Lake Lygnstøylvatnet

This dive site is quite different because it’s a freshwater dive, but you could dive in the ruins of a sunken town. That is Lake Lygnstøylvatnet which is among the best dive sites in Norway. This lake was formed recently, just a hundred years ago after a rockfall. In 1908 a rockslide blocked the river Lygna which in turn filled up the Norangs valley submerging the road and the farmhouses. The farmhouses of Norang and Stylstad, the road with gates as well as surrounding trees have now been underwater and preserved in the cold waters for more than a hundred years.

Today the place attracts tourists passing by, stopping to take the pictures of the remnants of the houses which are visible through the clear water even from shore, but also divers from all around Norway and abroad that explore the ruins underwater. You can dive along the old road, a bridge, and ruins of farmhouses, but it’s very important to respect the site and not touch the ruins to cause further degradation.

Location: Norangsdalen, Norway.