Drammen Spiral

There are plenty of scenic roads that lead up mountains. What is decidedly less common is a road tunnel that ascends inside the mountain, such as the Drammen Spiral in Norway. Shaped like many parking garage ramps, it rises over 130 meters in a helix shape found nowhere else in the world. (Although there are other loop tunnels, none have two loops on top of each other, much less six!)

Capped at the top by a restaurant and viewpoint over Drammen, the Spiral is the vision of City Engineer Eivind Olsen, who was concerned about the environmental impact of quarrying in the area. He proposed the tunnel as an alternative means of acquiring stone while creating a tourist attraction in the process. Opened in 1961, the tunnel was more recently renovated in 2019-20, adding colorful lighting that changes throughout the day.

Halfway up the spiral, look out for a family of "Spiral trolls" constructed of wood and coiled rope. They are the mascots of the tunnel, which can be purchased as a souvenir doll.