Målselvfossen – Målselv

Målselvfossen in Målselv, Troms, is not one big drop but a 600 metre long series of rapids in three falls, 22 metres in all – with huge masses of water: in the spring flood more than 750 m³ per second. In 2003 the listeners of the NRK radio programme Nitimen voted it Norway’s national waterfall.

Salmon: the Målselva is a famous salmon river. In 1910 the landowners cut a salmon ladder into the falls so that the fish can continue upstream to their spawning grounds – at the time it was described as the longest in Northern Europe. There has been a salmon viewing room at the ladder, open in summer (mid-June to mid-August); check with Målselv municipality whether it is open before you plan your visit around it.

Tips for campers: the falls are at their most powerful during the spring flood. Målselvfossen Feriesenter, a campsite, is right by the falls, so you can stay overnight with the roar of the rapids. Fishing in the river needs a licence.