Hardangerfjord

This magnificent fjord is the second largest in Norway, a vast waterway inland between the towering mountains of the Hardanger Plateau - snowy above yet colorful below with orchards and farmsteads. 

The Hardangerfjord penetrates 114 mi (183 km) from the Atlantic Ocean into Hordaland county, SW Norway. A southern branch, the Sørfjord, cleaves the Hardangervidda, a barren and rocky plateau, for 25 mi (40 km); at its head are the village of Odda and the famous Skjeggedalsfoss, a waterfall 525 ft (160 m) high. An eastern branch, the Eidfjord, extends 15 mi (24 km) to the quaint village of Vik near the Vøringfoss, a waterfall 535 ft (163 m) high. Extending inland from the fjord is the Hardangerfjell, a mountain mass rising to 6,153 ft (1,875 m) in the Hardangerjøkel.

The fjord branches into numerous small "fjordlets" and impressive waterfalls tumble into the clear blue waters from far above — including the massive Vorings Falls with a vertical drop of almost 500 feet.