Tvinnefossen (Stryn)

(Trollfossen)

Tvinnefossen is without a doubt the nicest waterfall in Norway and is located in Randabygda (Stryn) in the region Sogn og Fjordane.

July 2017 was the first time I decided to visit Tvinnefossen in Randabygda and I was in the area of Stryn. From Stryn it is 29 kilometer drive on road Rv613 along the beautiful Innvikfjorden. The road is quiet and you hardly come across any traffic. To be honest, I was up early and was driving to Tvinnefossen 9.00 in the morning, so it could be different in the afternoon.

Tvinnefossen-signTvinnefossen-viewIn Randabygda you will see a small sign with Tvinnefossen pointing  to the left. Drive down the road until you reach the parking at the soccer field and school. In summertime (from noon) there is a sort of cafe where you can buy something to drink.

Across the parking a nice handmade sign with Tvinnefossen points to the right over a small “private road”. You walk along some Norwegian houses that made me so happy. The view on the fjord was amazing, the houses are colored and decorated with flowers and children where playing. It all was so perfect and cosy.

Tvinnefossen-for childrenI walked further down the path and waked by some pictures of children playing. People put a lot of effort in it to let it look cosy (nice!). A few hundred meter further some toys lied along the path with some fresh planted yearlings. The path to Tvinnefossen is quit flat and suitable for children and elderly.

Soon you will reach the wooden platform with a perfect view on Tvinnefossen. The walk only takes 15-20 minutes, to the platform and is 1,5 kilometer long. The elevation is negligible. From the platform you can walk behind Tvinnefossen. Although there is a simple fence, be careful with children.

Tvinnefossen-picnicDo’t forget to write something in the guestbook! At the picnic spot, a hundred meter before the waterfall, you can sit, have something to drink and write down your experience in a guestbook. Never saw this before (at a waterfall).

The view from behind the water curtain is astonishing. Standing on an altitude of 240 meter the view over the Innvikfossen is beautiful. You can also walk further, to the other side of the waterfall having an even better view.

The part of Tvinnefossen, where you walk under, is only 10 meter high, the river Tvinna keeps falling down.  The name Tvinne comes from the fact that a long stretch of the river swirls and twists around as when wool is spun (tvinnet) to make yarn.

After I walked at the veil of water I wanted to explore the rest of the waterfall. This is not something you do with children, but if you are careful you can climb down at the west side of the river Tvinna. Be careful (again) there are a lot of loose stones on the rocks. I didn’t climb down all the way but I could see that Tvinnefossen is more impressive then I thought before. The total height must be over 100 meter. Surveying the map I think a height of 170 meter is more like it.

You expect that Tvinnefossen must be 240 meter high from the part you can walk behind, but the lower part of the river Tvinna is called Trollfossen. I think you can walk there. On Norgeskart I see a trail going to a farm at the end of the river Tvinna.

Below Tvinnefossen farmers had fruit trees, picked nuts, found materials for making rope and hoops for barrels (hazel wood). The story goes that two men fell to their deaths in the steep and rugged terrain through which the path runs.

The waterfall Tvinnefossen has its origin in the Kleberdalen with several small lakes and a highest mountain peak Blåegga (1064 m).

I don’t know exactly what the best season is to visit Tvinnefossen. The river has a quit consistent flow but late spring or early summer should be perfect. Tvinnefossen falls towards the south west, perfect to take pictures late in the afternoon (evening in summertime).

There are certainly other things to do in the area of Stryn but the visit to Tvinnefossen was my highlight. You also can visit the Lodalen near Loen. Just outside Loen you can walk to one of the highest viewpoints of the area.

Tjugenfossen-signTjugenfossenYou can walk up 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.

RamnefjellfossenYou also can go to Kjenndalstova, a restaurant with a tremendous view on one of the biggest waterfalls in the world, 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.

KjenndalsbreenBut this is still not the end of the valley. The road (with a fee) goes further into the valley taking you all the way up to the end of the Kjenndalen. Here you will have a great view on the glacier Kjenndalsbreen (part of Jostedalsbreen) and two waterfalls on each side of the valley. The biggest one on the east side of the valley is named and is called Krunefossen.
From the parking a path leads to the base of the Kjenndalsbreen, a great and impressive view.



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About Tvinnefossen (Stryn)

CountryNorway
RegionSogn og Fjordane
LocationRandabygda, Innvikfjorden, Stryn
RiverTvinna
Height10-160m
Latitude61.860382
Longitude6.351267
Best visitEarly summer-summer
Rating

Most nearby waterfalls

WaterfallDistance (linear)Rating
Eidsfossen 16 km
Nonsfossen 27 km
Sanddalsfossen 29 km
Spirefossen 33 km
Strupenfossen 36 km