Hellesylt is a small village of about 240 people at the head of the Sunnylvsfjorden. For most tourists, it is simply where the ferry to Geiranger departs. But there is more to it than that.
The first thing you notice is the waterfall. Hellesyltfossen drops about 20 metres right through the centre of the village, between two old bridges. The Hellesylt bridge dates from 1902 and the Høge bru from 1907. The waterfall is at its most powerful in early summer during the snowmelt. By late August it can be rather modest.
People have lived here since the end of the last ice age. The first recorded church dates to 1432, though there was probably a stave church on the site as far back as the 1100s. An avalanche destroyed the medieval church in 1727. The current Sunnylven church was built in 1859, entirely in wood, and seats about 400. It sits on a hill above the village and is worth the short walk up for the view alone.
Henrik Ibsen visited Hellesylt in 1862 and the area is said to have inspired the setting for his dramatic poem Brand. If you are interested in Ibsen, there is a small Peer Gynt gallery in the village with 11 large wooden relief carvings by local artist Oddvin Parr, depicting scenes from the play. It is a niche attraction, but quite unique.
For cruise ship passengers, Hellesylt is a tender port. The village itself can be explored in about an hour on foot. There is a supermarket, a petrol station, and a few souvenir shops near the pier. The ferry to Geiranger runs several times a day in summer and the crossing takes about one hour.
The first thing you notice is the waterfall. Hellesyltfossen drops about 20 metres right through the centre of the village, between two old bridges. The Hellesylt bridge dates from 1902 and the Høge bru from 1907. The waterfall is at its most powerful in early summer during the snowmelt. By late August it can be rather modest.
People have lived here since the end of the last ice age. The first recorded church dates to 1432, though there was probably a stave church on the site as far back as the 1100s. An avalanche destroyed the medieval church in 1727. The current Sunnylven church was built in 1859, entirely in wood, and seats about 400. It sits on a hill above the village and is worth the short walk up for the view alone.
Henrik Ibsen visited Hellesylt in 1862 and the area is said to have inspired the setting for his dramatic poem Brand. If you are interested in Ibsen, there is a small Peer Gynt gallery in the village with 11 large wooden relief carvings by local artist Oddvin Parr, depicting scenes from the play. It is a niche attraction, but quite unique.
For cruise ship passengers, Hellesylt is a tender port. The village itself can be explored in about an hour on foot. There is a supermarket, a petrol station, and a few souvenir shops near the pier. The ferry to Geiranger runs several times a day in summer and the crossing takes about one hour.