The Longest Tunnel in the World
Norway is the longest country in Europe — nearly every Norwegian I meet proudly boasts that if Norway were a long wooden board and Oslo the nail it hinged on, you could swing the country around and it would reach all the way to Sicily in southern Italy.
But that’s not nearly the half of it. Norway’s length comes nowhere close to the country’s complexity — especially the way that fjords, glaciers, and very steep mountains create a kind of beautiful topographical maze that travelers must carefully navigate in order to get from A to B.
In other words, Norway is not Kansas —you can’t just drive across it. Some days, roads are closed by four-story-high snowdrifts, and on most days, there’s a mountain in the way or a fjord to cross or go around. If you were to unravel Norway’s bundled-up coastline, it would reach more than 25,000 km (15,625 miles) in length.
For a very long time, the reality of Norway’s intricate geography meant a life of isolation for so many Norwegians — during the long winter months, farmers and fisherman were cut off from the world by snow and ice. Neighbors may live less than a mile from one another, but on opposite sides of the fjord or mountain, that’s a world apart. In some ways, before Norway’s extensive network of roads, bridges, and tunnels was completed, the west coast of Norway (namely Bergen) had closer ties with the outside world than their own capital, Oslo.
This “isolation nation” is one major reason why Norway has so many distinct dialects. People living in different valleys and fjords were sequestered long enough to develop their own way of speaking. It also contributed to Norway’s tunnel-digging craze.
Nobody builds tunnels the way the Norwegians do. If there’s a rock they can dig through, they will, and it makes driving through the country much more exciting than simply rounding a bend. Once while driving through the western fjords of Norway, I counted myself driving through 39 tunnels in the space of 90 minutes. Seriously.
The longest of these engineering phenomena is the Lærdal Tunnel (Lærdalstunnelen), spanning the mountain between the tiny villages of Lærdal and Aurland but fundamentally linking Bergen and Oslo.
At 24.5 km (15.23 miles) long, the Lærdal Tunnel is the longest road tunnel in the world, meaning it’s the longest tunnel that you can drive through. At 57 km (35.4 miles), the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland now holds the title for longest tunnel in the world (used only by trains), and last September, I rode through the Seikan Tunnel in Japan, which is the longest undersea tunnel in the world.
It took me over twenty minutes to drive from one end of the Lærdal Tunnel to the other, and traveling through it evoked a strange emotion to know that I was zipping beneath one of Norway’s massive stone mountains.
Speeding through the dark for such a long time might be unnerving for some travelers, but rest assured, the Lærdal Tunnel is one of the safest in the world, with a high-tech ventilation system, safety stations with emergency equipment and call boxes, and several man-made caves that are lit with colored lights. There are even regular parking bays inside the tunnel where you can pull over should you need to.
I shot this video from the hood of my car in order to show you the full length of the tunnel, but for the sake of your time, I’ve sped it up by 800%.
That way you can experience the longest tunnel in the world in the longest country in Europe in the shortest amount of time.
Related Topics
Go Further
Animals
- Orangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first timeOrangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first time
- What La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planetsWhat La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planets
- This fungus turns cicadas into zombies who procreate—then dieThis fungus turns cicadas into zombies who procreate—then die
- How can we protect grizzlies from their biggest threat—trains?How can we protect grizzlies from their biggest threat—trains?
- This ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thoughtThis ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thought
Environment
- What La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planetsWhat La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planets
- How fungi form ‘fairy rings’ and inspire superstitionsHow fungi form ‘fairy rings’ and inspire superstitions
- Your favorite foods may not taste the same in the future. Here's why.Your favorite foods may not taste the same in the future. Here's why.
- Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?
- The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?
History & Culture
- Meet the ruthless king who unified the Kingdom of Hawai'iMeet the ruthless king who unified the Kingdom of Hawai'i
- Hawaii's Lei Day is about so much more than flowersHawaii's Lei Day is about so much more than flowers
- When treasure hunters find artifacts, who gets to keep them?When treasure hunters find artifacts, who gets to keep them?
Science
- Why ovaries are so crucial to women’s health and longevityWhy ovaries are so crucial to women’s health and longevity
- Orangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first timeOrangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first time
- Should you be concerned about bird flu in your milk?Should you be concerned about bird flu in your milk?
Travel
- On this Croatian peninsula, traditions are securing locals' futuresOn this Croatian peninsula, traditions are securing locals' futures
- Are Italy's 'problem bears' a danger to travellers?Are Italy's 'problem bears' a danger to travellers?
- How to navigate Nantes’ arts and culture scene
- Paid Content
How to navigate Nantes’ arts and culture scene