderfully quiet road with nice curves and beautiful asphalt through still beautiful surroundings. Far too quickly to your liking, you drive into Ørje for the coffee break. Fortunately, the location makes up for a lot, just enjoy a cup of coffee by the water.

After the coffee break, no more sights on the route, although of course there are still beautiful surroundings to see around you. Of course you should still enjoy that. And you never tire of photos, so stop regularly for that.

Just behind Mysen you come to the end of the route, the Scandic Brennemoen hotel. The hotel is located just outside the city, but has all mod cons, including free wifi, a restaurant and a bar. So once you have settled in the hotel, you can relive the route with your fellow travelers while enjoying a beer during the debriefing.
For campers, three campsites are indicated in the vicinity of the end point: Ramstadkrysset Camping, Olberg Camping and Rakkestad-Vika Camping.

Have fun driving this route!