The Geirangerfjord, one of Norway’s main attractions

The Geirangerfjord is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal County in Western Norway. It is often referred to as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Norwegian fjords, surrounded by a fairytale landscape with majestic, snow-covered mountaintops, beautiful, wild waterfalls, lush vegetation, and the deep, blue fjord itself.

Geiranger is a small tourist village at the end of the fjord. The area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005 and Lonely Planet named it the best travel destination in Scandinavia. Several hundred thousand people pass through every summer, and tourism is the main business for the 250 permanent residents who live in the area. The tourist season stretches from May to early September.

The Geirangerfjord is home to several famous waterfalls: Brudesløret (the Bridal Veil) is possibly the most famous waterfall in Norway. It tumbles down into Geirangerfjorden just west of De syv søstrene (the Seven Sisters) waterfall. De syv søstrene is one of the most photographed waterfalls in Geirangerfjorden. As its name implies, it consists of seven waterfalls that thunder down the mountainside, just next to the abandoned farm of Knivsflå. Frieren (the Suitor) waterfall lies across the fjord from De syv søstrene waterfall. It is not particularly high, but splits into two as it tumbles down the mountainside, exposing bare rock between the two streams and making the waterfall resemble a bottle.

The Eagle’s Bend is the name of the steepest stretch of road that runs up the mountainside from Geiranger towards Eidsdal on route 63. The road twists around 11 hairpin bends from the Geirangerfjord up to the highest point, 2,034 feet above sea level at Korsmyra. Flydalsjuvet offers an impressive view and is a great place to snap pictures of Geiranger and Geirangerfjorden.

History

During the last ice age, ice covered all of Norway. It pushed the land mass, carved out valleys, and shaped the fjords. When the ice retreated, a new landscape emerged. In Geiranger, the water level was about 295 feet higher than current levels. Today, the Geirangerfjord is about 985 feet deep. That is almost as deep as the surrounding landscape is high.

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Photo: Agurtxane Concellon / Hurtigruten, Hurtigruten and Agurtxane Concellon / Hurtigruten