Hellefossen
| Hellefossen | |
|---|---|
 | |
Interactive map of Hellefossen | |
| Location | Øvre Eiker, Buskerud, Norway |
| Coordinates | 59°47′14″N 9°53′59″E / 59.7872°N 9.8997°E |
| Total height | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Watercourse | Drammen River |
Hellefossen (also Hellefoss) is an originally five-meter-high waterfall in the Drammen River, the lowest in the watercourse. It lies north of Hokksund in Øvre Eiker municipality, Buskerud county.[1]
Hellefossen is mentioned as early as 1386 (Hellefossen). Nearby stood Helgehus, probably a chapel from that time. The large salmon fishery in the river originally belonged to Haug Church at Hokksund.[1]
The paper mill Hellefoss Paper stands on the site. The waterfall's hydroelectric power is used in the Holmen-Hellefoss power station, which has 11 MW of installed capacity and an average annual production of 81 GWh. Normal water flow at Hellefossen is 300 cubic meters per second; during the flood of August 2023 it reached 1,800 cubic meters, a record for the waterfall.[1]
J.C. Dahl depicted Hellefossen in an 1838 painting held by the National Gallery. The name probably means "the holy waterfall."[1]
References
This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC-BY SA. Text taken from Hellefoss, Geir Thorsnæs and Per Roger Lauritzen, Store norske leksikon.
- 1 2 3 4 Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (2024-11-26). "Hellefoss". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 2026-05-30.