There are a number of hikes from our campsite in Geiranger and we chose to hike to a hillside farm, which now hosts a cafe with spectacular views across the valley and Geiranger.
Only a mile there and back but it’s a tough walk. If you want to see the head of the waterfall, it’s the same distance and probably even tougher.
A little bit of information about Geiranger and its geology.
Geiranger is a world-famous tourist village in the Sunnmøre region of western Norway, situated at the head of the spectacular Geirangerfjord. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, it is renowned for its sheer mountain cliffs, dramatic waterfalls, and historic, abandoned mountain farms.
Despite having a year-round population of fewer than 300 residents, the village serves as one of Norway’s premier cruise ports and travel destinations.
Geiranger faces a continuous, scientifically monitored threat from a potential 80-meter-high (260-foot) tsunami generated by a catastrophic rockslide from the unstable Åkerneset mountain. This natural phenomenon, which inspired the Norwegian disaster movie The Wave, is caused by a massive crack in the mountain that grows by several centimeters every year.
What about Vinje camping?
Well, we were greeted by a very friendly lady (possibly the campsite owner) and she helped us chose a nice flat pitch. I’d suggest arriving before 2pm if you want to guarantee a pitch for the night.
Perfectly sized for our Campervan but wouldn’t be great for a larger unit. There’s a little shop and the sanitary facilities are clean and modern.
Here’s the “but”. Two working gents toilets for a campsite with up to 200 tents, caravans and campervans is nowhere near enough. Even if the third one had been operational, it’s still not enough. Waiting to use the facilities in the evening was more akin to being at a music festival! The reason we chose this site over Geiranger Camping in town was because the latter has a number of reviews stating there aren’t enough toilets and showers. Must be a “thing” here!