Dorgefoss

Dorgefoss is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the region Vest Agder (Norway) located near Handeland in Sirdal.

Driving from Ovre Sirdal north on road Rv468 you cross a bridge over the river Sira. Nowadays there is a parking at the left side after the bridge and a manmade wooden platform/viewpoint on the Dorgefoss. This was our first visit to a waterfall in Norway when me and me brother made a road trip through Norway in 2014.

We loved the Dorgefoss very much and with a total height over 30-50 meter it is an impressive waterfall. The biggest single drop is appr. 15 meter. In the middle of the waterfall you see a gigantic rock (over 3.000 kg) called Håvardsteinen (Håvard rock), it is said that Håvard Valevatn moved this heavy rock all by himself, when they built the first road along the gorge here.

The Sira river is regulated and the amount of water running through Dorgefoss varies. From the bridge over the Dorgefoss you can look down where you have a tremendous view on the rock formations around the Dorgefoss.

From the picnic area nearby, you can follow a foot path down to the edge of the gorge where you can see the Dorgefoss in all of its glory.

Because the waterfall is regulated it is hard to tell what the best time is to visit the Dorgefoss. Probably in summertime. In ancient days Dorgefoss was a very powerful waterfall.

An old tale from Sirdal describes how prisoners with a death sentence got a last chance to save themselves by jumping over the Dorgefoss waterfall. If they made it they were free, if not the fall down the waterfall would fulfill the death sentence (visitnorway.com).