Hoysteinfossen

(Heisteinfossen, Høysteinfossen)

Hoysteinfossen is a beautiful waterfall in the the Bødalen (Lovatnet) in the region Sogn og Fjordane, Norway.

Hosteinfossen-Huldrefossen-tollFrom Loen (near Stryn) it is a 13 km drive along Lovatnet until you reach the road that leads into the Bødalen. At the left side of the road road you will see an information board about the Bødalsetra and Kjenndalen. Here you have to ge left. Note: it is a toll road and a money machine is standing behind the board (40 nok). But the Bødalen with several waterfalls, like Hoysteinfossen, is beautiful.

Parts of the narrow road are new and asphalted. The sheep don’t mind, they love the warmth coming of the black surface. Some parts of the road are quit steep. A car came from the opposite and I had to stop to let the car pass. After that I had real problems going up again because the road was so steep the car had serious problems, but I managed…

Huldrefossen-parkingNot the whole road is new and some parts are still a dust road. After 3 kilometer there is a sharp bend in the road, here Hoysteinfossen can be seen at the right side of the road. After the corner there is a small parking.

Here you will have a great view on Hoysteinfossen but you also can walk up the road for a good view. Hoysteinfossen is not particularly a huge waterfall but it is a charming powerful waterfall in a gorgeous surrounding. Good for some great shots.

A little bit further up the road (700 meter) you will arrive at Huldrefossen. Also a charming and powerful waterfall that keeps on falling in multiple steps. It is possible to walk a little bit down at Huldrefossen and then find your way to the river. This is only possible if the side river is dry. Be careful, it is very slippery….I fell two times. But here you have a view on several cascades.

It’s really worthwhile to drive further to the end of the road to a parking. This is the trailhead of beautiful walk to the glacier Bødalsbreen. Bødalsbreen is one of the arms of Jostedalbreen, one of teh biggest glaciers in Europe with a surface of 487 km². It is possible to make guided tours on the Bødalsbreen but you also can only walk to the glacier. There are several warning not to approach the glacier on yourself.

On the way to the Bødalsbreen you will great views on the valley and on a waterfall in front of the Kåpevatnet which I named Kåpefossen. This walk belongs to my top 5 best walks I ever made in Norway!

On the way down you will have a great view on the valley and you can see Ramnefjellfossen (one of the highest waterfalls in the world) from a high viewpoint, very special.

RamnefjellfossenAfterwards you can go to Kjenndalstova, a restaurant with a tremendous view on Ramnefjellfossen. Unfortunately the Lovatnet and the Ramnefjell is also responsible for a tragic story. In the 20th century in 1905, a large piece of  the mountainside broke loose of Ramnefjellet and crashed into the Lovatnet lake. It caused a tremendous flood wave which swept away the small villages Bødal and Nesdal, 61 persons lost their lives. 31 years later a same kind of disaster happened which costed 41 people their live. And in 1950 another landslide broke loose but didn’t caused casualties. The water in the Lovatnet wasn’t deep enough anymore to create a huge wave.

Kjenndalstova is a nice place to have lunch or just a perfect spot for a drink. It is also possible to make a boat trip on a tourist boat or to rent a Boat/Canoe.

Tjugenfossen-signTjugenfossenAnother nice walk is the one to the mountaintop Skåla, near Tjugen, just outside Loen. Here you pass a wonderful (hidden) waterfall called Tjugenfossen. The walk to Skåla and Tjugenfossen starts at a big parking (with a fee) 2 kilometer from Loen, heading for the Lovatnet. The parking is so big because it is the trailhead of a very popular hike to the mountain Skåla (1848 m). The view from Skåla should be amazing but the hike seems quite demanding to me.

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About Hoysteinfossen

CountryNorway
RegionSogn og Fjordane
LocationBødalen, Loen (Stryn)
RiverBødalselvi
Height5-10m
Latitude61.807121
Longitude7.065368
Rating

Most nearby waterfalls

WaterfallDistance (linear)Rating
Huldrefossen 1 km
Tinjefjellfossen 2 km
Krunefossen 7 km
Kapefossen 9 km
Ramnefjellfossen 10 km