Målselvfossen was voted Norway's National Waterfall in 2003 by listeners of the NRK radio programme Nitimen. It did not win for its height, which is modest at around 20 metres, but for its raw power. The Målselva river is wide here, and the water crashes over a 600-metre stretch of rapids and falls that is genuinely impressive.
The waterfall has been famous for salmon since at least the 1800s, when English "salmon lords" would travel to this remote part of Norway for the fishing. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany was a regular guest at the nearby Rundhaug Gjestegård, a wooden hotel built in 1905 that also hosted Crown Prince Haakon and, much later, the author Wilbur Smith. The Målselva remains one of Norway's best salmon rivers.
In 1910, a 600-metre salmon ladder was built alongside the falls, the longest in Northern Europe. It allows salmon to bypass the waterfall on their way to spawning grounds upstream. There is a viewing area with a glass window where you can watch the fish work their way up. The best time for that is July and August.
To get here, exit E6 at Rundhaug and follow the signs. The detour is about 8 kilometres each way.
The waterfall has been famous for salmon since at least the 1800s, when English "salmon lords" would travel to this remote part of Norway for the fishing. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany was a regular guest at the nearby Rundhaug Gjestegård, a wooden hotel built in 1905 that also hosted Crown Prince Haakon and, much later, the author Wilbur Smith. The Målselva remains one of Norway's best salmon rivers.
In 1910, a 600-metre salmon ladder was built alongside the falls, the longest in Northern Europe. It allows salmon to bypass the waterfall on their way to spawning grounds upstream. There is a viewing area with a glass window where you can watch the fish work their way up. The best time for that is July and August.
To get here, exit E6 at Rundhaug and follow the signs. The detour is about 8 kilometres each way.