Cruises from Eidfjord

Eidfjord is a small city of around 940 people that covers a little over a kilometre squared in the county of Hordaland in Norway. It is surrounded by steep mountains with a beautiful fjord, a glacier in the distance, reindeer herds on the plateau and simply magnificent unspoiled beauty all around. With a variety of accommodation to fit every type of traveller, this Norwegian city is a place to stop, relax, and take in the scenery.

Eidfjord is the home of the 597 foot Voringfossen waterfall which freefalls through the Mabaodalen canyon to the river Bjoreia below. The river works its way down to 300 metres in the valley and it is joined by a second, smaller waterfall called Tyssvikjo. Hoel Farm once owned the waterfall and you can see this natural wonder at its best when the sunlight is catching the water and making rainbows. At the base of the waterfall is the Hardangervidda Nature Centre which can be accessed by the Troll Train. The Troll Train takes visitors through the wild and dramatic West Norwegian landscape. It leaves Voringfoss Kafeterie every hour and departs every half hour from Mabo Farm. The nature centre with its unobtrusive architecture allows adults to interact with nature, and it includes videographs and many other ways to see the wildlife of the area.

Mabodalen Kukturlandskaps Museum is a set of 21 tables that are located along the road that leads from Eidfjord down into the valley. The rest of the Museum proper, which chronicles road building in Norway and the Eidfjord area, is located at the bottom of the valley and guided tours are available. If you wish to see how the city of Eidfjord is powered, you can take a guided tour through the Simadal hydroelectric power plant, the largest of its kind in Europe.

There are plenty of hiking and other outdoor activities available in and around Eidfjord. The mountain farm of Kjeasen can be accessed by car or by hiking up the steep mountain. The Hardangergjokulen glacier can be seen from just about everywhere in Eidfjord, but hiking around it is not recommended. Hjolmodalen and Vedalsfossen waterfalls are great places to start mountain hikes or short walks, as is the Valurfossen waterfall.

As you work your way around Eidfjord, you will be able to stop at Hareid to visit the largest collection of ancient Viking graces in all of Norway. There are 350 graces dating from 500 to 1,000 AD here. A rich Ragna built the Old Church in 1309 and the New Church was built in 1991.

Eidfjord has an 18-hole golf course for those visitors who wish to indulge in a game. While some would not think of enjoying a beach when visiting Norway, it does have them and this area gets warm enough to enjoy the surf and sand. The Krakeskarvet Beach in Stavanes, about three kilometres from Eidfjord is perfect for children because of the long tidal flats and slower moving waves. Skiing, hunting, and fishing are also some of the things that are available to do during a visit to Eidfjord.