Lygnstoylvatnet

In 1908 a rockslide came down the side of Norangsdalen and blocked the river, and the water backed up over the valley floor, drowning the summer farm at Lygnstoyl along with the road and its stone bridge. The lake that formed is shallow and exceptionally clear, and the submerged structures are still there: dry stone walls, the line of the old road, and the bridge arch, all visible from the shore on a calm day and popular with divers and snorkellers in summer. New scree from the same slopes continues to reshape the valley. The lake sits directly beside the current road with a small parking area, so seeing it takes minutes, though the clarity depends entirely on light and wind.

What you actually see

• The submerged farm - stone walls of the drowned summer farm.
• The old road and bridge - the buried route visible through the water.
• The clear shallow water - visibility good enough to see the structures.
• The scree slopes - the unstable walls that caused the slide.

When to go

June to September, when the road is open; calm, bright days give the best visibility into the water, and wind or rain makes the ruins invisible. Divers use it through the summer months.

Honest expectations

Visibility varies a great deal and many visitors see little more than a lake. The water is very cold for swimming or snorkelling. Parking is a small roadside area on a narrow valley road.

Nearby

Norangsdalen runs the length of the valley; Oye and the Hjorundfjord lie west, Hellesylt east.