Mardalsfossen

Mardalsfossen drops 705 metres in total with an unbroken free fall of 297 metres, which puts it among the tallest waterfalls in Europe, and it lands in the Eikesdalen valley in a cloud of spray. Its water was dammed for hydropower in the 1970s, a scheme that produced one of the largest environmental protests in Norwegian history, with hundreds of demonstrators including the philosopher Arne Naess chaining themselves in place before being carried off. The compromise reached was that the falls run at full volume for the summer tourist season, usually from around 20 June to 20 August, and are shut off for the rest of the year. A path of about thirty minutes climbs to the foot.

What you actually see

• The free fall - an unbroken drop of nearly three hundred metres.
• The spray basin - mist and noise where the water lands.
• The valley setting - Eikesdalen's steep walls and the lake below.
• The approach path - a half-hour climb from the parking area.

When to go

Between roughly 20 June and 20 August, when the water is released; outside that window the cliff is dry and there is essentially nothing to see. Dates vary slightly by year and should be checked before driving in.

Honest expectations

The waterfall is switched off for ten months of the year, which catches out visitors who arrive in May or September. The road into Eikesdalen is long, narrow and remote. The path to the base is steep and soaked by spray near the top.

Nearby

Eikesdalsvatnet lake fills the valley; Sunndalsora and the Trollheimen range lie east.