Eidfjord, Norway
Majestic. Mystical. Breathtaking. These are the words I would use to describe Eidfjord. Only about 300 people live in Eidfjord and in fact, there are more goats than people there. The journey itself is something to behold. You enter the Hardangerfjord fjord , the third longest fjord in the world. Eidfjord is the easternmost settlement that exists along this waterway. By car, Eidfjord is 311 km (193 mi) from Oslo and 156 km (97 mi) from Bergen. In fact, just entering Eidfjord, you will pass under the Hardangerfjord Bridge. This impressive suspension bridge opened in 2013 and is Norway’s longest and it has drastically reduced travel time between Oslo and Bergen.
We had booked a shore excursion that included a cruise around the fjord and a bus trip to the Fossli Hotel to see the famous Vøringfossen waterfall. The cruise around the fjord leaves from the same port as the cruise ship so we just walked right off our ship and got on the smaller boat that would take us to view the fjord. What a great scenic cruise it was too. The water is so calm that is looks like glass as you sail around. With every turn of the boat, we saw another waterfall, Some were slow with barely a trickle while others were tall with water rapidly spiling down. The mountains and hills surrounding the fjord are green and thick with stone faces sprinkled in between the peaks. You also get a beautiful view of the Hardangerfjord Bridge as you sail around the fjord.
After the fjord cruise, we hopped on the waiting buses and continued our journey up the mountain to the Fossli Hotel and the Vøringfossen waterfall. The hotel is built right next to the waterfall and it makes a wonderful viewing point. The hotel has restrooms you can use, a wonderful cafe filled with delicious fresh baked treats like cake and waffles and a lovely gift shop where you can buy Norwegian souvenirs. I found a lovely necklace that was actually made in Norway which was something I had been looking for all trip.
The waterfall itself is not to be missed! It is 82-meters-tall (597-foot-tall) and roaring! You can hear it before you see it! There are many overlook points to view the waterfall and they are located right in front of the hotel. I am afraid of heights so after trying to get up the courage to use the large overhanging platform, I decided to find a less scary viewing point and took a side trail that gave me a wonderful view without having to hang off the edge of the cliff. My son, who is way braver than I, ventured onto the platform and also got some great pictures. After the hotel and waterfall viewing, the tour bus brought us down the mountain and back into town. Now we could explore Eidfjord on our own! We hadn’t eaten since breakfast so the first thing on our list, was finding lunch. We found a trendy burger place called Burger go Brus right near the port. They have delicious custom made burgers, french fries and a great selection of beer, soda, and other drinks. We really enjoyed our meal there! We also stopped to do some shopping at the gift store right next door.
Unfortunately, we ran out of time to see some of the other things on our list but this is a town I definitely plan to re-visit on a future trip. For example, we wanted to see the Eidfjord Old Church. This whitewashed stone church was built in 1309 and seats around 100 people. It is only used now on special occasions as a new church built nearby in 1981 now assumes the role of local parish church but it is a rich piece of Eidfjord history and according to many locals we talked with, well worth seeing if you have the chance.