The walk out to the Stegastein cantilever
Saunders & Wilhelmsen's 30m pinewood-and-steel platform juts out 650m above the Aurlandsfjord; the floor angles down at the end so the railing disappears from view. Free, year-round.
Tied to Stegastein
The Stegastein viewpoint is a 30m pinewood-and-steel platform that cantilevers out 650m above the Aurlandsfjord — Todd Saunders and Tommie Wilhelmsen, completed 2006, part of the Norwegian Scenic Routes (Nasjonale Turistveger) program. The deck angles down toward the glass railing at the end, so the railing falls below the eyeline as you walk out. The optical effect is standing in the sky with nothing between you and the fjord.
The drive up is the Bjørgavegen — the old summer road from Aurland that climbs to roughly 1,300m through stone cairns and snow patches that linger into August. Late-July weather is generous with light but tightfisted with cloud; the view can disappear in minutes. Go on the way up if the sky is clear.
What we plan to do
Walk to the end of the deck and stand still for two minutes. Take one photograph. Drive back down before the cloud comes in.