This journey along a route that has connected Norway between east and west for centuries includes Northern Europe's highest mountain pass, at 1 434 metres above sea level. The Sognefjell road starts in the lush cultural landscape of Bøverdalen valley in the east and crosses the mountain plateau, with panoramic views of glaciers and towering mountains, before descending through valleys to the inner reaches of the Sognefjord with their tranquil villages in the west. Travelling this route across the roof of Norway provides the opportunity to experience vast mountain expanses, dramatic fjords and valleys and a landscape brimming with cultural heritage sites. Lom stave church, one of the biggest and most beautiful stave churches in our country, is one of its many highlights. In a former era, this route was the main artery connecting the coast with the inland regions. The National Tourist Route Sognefjellet runs from Lom to Gaupne over a total distance of 108 kilometres (County Road 55). The mountain crossing is closed in the winter season; when it opens in early May, the road may be lined with banks of snow up to ten metres in height.