This Norwegian toilet on a scenic driving route is its own attraction

A road trip is a great way to see some incredible scenery, but a new rest area in Norway is hoping to make a pit stop an incredible experience in itself.

The new toilet facility and viewing terrace are located along the Norwegian Scenic Route Helgelandskysten, which takes travellers 433 kilometres across the country between Holm and Godøystraumen. Travellers stopping at Ureddplassen near Gildeskål in the northern part of the country can make the most of what could have been a simple bathroom break. While you enter the concrete and glass wave-shaped toilet, your fellow travellers explore an amazing viewing terrace and amphitheatre that looks out over the sea.

According to Norwegian Scenic Routes, the area is popular with locals and tourists and is a great place to admire the Northern Lights in the winter and the midnight sun in summertime – both of which can now be enjoyed from the viewing point. The amphitheatre takes visitors down steps towards the beach, where they can experience the wonders of Norway, away from the noise of traffic. The rest area was designed by by Inge Dahlman/LANDSKAPSFABRIKKEN AS, while the toilet building was designed by the architects Haugen/Zohar.

Norway has 18 scenic routes that are designed to help people explore the country by road, and this is not the first time the Norwegian Public Roads Administration has created toilet facilities that are about much more than just function. A toilet on the country’s Aurlandsfjellet scenic route was named the world’s best public toilet in 2015 by DesignCurial, for its similar emphasis on turning a pit stop into a chance to admire the dramatic scenery.

But Norway’s not the only country to dream up a fancy bathroom – check out some of the most extraordinary toilets around the world.