The Best Way To Experience the Magnificent Geirangerfjord

Geiranger, Norway

Geiranger is a small tourist village, home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and is one of the most visited tourist sites in Scandinavia. Its access to Geirangerfjord brings thousands of tourists every year.

This was the third stop on our 14-day coastal Norway cruise on the Holland America Koningsdam.

Geirangefjord

A fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs, as in Norway and Iceland, typically formed by submergence of a glaciated valley.

Geirangerfjord is one of the most beautiful, longest and deepest fjords in the world with steep walls of rock dropping some 1,640 feet below the water’s surface and rising 4,593 feet above sea level. Waterfalls tumble down from high above, free-flowing rivers snake through forests and glacial lakes stretch for miles. 

Some of the steepest mountains on the entire west coast surround Geirangerfjord. It is very narrow and has no habitable shore area and yet some houses are perched precariously here and there. Try as I might, I could not figure out how the owners got to their homes outside of miraculously being beamed up from the water.

Waterfalls plunge into the fjord from jagged peaks. Our boat came up close to the waterfalls giving us some great photo ops.

Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) Ride on the Geirangerfjord

I signed up for the RIB boat ride on the Gierangerfjord before I knew what a RIB was. Consequently, I looked it up and found that RIB stands for Rigid Inflatable Boat. This is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity unsinkable boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are inflated with air to a high pressure so as to give the sides resilient rigidity along the boat’s topsides. The design is stable, light, fast and seaworthy. The inflated collar acts as a life jacket, thus ensuring that the vessel retains its buoyancy even if the boat is taking on water.

Because I tend to get seasick in small boats, I came very close to not showing up for the ride but curiosity won out. I took a half a Dramamine and went for it.

The Suit

The first thing we did was zip into a bulky waterproof suit that made me look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Everyone had a good laugh then waited for their turn to board one of the RIBs. The pilot slowly maneuvered around our giant ship then took off at top speed, zipping along the Geirangerfjord at warp speed and wake jumping when we passed another boat. The wind whistled through my hair and I hung tightly onto my camera, laughing with delight. It was exhilarating!

The ride lasted 1 1/2 hours and showed us the spectacular scenery unique to this fjord.

The Seven Sisters Waterfall

The 1,350 feet, ” Seven Sisters” Waterfall consists of seven separate streams. Directly across the fjord lies a single waterfall called “The Suitor”. The legend of the Seven Sisters is that they dance playfully down the mountain. Meanwhile, across the fjord, the suitor flirts playfully with them from afar.

Hellesylt

After leaving the tour boat, we went to the small town of Hellesylt, population 258. Hellesylt is surrounded by mountains and valleys. In the summertime, thousands of tourists travel through or stay in Hellesylt each day. Most of them take the ferry to the nearby village of Geiranger.

Hellesylt waterfall is one of the most photographed sites in the area. In the center of the village, between two bridges, the water masses cascade down the polished granite stones.

In Summary

Without question, the highlight of the day was the RIB boat ride. The wind on my face and the breathtaking scenery is something I will never forget. Fortunately, I have many photos to help me keep that memory intact.