The North Sea Cycle Path from Bergen to Kristiansand
Road Cycling Collection by komoot
8
days
2-6 h
/ day
436 mi
27,625 ft
27,650 ft
The North Sea Cycle Route winds over 6,000 km (3,700 miles), taking you from Norway to the UK via Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The most demanding part is the one along the Norwegian coast. Less rugged than the interior of the country, the southern coast is characterized by its unique landscape, with sheer, craggy drops and numerous secluded, elegant bays. Cutting up the coast are many bursts of gentle, hilly landscapes with long straights, as well as the odd segment with some neat altitude. Do you think this sounds like a route that was tailored for you and your road bike? Be warned: These wonderful tourist routes aren’t all designed for narrow tires and sporty riders, which means you may have to adjust the route from time to time for a smooth road bike adventure.
That’s why we created eight road bike-tested stages from Bergen to Kristiansand following the North Sea Cycle Route. These offer the perfect mix of hard mountain stages that take you approximately 100 km (62 miles) and up over 1,000 meters (3,200 ft) of elevation, as well as some loose, relaxing stages of up to 60 km (37 miles) in length. And so you can recharge between demanding stages and reenergize for the next day, you can easily find a campsite or B&B in one of the quiet harbor cities.
On The Map
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Last updated: January 24, 2022
Plan your own version of this adventure in the multi-day planner based on the stages suggested in this Collection.
Tours & Highlights
- Expert06:0439.0 mi6.4 mph1,400 ft1,375 ftFerryExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The Tour includes a crossing by ferry.
Norway's second largest city offers a nice starting point for your trip. Before the first leg starts, you can top up your reserves, buy missing equipment or enjoy a tasty fish specialty on the market.
From Bergen, the official North Sea Cycle Route begins, signposted by a red or green one. You will encounter…
by komoot
- Expert05:4960.4 mi10.4 mph3,025 ft3,050 ftFerryExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may be unpaved and difficult to ride. The Tour includes a crossing by ferry.
The second stage is more relaxed. The two sleepy fishing islands of Stord and Bømlo are almost free tourists. Gently, one hill connects to the other. The typical norwegian narrow and perfectly paved roads meander along forests and sometimes along the Atlantic Ocean. Both your thighs and your optic nerve…
by komoot
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- Expert05:47115 mi19.9 mph6,700 ft6,700 ftFerryExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The Tour includes a crossing by ferry.
Today you spend almost a third of your tour on ferries. It is therefore advisable to leave early and keep an eye on the departure times of the ferries. The first 50 kilometers to Nedstrand are a constant up and down. Then you can relax wonderfully on the ferry to Judaberg. When you arrive in Eidsund…
by komoot
- Intermediate03:5455.4 mi14.2 mph2,100 ft2,125 ftIntermediate road ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may be unpaved and difficult to ride.
The stage starts enstpannt. The landscape behind Stavanger is so flat that you could almost mistake it for Denmark. The wind blows accordingly on the coast!
Shortly before Egersund begins the millions of years old Magma National Park. This changes the landscape abruptly and gives a foretaste of tomorrow…
by komoot
- Expert03:3040.3 mi11.5 mph4,000 ft4,000 ftExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may be unpaved and difficult to ride.
This will be the queen stage of your trip! The stretch between Egersund and Flekkefjord is the hardest stretch on the entire North Sea Cycle Route. No wonder, you also cross the Magmapark!
There are four mountains waiting for you, each with a diameter of about 200 meters over a few kilometers. It is a…
by komoot
- Expert04:1643.3 mi10.1 mph4,325 ft4,300 ftExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
After the queen stage is a bit calmer day.
To cross the Fedafjord, take a small detour via Kvinesdal, as the E39 with several longer sections of the tunnel would be too dangerous to cycle on.
You will be rewarded with a beautiful view over the fjord and a decent ramp back into the interior. On the island…
by komoot
- Expert04:4455.0 mi11.6 mph4,350 ft4,325 ftExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may be unpaved and difficult to ride.
Slowly you reach the touristically well-developed South Coast region. Here, the traffic slowly increases and you will encounter many campers.
Hard is the section between Lygndal and Spangereid. The highlight of the day is definitely the oldest and southernmost lighthouse in Norway.
by komoot
- Intermediate02:0327.3 mi13.4 mph1,750 ft1,775 ftIntermediate road ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may be unpaved and difficult to ride.
On the last stage you can relax. After seven challenging days, the last few kilometers roll themselves by themselves. In Kristiansand you can decide: Back home or maybe by ferry to Hirthals?
In Denmark, the North Sea Cycle Route continues.
by komoot
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Collection Stats
- Tours8
- Distance436 mi
- Duration36:08 h
- Elevation27,625 ft27,650 ft
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