Tjørnadalsfossen | World Waterfall Database

CATALOGED
This waterfall has been surveyed, mapped and measured in person by the World Waterfall Database.

Oddadalen is graced with dozens of waterfalls, several of them are among the more well known and famous waterfalls in Norway – and rightly so - but Tjørnadalsfossen dwarfs them all. Fed by one good sized lake and dozens of smaller ones, the Stølselvi produces a large volume of water and crashes from a high valley into Oddadalen in a mammoth stepped waterfall dropping a total of 1,657 feet (505m). Viewing the falls from below it appears to be broken up into multiple steps, but if viewing the falls from the opposite side of the valley, it becomes clear that it is, in fact, a single consistent waterfall which isn’t broken up by pools or defined ledges. Though it isn’t a vertical waterfall, this makes Tjørnadalsfossen one of the tallest single-tier waterfalls in Europe.

When we surveyed the falls in June 2011, we were only able to measure about 2/3 of the height of the falls because our equipment is not capable of reaching the distances necessary to measure the entire drop, but using the measurements we took in conjunction with topographic maps and aerial imagery of the waterfall, we feel that we have established a height for Tjørnadalsfossen accurate to within 50 feet.

HISTORY AND NAMES

Also Known as: Tjødnadalsfossen
Tjørnadalsfossen is the Official name of this waterfall

The falls are named for its source valley, itself likely named for the small lakes that lie scattered on the terrain above the falls. "Tjørna" means "small lake" or "Tarn".

Our thoughts

Tjørnadalsfossen is one of those waterfalls that we could write endlessly about how impressive it is, but ultimately there is no possible way to emphasize how massive this waterfall is without seeing it in person. Watching the spray being ejected from halfway up the falls drift down to the floor of the valley is nothing short of mesmerizing and the fact that even utilizing all possible peripheral vision, the falls seem to be too big for the human eye to see without twisting your neck into different positions. Tjørnadalsfossen isn’t just one of Norway’s best waterfalls, it’s one of the planet’s best.

Location and directions

Tjørnadalsfossen is found adjacent to Sandvinvatnet just south of Odda. From bridge at the outlet of Sandvinvatnet at the south end of Odda, follor Route 13 south for 3.5km to an unmarked pullout on the lake side of the road, directly across from a gated gravel road. From here, part of the falls can be seen by looking up above the trees across the road. To get close, walk up the gravel road to the top of the hill and look for an unmarked but obvious path that leads through the woods to a viewpoint atop of a small cliff where the entire waterfall can be seen. There should also be excellent views of the falls from the Strand-Sandvil trail (see link to Strondsfossen below) on the opposite side of Sandvinvatnet.

View this location in Google Earth

Tjørnadalsfossen is shown in the center. The 10 closest waterfalls within a 8km radius are shown as well (if any). Click any icon or see the list below for more information.

Additional Nearby Waterfalls

Name of Waterfall	Distance
Strondsfossen	1.37 mi / 2.18 km
Vidfoss	2.44 mi / 3.91 km

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Photography tips

From the base of the falls there is a considerable amount of foreshortening but the entire waterfall can be seen. A wide angle lens is quite handy for shooting from below, but from Route 13 a modest zoom will be good enough. The falls face west and will be best light from midday to late afternoon. Distant views are available from the southern end of Sandvinvatnet, although some telephoto capability will be needed.

Links to Additional Pictures

http://www.fotografi.no/wip4/photo/detail.epl?id=27785
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/8269269

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Tjørnadalsfossen Hordaland, Norway