Vøringsfossen

Vøringsfossen is found 10km east of the visitors center in Øvre Eidfjord along Highway 7 in Eidfjord. There are three primary vistas from which to view the falls. The first is found at the large parking area and tourist shop along Highway 7 just past the spiral tunnels which climb out of Måbodalen. Trails lead to views looking into the canyon and good views of neighboring Tysvikjofossen, but the views of Vøringsfossen itself are severely lacking (though there is easy access to the upper tiers via the old road bridge). The best views are had by continuing for another kilometer and turning left at the sign for Fossli. Drive to the end of the road at the Fossli Hotel and follow the trails to the edge of the gorge, where the falls are seen in full view from near the top of Tysvikjofossen. The third option is to hike to the base of the falls via a rugged trail that begins at a rest area between two tunnels about 4km west of the Vøringsfossen viewpoint along Highway 7. The trail follows the river up the gorge for about 2 1/2 km to a mist-soaked view at the base of the falls.Roaring 182 meters (597 feet) down the head of the impressive Måbodalen, Vøringsfossen is among Norway’s most famous natural features and may be the most visited waterfall in the country (certainly within the top 3). The falls are made up of three to five distinct drops, depending on how high the flow is. The first is a 5 meter fall located beneath the old highway bridge at the top of the falls. Following immediately is a broad, sometimes two-channeled fall of 21 meters (69 feet), immediately after which the river narrows and flumes down a series of cascades that drop another 11 meters within the gorge. Finally the river explodes out of the narrows and hurtles 142 meters (465 feet) over the final and main step of the falls as it thunders into the broader canyon below. Some sources incorrectly cite the falls as dropping the full 182 meters in a single fall. As the river Bjoreio is a large stream with a substantial change in elevation as it tumbles down to Eidfjord, it has naturally been harnessed and regulated within a hydroelectric system. The majority of the volume if the Bjoreio actually originates in the Hardangerjøkulen ice sheet, draining to the river Leiro which then flows into the Bjoreio. The Leiro is dammed forming Sysenvatnet, and the majority of the river is redirected into the Sima Hydroelectric system. Likewise there is a smaller dam on the Bjoreio which funnels some of its flow upstream of the confluence with the Leiro into Sysenvatnet. However since Vøringsfossen is among Norway's most famous tourist attractions, a minimum flow is released from the dams at all times to ensure the falls flow forcefully throughout the year. From June 1 through September 15, a minimum of 12 cubic meters of water is released from the dam at Sysenvatnet every second, and additional water is naturally added via various smaller tributaries. The falls will however only resemble its natural state during periods of flooding or when excessive snow melt far exceeds the capacity of the diversion tunnels.