Kvinnefossen

(Kvinnafossen)

Kvinnefossen (also called the Kvinnafossen) is one of the major waterfalls along the Sognefjord and is located along road 55, in the river Kvinna, ten kilometer west from Leikanger in the region Sogn og Fjordane, Norway.

There are several viewpoints where you can admire Kvinnefossen. The one I like most is from the Sognefjord when a car is crossing the bridge in front of the waterfall. Then you can see how majestic and big Kvinnefossen really is.

I visited Kvinnefossen twice: in 2016 the weather was really bad and I took pictures from Vangsnes on the other side of the Sognefjord. July 2017 I drove on the other side of the Sognefjord and stopped at the parking in front.

The weather was perfect and from the base of Kvinnefossen you have a totally different experience then from a distance. See for yourself which one you like most.

Because figures about the height of Kvinnefossen seems not accurate to me I measured the height of Kvinnefossen with a Nikon laser height meter from the base of the waterfall. It seems that Kvinnefossen is much higher then I thought before. Kvinnefossen has a single drop of 120 meter and then still the river  Kvinna cascades further down and ends in the Sognefjord.

There is no official path going up to the base of Kvinnefossen but I wanted to make the perfect picture and climbed up (not without danger!!) to the base of the waterfall.

I skipped the ferry to Vangsnes that I had in mind because weather should chance to rainy weather. But I am certain that you will have a good view from the ferry.

Best time to visit Kvinnefossen is early summer or midsummer when a lot of snow melt down from the mountaintop Hest with a height of 1.360 meter. The river Kvinna is also fed by a tribute river called Kovelvi. Fed by 2 major rivers, most of the time Kvinnefossen is a powerful waterfall.

From the Sognefjord cruise ships pass by close to the shore to admire the Kvinnefossen. According to a legend it is possible to see a woman in the rocks when the flow of water in the river is on a certain level (Kvinne means woman).  There are other stories about the name of the waterfall but this is the common one.

Barddalen (near Kvinnefossen)Barddalen (near Kvinnefossen)After I visited Kvinnefossen in 2017 I continued my way to the region of Førde. I recommend taking the mountain road in the Barddalen. Here you will great views and the road ascends quickly over 500 meter taking many hairpin curves. Almost up there is an art piece of steel and glass looking to the valley and one to the mountains. The view is breathtaking and a stop with the car is a must.

You passed several unnamed waterfalls along the road but the Førde (Gaular) region is famous because of its waterfalls. The most beautiful one is Huldefossen in Moskog.

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About Kvinnefossen

CountryNorway
RegionSogn og Fjordane
LocationLeikanger/Hella-Sognefjord
RiverKvinna
Height120-195m
Latitude61.209252
Longitude6.647962
Best visitSpring-Early summer
Rating

Most nearby waterfalls

WaterfallDistance (linear)Rating
Svartefoss 5 km
Kyrfossen (Vik) 14 km
Tyfossa 19 km
Huglafossen 20 km
Migandefossen 20 km