- Geirangerfjord
Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = West Norwegian Fjords -Geirangerfjord andNærøyfjord
State Party = NOR
Type = Natural
Criteria = vii, viii
ID = 1195
Region = Europe and North America
Year = 2005
Session = 29th
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1195The Geirangerfjord ("Geirangerfjorden") is a
fjord in theSunnmøre region, located in the southernmost part of the countyMøre og Romsdal inNorway . It is a 15km long branch of the Storfjord (Great Fjord). At the head in the fjord lies the small village ofGeiranger .The fjord is one of Norway's most visited tourist sites and has been listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site , jointly withNærøyfjord , since 2005, although this status is now threatened by the disputed plans to build power lines across the fjord. [ [http://www.bt.no/innenriks/article380214.ece Geirangerfjorden kan miste verdensarvstatus] , Bergens Tidende, July 6, 2007, retrieved July 7, 2007 no_icon]The Geirangerfjord is under constant threat from the mountain
Åkerneset which is about to erode into thefjord . A collapse would produce atsunami , hitting several nearby towns includingGeiranger andHellesylt in about ten minutes. [ [http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article911371.ece Gigantras truer vestlandsbygder] , Aftenposten, Nov 14 2004, retrieved July 7, 2007 no_icon] [ [http://www.forskning.no/Artikler/2004/april/1082537322.37 Økt fare for fjellskred i Åkersneset] , forskning.no, Apr 22, 2004, retrieved July 7, 2007 no_icon] [http://www.quanterra.org/repository/icfl.htm High Resolution Digital Elevation Model Analysis for Landslide Hazard Assessment (Åkerneset, Norway)] ]Along the fjord's sides there lie a number of now abandoned farms. Some restoration has been made by the 'Storfjordens venner' association (see external link below). The most commonly visited among these are
Skageflå ,Knivsflå , and Blomberg. Skageflå may also be reached on foot from Geiranger, while the others require a boat excursion. The fjord is also host to several impressive waterfalls.A car ferry, which doubles as a sightseeing trip, is operated by
Fjord1 . It runs lengthwise along the fjord between the small towns ofGeiranger andHellesylt .Waterfalls
The two most notable waterfalls in the Geirangerfjord are the Seven Sisters and the Suitor (also called 'the Wooer'). The two falls face one another across the fjord, and the Suitor is said to be trying to woo the sisters opposite.
The Bridal Veil is another waterfall in the fjord, so named because it falls delicately over one rocky edge, and when seen backlit by the sun it has the appearance of a thin veil over the rocks.
Gallery
External links
* [http://www.geiranger.no Geiranger Tourist-Info]
* [http://www.visitnorddal.com/destinasjon/ Destinasjon Geirangerfjord - Trollstigen]
* [http://www.smp.no/files/smp/kamera/geiranger/geiranger_large.jpgWebcam]References
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