Working without a day’s rest for two and a half million years must bear fruit. This is what the ice did on the Norwegian coast, and thus we are left with the largest array of fjords in Europe, and one of the most recognizable and spectacular landscapes in the world.
Choosing which of the Norwegian fjords is the most beautiful is a vain pastime. They all move on the high scale of spectacularity. However, some are more famous than others. Foreign travelers rush headlong to discover the Pulpit in Lysefjord or nearby areas in the south of the peninsula and in their anxiety they may forget to stop at Geiranger, located a little further north.
Geiranger is touched by the wand of the rude Norse gods. It is an inlet that winds and plays at separating itself from the open sea. The glaucous water at the bottom contrasts with the vertiginous jets that fall from a succession of impressive waterfalls: the Seven Sisters (De syv søstrene), the Pretender (Friaren) or the Bridal Veil (Brudesløret), which receives this name because its jet breaks into millions of drops until it practically becomes a vertical mist. On sunny summer days – which are more than many would suspect for Scandinavia – the air currents moved by the spray form successions of rainbows, in a perfect, almost invented, postcard.
It seemed inevitable that, with all these graces under its belt, Geiranger would be targeted by UNESCO to be declared a World Heritage Site, an award it received in 2005 along with the Naerøy Cove.
Aware of the tourist magnet it is, the Norwegian authorities have always tried to have roads that reach the upper parts of the most famous fjords. In the case of Geiranger, the route is very fortunate, and its strong point is the so-called Eagle viewpoint, which is located at 1,500 meters above sea level and provides an excellent view of the inner stretch of the fjord. Which, by the way, is the deepest.
This is a general rule for coasts cut by large masses of ice. Although it might be thought that the area closest to the sea is the deepest, the work of the glaciers is now covered by the waters, and it is usually the interior and not the mouth that provides large abysses. The Norwegian record is held by the Sognefjord, which submerges up to 1,300 meters deep.
Stranda, the municipal district of less than five thousand inhabitants that is the reference for visiting Geiranger, has a remarkable network of trails that range from simple family excursions to great treks, and that take advantage of the cut made by the ice to send walkers on authentic multi-day adventures in a semi-wild environment. Those who want to enjoy the majesty of the large vertical walls (up to 260 meters high) usually opt for sea kayaking, since the waters inside the fjords are calm and it is not uncommon for there to be some additional surprise in the form of whale watching. .
Being located on the southern coast of Norway, Geiranger can be visited in all four seasons of the year, although winter is for the brave (or for those who see it comfortably installed on cruise ships that tour the most famous inlets of that Scandinavian country).
From Ålesund, the nearest major city, there are 110 kilometers of road that the authorities keep open every day of the year (except the section that passes through Grotli from Lom or Stryn), having to use a ferry. It is not a quick trip, you have to count on a little more than two hours of travel, in addition to the different stops to gape at the scenic spectacle.
