National Tourist Routes in Norway

National Tourist Routes (Norwegian: Nasjonale turistveger) are eighteen highways in Norway designated by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration for their picturesque scenery and tourist-friendly infrastructure, such as rest stops and viewpoints. The routes cover 1,850 kilometres (1,150 mi) and are located along the West Coast, in Northern Norway and in the mountains of Southern Norway. The authorities have coordinated the establishment of accommodation, cultural activities, dining, sale of local arts and crafts, and natural experiences along the tourist roads. The overall goal of the project is to increase tourism in the rural areas through which the roads run.

The project started in 1994 and was initially limited to Sognefjellsvegen, Gamle Strynefjellsveg, Hardanger and the Helgeland Coast Route. These were officially designated National Tourist Routes in 1997, and, the following year, the Storting decided to expand the project. Municipalities were asked to nominate roads, resulting in 52 nominees covering 8,000 kilometres (5,000 mi). Eighteen routes were selected in 2004, with the goal of completing the necessary upgrades and officially opening them as National Tourist Routes by 2015. The upgrades are estimated to cost 800 million Norwegian kroner (ca. €100 million). This includes building resting places, parking lots, viewpoints, and clearing vegetation. The Public Roads Administration's aim is that use of design will enhance the visitors' experience. While most of the architecture has been designed by young Norwegians, French-American Louise Bourgeois and Swiss Peter Zumthor have designed stops in Varanger and Ryfylke. Artworks have been installed at selected viewpoints, including one by American fine artist Mark Dion. All routes were signposted and officially designated by 2012. That year, the architecture magazine Topos awarded the project a special prize for its use of architecture, and particularly noted that it was a public-sector focus on aesthetic design.

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