History

Geirangerfjorden Feriesenter is located at Grande in Geiranger. Grande was a farm in the early days and it was first mentioned in 1603. It is however possible that there has been a settlement here before 1603, because of the exceptional soil quality and the fact that Grande lies on the sunny side of the fjord means that spring arrives early. In 1650 the farm was divided into two equal sized farms. The ancestors of the current owner took over the farm in 1768. The farm has been handed over from one generation to the next ever since. Much land meant much grass and the grass was harvested using a scythe and transported back to the farm either by boat or by using a zip line. Sale of fruit was also an important extra income.

In the mid 1800s tourists started to visit the small fjord village Geiranger. In the beginning they arrived by passenger ships often from England and Germany. The contrast between the English lords and ladies on the ships and the fjord people on land was enormous. One English couple that visited Grande in the early 1900s said that it was irresponsible to let small children grow up on a farm like Grande. The rich English couple even offered to adopt the two girls that grew up on the farm. But the parents said no. On Grande the tourist industry started in 1946, shortly after the second World War ended. It was the 7th generation on the farm Monrad and Anna Grande that started with tourism. Some of the rooms on the second floor in the farmhouse were made ready for rent. The price per double room per night was 12 NOK. This became an important extra income for the farmers.

In the 1970s and 1980s it was the next generation Ola and Inger Grande that took the tourism initiative one step further. Gradually a motel, a hotel, cabins and a camping site were built. The farming was stopped in 1978. In 1999 the current owners Finn Magne Grande and Borghild Grande took over the cabins and the camping site and founded Geirangerfjorden Feriesenter. Boat rental was added as activity for the guests. They now operate Geirangerfjorden Feriesenter together with their family.