Skjervsfossen

Skjervsfossen falls about 150 metres in two main stages through a narrow gorge on the old road between Granvin and Voss, and since 2014 it has been part of the Norwegian Scenic Routes programme, which added a set of interventions by the architects Fortunen: stone-paved paths, a viewing platform at the lower fall, and a much-photographed toilet building of local stone set into the hillside. The old road climbs the gorge in hairpins with viewpoints at both levels, and at one point runs close enough that spray reaches the car. A path leads down from the upper parking to the base of the lower fall. The road is narrow and one lane in sections, closed in winter.

What you actually see

• The two-stage fall - upper and lower drops through a narrow gorge.
• The stone paths - designed walkways and platforms from the scenic route work.
• The hairpin road - the old route climbing beside the falls.
• The architect's rest stop - a stone service building set into the slope.

When to go

May to September, when the road is open and the flow strong from snowmelt; the route closes for winter. Morning light reaches into the gorge better than afternoon.

Honest expectations

The old road is narrow with few passing places and unsuitable for large vehicles. Parking is limited at both levels. The path to the lower fall is steep and wet, and spray soaks the platform in high water.

Nearby

Granvin and the Hardangerfjord are below; Voss and the Hardanger bridge lie either side.