Guidebook
Lonely Planet Norway
Lonely Planet · 2024
Current Lonely Planet covering the western fjords, Hardanger, Geiranger and Telemark roads past Norway's big falls.
Norway · Sarpsborg
Sarp Falls
Sarp Falls is a waterfall at Sarpsborg in Østfold, Norway. It is the second largest waterfall in Europe by discharge, after the Rhine Falls.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Sarp Falls drops 20 metres (66 ft) on the Glomma River. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Sarpsborg, Norway. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Sarp Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Sarpsborg are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Snowmelt feeds the falls from late May; June to August is the short, bright season, and many access roads close in winter.
Getting there
- Base town Sarpsborg, Norway
- Country Norway
- Region Sarpsborg, Nordics & Baltics, Europe
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Sarp Falls
Norway
Height20 mWidth—
Most similar
High Force
United Kingdom
Height21 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in the United Kingdom
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
20 m
21 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Sarp FallsHigh ForceVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 49× taller than Sarp Falls. Victoria Falls is 5.4× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Sarp Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Guidebook
DK Eyewitness Norway
DK Eyewitness · 2024
Illustrated Norway guide, good for planning fjord drives such as Geiranger and Hardanger.
On the map
59.27583, 11.13056
Quick answers
Where is Sarp Falls?
Sarp Falls is in Norway (Sarpsborg). The nearest base is Sarpsborg, Norway. Its coordinates are 59.2758, 11.1306.
How tall is Sarp Falls?
Sarp Falls drops 20 metres (66 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall on the Glomma River.
When is the best time to visit Sarp Falls?
Peak flow is June to August. Snowmelt feeds the falls from late May; June to August is the short, bright season, and many access roads close in winter.
What can you do at Sarp Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Sarp Falls?
The usual base is Sarpsborg, Norway. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Sarp Falls
Hellefossen
Norway · 90 km away
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Haugfoss
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Trollhättan Falls
Sweden · 32 m · 130 km away
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UNESCO Rjukanfossen
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Anchor of a UNESCO industrial heritage landscape
Ice climbing