Steindalsfossen - Walk behind the waterfall

Steindalsfossen - Walk behind the waterfall
💧 Waterfall Rural Hardanger

Steindalsfossen - Walk behind the waterfall

60 minutes
Steinsdalsfossen is one of Norway's most visited waterfalls, and for good reason - you can walk behind it without getting wet.

The waterfall drops 46 metres, with a main fall of about 20 metres. A paved path follows the riverbank, goes behind the curtain of water, and comes out on the other side with views over the Steinsdalen valley. It's completely accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

The waterfall wasn't always here. In 1699 a flood or avalanche blocked the original river channel west of this spot, forcing the water to find a new route over the cliff edge. So the waterfall is only about 300 years old.

One famous admirer was Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Between 1889 and 1914, he visited Steinsdalsfossen almost every summer - 25 consecutive years until the outbreak of World War I stopped his trips. Some locals used to call it "Kaiser Wilhelm Falls."

The waterfall is most powerful in May and June when snowmelt swells the river. It's fed by Lake Myklavatnet, 814 metres up in the mountains.

There's a tourist information centre and café at the car park, plus souvenir shops. A replica of Steinsdalsfossen - 15 metres high - was part of Norway's display at Expo 2000 in Hannover.

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