Geirangerfjord, Norway

While cruising through Geirangerfjord I witnessed more waterfalls in one hour than I have seen in my entire life.

One of my favorite things about my favorite little island in the Pacific–Kauai–is the number of waterfalls that we see on our trips. So you can imagine my surprise (and overjoyed happiness) when I witnessed one waterfall after another on our early morning cruise through the fjord.

There’s a reason that Geirangerfjord has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. Are you wondering how to pronounce Geirangerfjord? Click here and listen. Majestic mountains covered with lush green vegetation, and snow capped peaks contributing to the abundance of waterfalls throughout the fjord keep one intrigued along the journey. We took more than 1,500 photos while cruising through the fjord. (You’re not surprised, are you). Here are some of the highlights:

The two most widely known waterfalls in this fjord are the Seven Sisters and the Suitor. Situated across the fjord from one another, legend has it that the suitor tried to date each one of the sisters and was rejected by all so he drowned his sorrows at the bottom of the bottle (which is why the waterfall is in the shape of a liquor bottle).

The Seven Sisters Waterfall on the left, the Suitor on the right

Look closely, do you see the farm off to the right of the waterfall?

I was amazed at how many small mountain towns were along the banks of this fjord. Looking up, I saw small farms located high above the water and I found myself wondering how they were constructed to begin with. Did they use a helicopter, ladders secured along the cliffs, a secret hidden road from the other side? It’s all a mystery.

The town of Geiranger has about 300 year-round residents so it’s safe to say that this town is tiny. After a quick ten minute ride on the tender we were in port and ready to explore.

Throughout our day I kept staring up at the sky as I viewed the seemingly endless mountains. They were so tall–and so green! We browsed the shops and stopped off for some delicious Norwegian chocolate at none other than the Fjordnær Geiranger Sjokolade (or the fjordside Geiranger Chocolate Factory). This tiny building houses the World’s first chocolate factory in a converted boathouse. We sampled different chocolate infused with strawberries, blueberries, blue cheese, caramel, brown cheese and more. Afterwards we worked off those calories as we slowly made our way up the hill towards the Hotel Union Geiranger.

Geiranger Chocolate Factory

On our hike my husband was able to capture some amazing photos of the massive waterfall-part river-part rapids that runs right through the middle of town.

The town of Geiranger was quaint, the architecture was interesting, and the views were spectacular. If I lived in Norway I could see myself taking weekend getaways to this quiet little town at the end of the fjord. It’s the perfect spot to get away from it all. Leave your phone in the room, grab your camera and submerse yourself in the beauty.