Geiranger is a small village at the head of the fjord, with a harbour, a church, a few shops and a number of hotels, and for a place with so few permanent residents it handles an astonishing number of visitors. In summer several cruise ships may be anchored at once, each one far larger than the village itself, and a stream of coaches and cars winds down the hairpins to see it. Despite this, Geiranger has a calm, almost domestic feel when the ships have gone, and the evening light on the water is lovely.
The setting is the point. The mountains rise steeply on both sides, and the village sits on a small delta where a river meets the fjord. Opposite the harbour, the Seven Sisters waterfall pours down the cliff in seven separate streams, and boat trips from the quay go out to look at it and at the old abandoned farms. There is also a ferry that runs along the fjord to Hellesylt, a good way to see the cliffs from below, and a small fjord centre with exhibitions about the landscape and its people.
The roads in and out are among the most famous in Norway. From the south the road drops from the high plateau in tight hairpins with views of the fjord; from the north the road rises in a series of bends known as the Eagle Road. Both demand attention, with steep gradients and plenty of tourist traffic, and in wet weather the surface can be slick. The best time to ride is early morning or late evening, when the ships and coaches are fewer and the light is soft.
Geiranger is a small place, so for a larger choice of shops, fuel and services, Stranda, about twenty-seven kilometres away, is the nearest town. Park near the harbour, walk along the shore and sit with a coffee. The sound of waterfalls drifts across the water, and on a still evening the reflections of the mountains are as good as any picture.