The village lies at the head of the Sunnylvsfjord, which is a branch of
the Storfjord, and which the more famous Geirangerfjord in turn branches
off nearby. The 0.5-square-kilometre (120-acre) village has a
population (2009) around 260, but if you count the valleys surrounding,
the number is about 600.
In the summertime, thousands of tourists
travel through or stay in Hellesylt each day. Most of them take the
ferry to Geiranger, which in high season runs every one and a half
hours. The village is surrounded by mountains and valleys. The standard
of living is said to be one of the best in Norway. The Sunnylven church
is located in Hellesylt.
Hellesylt is under constant threat from the
mountain �kerneset, which is about to erode into the Sunnylvsfjord. A
collapse could cause a tsunami destroying most of downtown Hellesylt
