Rjukanfossen is the 104-metre waterfall that gave Rjukan its name. Rjukan means smoking, from the mist the waterfall used to produce. This is what drew the first tourists here in the 1800s, including Jules Verne in 1861, who called it one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Europe.
Unfortunately, you probably will not see any water. Almost all of it is diverted to the power station now and has been since the early 1900s. The falls are dry for most of the year.
The only time they deliberately release the water is during Marispelet, an outdoor theatre performance held at Krokan in mid-July each year. It is based on a local legend, and they release the waterfall for the performance. Check the dates if you want to see it. The falls can also run on their own after very heavy rain, but that only happens a couple of times a year and there is no way to predict it.
Even without water, you can walk up to the viewpoint and imagine what it looked like when the falls were still running at full force. The rock face and the scale of the drop are still impressive. Just do not expect a waterfall.
Unfortunately, you probably will not see any water. Almost all of it is diverted to the power station now and has been since the early 1900s. The falls are dry for most of the year.
The only time they deliberately release the water is during Marispelet, an outdoor theatre performance held at Krokan in mid-July each year. It is based on a local legend, and they release the waterfall for the performance. Check the dates if you want to see it. The falls can also run on their own after very heavy rain, but that only happens a couple of times a year and there is no way to predict it.
Even without water, you can walk up to the viewpoint and imagine what it looked like when the falls were still running at full force. The rock face and the scale of the drop are still impressive. Just do not expect a waterfall.