Voringsfossen

Voringsfossen plunges 182 metres off the edge of the Hardangervidda plateau into the deep Mabodalen gorge, one of the best-known waterfalls in Norway. New architect-designed viewing platforms and a stepped stone bridge across the canyon now let visitors take in the falls and the gorge from thrilling angles.

Background

The fall is also called Vøringen. It comes down in 5 drops, the longest measuring 163 metres, at the head of the Måbødalen valley in Eidfjord Municipality. Few people beyond the locals knew of it until 1821, when professor Christopher Hansteen, travelling to the Hardangervidda for astronomical observations, timed falling stones with his pocket watch and put the height at about 280 metres. A measurement with a string in 1893 gave 163 metres. Early visitors climbed a path of 1,500 stairs or used a bridle path built in 1872 for English tourists. The Fossli Hotel at the top, an Art Nouveau design by the architect Frederik Konow Lund, was finished in 1891.

Source: Wikipedia, "Vøringsfossen"

The landscape

• The main plunge - the 182-metre fall off the plateau into the gorge.
• The viewing platforms - the modern cliff-edge lookouts over the falls.
• The stepped bridge - the stone stairway bridge across the canyon.
• The Mabodalen gorge - the deep valley the water falls into.

When to go

Late spring and early summer for the falls at full snowmelt force; summer for warm days and the platforms. The flow drops in a dry late summer.

Before you go

It is a roadside stop rather than a hike, so it is easy but busy in peak season. The new platforms are dramatic but the cliff edges demand care, especially with children. The falls are far more powerful in early summer than late.

Nearby

The Hardangervidda plateau spreads above; Eidfjord and the Hardangerfjord lie below.

Key facts