Vøringsfoss & Nature Centre

Photo credit: Visit Bergen/Espen Bakketun

by coach & on foot

Departing from the pier, your journey takes you through the village of Eidfjord and follows the course of the River Eio as you head inland, passing the Eidfjordvatnet Lake, nestled between steep sided mountains.

Your scenic drive will include several tunnels, necessary in this part of Norway to make the road through the mountains possible for motor vehicles. Your first stop will be the Norwegian Nature Centre, established as an experience and teaching centre for natural and cultural history. During your visit, enjoy an approximately 20-minute, 225-degree panoramic film, showcasing the beautiful Hardangervidda National Park and the surrounding area, before some free time to browse the exhibitions set over three floors. You may wish to head across the road to the gift shop, where you can purchase a Norwegian souvenir.

Re-joining your coach, continue into the mountains, entering the Hardangervidda National Park, the largest mountain plateau in Europe. Pause at Sysen Dam, an impressive sight with an 80m (262ft) high wall built from natural stone and gravel. During your photo stop, you may wish to walk down the pathway leading onto the dam wall itself. The dam holds back Lake Sysen, the main reservoir for the Sy-Sima Hydroelectric Power Station. On a clear day, high in the mountains behind the lake, you may be fortunate to catch a glimpse of the Hardanger Glacier.

From here, you will head back downhill towards Eidfjord, stopping on the way to admire Vøringsfossen, one of the most famous waterfalls in Norway. The viewing platforms and the bridge crossing the waterfall canyon offer wonderful views of the thundering waterfall plunging 182m (597ft) into the Måbødalen Valley.