About the Center

Norwegian Wild Salmon Center – experience wild salmon up close in Lyngdal

In the middle of the Lyngdal valley, where the Lygna river breaks through the mountain at Kvåsfossen, lies the Norwegian Wild Salmon Center. Here, you get closer to the Atlantic wild salmon than almost anywhere else in the country. We are an experience and knowledge center for wild salmon. The salmon has been part of our history and culture for thousands of years, but today it needs our help to have a future in the rivers. With us, you get both the experience and the knowledge – and hopefully some of the passion needed to take care of it.

What you will experience with us

The main attraction is located inside the mountain: a salmon ladder in a tunnel where you can see live wild salmon swimming past large glass windows on their way to their spawning grounds. Inside the center, you will find exhibitions about the salmon's journey – from the tiny roe in the river gravel to the adult salmon returning home from the sea. Outside, the Kvåsfossen waterfall itself awaits, one of Southern Norway's largest, with hiking trails, dizzying views of the gorge, and an outdoor area for the whole family.

Good to know before your visit

The center is located at Kvås in Lyngdal municipality in Agder, along county road 43, about 15 kilometers from Lyngdal town center. It is well signposted, and there is free parking right next to it. We are open from April to October, and the facility is universally accessible, with an elevator down into the mountain and adapted restrooms. There is also a café, a souvenir shop, and fishing license sales. If you want to stay nearby, there is a campsite close by. Whether you are visiting as a family, school class, group, or on your own: welcome to learn a little more about the wild salmon – our shared heritage and our shared responsibility.