The Seven Sisters and the Suitor are probably the most photographed waterfalls in Norway. They face each other from opposite sides of the Geirangerfjord, about 6.5 kilometres west of Geiranger village.
The Seven Sisters consist of seven separate streams falling side by side from the northern wall of the fjord. The total height is 410 metres, and the tallest stream has a single drop of 250 metres. The waterfall is technically called Knivsflåfossen, because the streams come from the rivers above the old Knivsflå farm next to it. But here is a fun detail: originally there were only six streams. According to local stories, the owner of Hotel Union in Geiranger paid a farmer to throw stones into one of the rivers to split it in two. Seven sounded better than six. Whether the story is true or not, the name stuck.
Directly across the fjord is a single waterfall called Friaren, the Suitor. The legend says he tried to propose to all seven sisters but was rejected every time. So he started drinking. If you look at the shape of the waterfall, there is a dry section in the middle that looks like a bottle. Norwegians do love their stories.
How much water you see depends on the season. The best time is May to July, when the snowmelt from the Geitfjellet mountain range above is at its peak. In dry summers, you might only count four or five of the sisters. The best view is from the water. You can take the sightseeing boat or the Hellesylt–Geiranger ferry, which passes right in front of them. You can also see them from the Ørnesvingen viewpoint, but from up there they are quite far away.
The Seven Sisters consist of seven separate streams falling side by side from the northern wall of the fjord. The total height is 410 metres, and the tallest stream has a single drop of 250 metres. The waterfall is technically called Knivsflåfossen, because the streams come from the rivers above the old Knivsflå farm next to it. But here is a fun detail: originally there were only six streams. According to local stories, the owner of Hotel Union in Geiranger paid a farmer to throw stones into one of the rivers to split it in two. Seven sounded better than six. Whether the story is true or not, the name stuck.
Directly across the fjord is a single waterfall called Friaren, the Suitor. The legend says he tried to propose to all seven sisters but was rejected every time. So he started drinking. If you look at the shape of the waterfall, there is a dry section in the middle that looks like a bottle. Norwegians do love their stories.
How much water you see depends on the season. The best time is May to July, when the snowmelt from the Geitfjellet mountain range above is at its peak. In dry summers, you might only count four or five of the sisters. The best view is from the water. You can take the sightseeing boat or the Hellesylt–Geiranger ferry, which passes right in front of them. You can also see them from the Ørnesvingen viewpoint, but from up there they are quite far away.