Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Geirangerfjord

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Primary inflows
  
Geirangelva river

Basin countries
  
Norway

Settlements
  
Geiranger

Max width
  
1,500 m

Primary outflow
  
Sunnylvsfjorden

Primary outflows
  
Sunnylvsfjorden

Max. length
  
15 kilometres (9.3 mi)

Length
  
15,000 m

Settlement
  
Geiranger

Geirangerfjord httpsres3cloudinarycomsimpleviewimageuplo

Location
  
Sunnmøre, Møre og Romsdal

Similar
  
Dalsnibba, Nærøyfjord, Preikestolen, Seven Sisters W, Bryggen

Fjords of norway geirangerfjord and sunnylvsfjord kayaking


The Geiranger Fjord (Norwegian: Geirangerfjorden) is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located entirely in the Stranda Municipality. It is a 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) -long branch off the Sunnylvsfjorden, which is a branch off the Storfjorden (Great Fjord). The small village of Geiranger is located at the end of the fjord where the Geirangelva river empties into it.

Contents

Map of Geirangerfjord, Stranda, Norway

Visit to geirangerfjord norway timelapse


The fjordEdit

The fjord is one of Norway's most visited tourist sites. In 2005, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, jointly with the Nærøyfjorden, although this status is now threatened by the disputed plans to build power lines across the fjord.

A car ferry, which doubles as a sightseeing trip, is operated by Fjord1 Nordvestlandske. It runs lengthwise along the fjord between the small towns of Geiranger and Hellesylt.

Along the fjord's sides there lie a number of now-abandoned farms. Some restoration has been made by the Storfjordens venner association. The most commonly visited among these are Skageflå, Knivsflå, and Blomberg. Skageflå may also be reached on foot from Geiranger, while the others require a boat excursion. The fjord is also host to several impressive waterfalls such as Seven Sisters Falls.

Magdalene Thoresen, Henrik Ibsen's mother-in-law, said of the area:

This fjord is surrounded by some of the steepest mountains on the entire west coast. It is very narrow and has no habitable shore area, for the precipitous heights rise in sheer and rugged strata almost straight out of the water. Foaming waterfalls plunge into the fjord from jagged peaks. There are, however, a few mountain farms here, and of these one or two have such hazardous access, by paths that wind around steep precipices, and by bridges that are fixed to the mountain with iron bolts and rings, that they bear witness in a most striking way to the remarkable powers of invention which the challenges of nature have developed in man.

WaterfallsEdit

The two most notable waterfalls in the Geiranger Fjord are Seven Sisters Falls and the Suitor (also called The Friar). Both falls face one another across the fjord, and the Suitor is said to be trying to woo the sisters opposite.

The Bridal Veil is another waterfall in the fjord, so named because it falls delicately over one rocky edge, and when seen backlit by the sun it has the appearance of a thin veil over the rocks.

Rock slidesEdit

The Geiranger Fjord is under constant threat from the mountain Åkerneset which is about to erode into the fjord. A collapse would produce a tsunami, hitting several nearby towns including Geiranger and Hellesylt in about ten minutes.

  • Released in August 2015, "The Wave (Bølgen)" is a Norwegian disaster movie based on the premise of a rock slide from the mountain Åkerneset inundating the town of Geiranger.
  • Released in November 2013, "Frozen" is Disney's famous animated movie whose scenic views and drawings throughout the movie were inspired by the picturesque Geirangerfjord.
  • References

    Geirangerfjord Wikipedia