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Geiranger - The Fjord of the fjords

Take a look at this amazing scene from Geirangerfjord, when 5 cruiseships and the Norwegian Hurtigruten are visiting Geiranger on a beautiful summer day.

This year will be one of the best seasons ever, with cruiseships visiting Geiranger almost every day from May to September.

On the best days it will be up to 4 ships at the same time, and probably between 250.000 to 260.000 passengers on 206 cruiseships are visiting this little community during summer 2012.

Around 60% of all passengers are leaving the ships for some hours to get a closer look at Geiranger.

cruise ship Queen Mary 2. in Geiranger

The "Queens" of cruiseships: Queen Elisabeth, Queen Mary (see photo) and Queen Victoria are all visiting the "Fjord of the Fjords" Geiranger this year. (Source: smp.no)

In 2011, 229.000 cruiseship passengers visited Geiranger.

Imagine yourself arrive here on the Hurtigruten Classic Norwegian Cruise, or on one of the hundreds of cruiseships that visits this fjord every summer.

From Ålesund the ship is entering the Storfjorden, and now you will get a real view of the Norwegian fjords.

When the ship finally enters the Geirangerfjorden, which is a branch of the Storfjorden, the fjord is narrowing in, the scenic abandoned farms are to be seen high up in the mountains, and the waterfalls are just breathtaking.

The Coat of Arms

This is the Coat of Arms for Stranda Municipality.

It was approved in May 1986, and was designed by Jarle Skuset.

It symbolizes the many fjords and mountains in this region, and which has an important role to attract tourists to Stranda and Geiranger.

The Fjord and the Waterfalls

On a sunny summer day it is easy to convince people that the Geirangerfjord is the most beautiful fjord in the world.

The breathtaking scenery is unique, with it’s wild waterfalls and steep mountains into the calm fjord.

Geiranger today is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Norway, and since 2005 the Geirangerfjord has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Mountain climbers from England were to be the first foreigners that discovered Geiranger as a goal for travels.

This was around the middle of the 1800’s, and as early as in 1869 the first cruiseship came to the Geirangerfjorden.

Since then, the accomodations has turned into luxury. Several kings, queens and emperors has visited, and in our modern time impressing 600 000 people are visiting this tiny little community every year.

The roads

In the wintertime Geiranger is only accessed from west, by the Eagles Road (Ørnevegen, opened in 1954).

You can see the Ørnevegen road in the background, slightly to the right in this photo, taken by Fred Jonny / Destination Geiranger and Trollstigen.

Sometimes an avalange causes closing of even this road, and for several days the Geiranger community can be totally isolated from the outside world.

In the summer there are two roads leading to Geiranger. From east you arrive on the Geirangervegen and from west you arrive on the amazing Ørnevegen. From the highest point of the road you are passing 11 hairpin curves that can be quite scary for many visitors, before you get down to the fjord.

The roads has been improved. In the summer you can easily reach Geiranger from both east and west by car, and by driving the short distance to Eidsdal, cross the fjord by a small ferry to Linge, you can reach the amazing Trollstigen within an hour.

From Trollstigen you can go to Åndalsnes, Molde or Ålesund.

During the short summer months about 600 000 tourists are visiting Geiranger. Would you believe it when we tell you that Geiranger has 240 inhabitants? It is true!

the Dalsnibba road

Many of the passengers go on the arranged bus-tour to the Nibbevegen (opened in 1939) and Dalsnibba.

The narrow road going from the fjord end is passing the hotels and the beautiful church until it reaches the Djupvasshytta, 1038 meters above sealevel.

On your way to and from Dalsnibba you will pass the Flydalsjuvet viwepoint, which gives you an amazing overview.

Then the buses takes an even more narrow and steep road up in the mountain to the viewpoint Dalsnibba, 1500 meters above the sealevel.

A breathtaking view is expecting you: A view over the Geirangerfjord and the many mountains surrounding it.

the Geiranger harbour with cruiseships

As mentioned before, Geiranger is in many ways unique, and on a sunny afternoon when the, fjord is laying calm, maybe a cruiseship or two has anchored, you see the amazing waterfalls called the Seven Sisters, the abandoned old farms high up in the mountain...... It is a magic moment, and you should all experience it.

Take a look at this Map over Geirangerfjorden

And then of course

The Hurtigruten

From May to September the Hurtigruten is visiting Geiranger every day, and the tourists really love it.

The first month or so after starting it's Geiranger trips, the passengers can leave the ship in Geiranger and go on seightseeing buses back to Ålesund.

When the Trollstigen opens in June, the sightseeing tours are going via Valldal over Trollstigen, to Åndalsnes and the to Molde, where the passengers again is entering the ship. hurtigruten in Geirangerfjord

The photo to the upper left is taken by Astrid Freckmann /HRG archive and is showing the Hurtigruten in Geiranger, and the other photo is taken by Andreas Mihatsek / HRG archive, and you can see the Hurtigruten on it's way to Geiranger just passing the waterfalls The Seven Sisters.

We strongly recommend a visit to Geiranger, and if possible you should experience the amazing bus tour over Trollstigen to Molde.

On a sunny day the view at Trollstigen is a memory for life, and the tour, starting from Geiranger, also includes the Ørnevegen where you get a photo stop and a perfect view over Geiranger.

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Geiranger Video

Cruise 2011

The Geiranger Cruise Ship Season of 2011 has ended.

229.220 cruise ship passengers has visited Geiranger this year, against 210.105 last year.

The potential for increase in cruise tourism to Norway is huge, but Geiranger is about to reach it's limit.

It's impressing how this small community of 270 inhabitants can receive more than 200.000 cruise passengers each year, in addition to the hundreds of thousands other tourists arriving by bus and cars.