Until 1821, Vøringfossen was hardly known to anyone other than the local population. At that time, Professor Christopher Hansteen crossed Hardangervidda to conduct some astronomical observations.
On his way down towards Eidfjord, he stopped several times to admire the waterfalls.
The two mountain men who carried his equipment said, «That is nothing. We can show you a waterfall that is at least a half ‘fjerding’ (300 meters) high.» Hansteen didn’t believe them, but he was still «shaken» by the sight of Vøringfossen, even though he estimated the drop to be «only» 280 meters by throwing stones down from the edge and measuring the time with his pocket watch. 

Hansteen’s visit marked the breakthrough of Vøringfossen as a national symbol and natural attraction.
From 1861, several ships named «Vøringen» started sailing on Hardangerfjorden. In the 1880s, Ola Garen decided to build a hotel at the top of the waterfall. The only way to reach it was a path with 1,500 steps up Måbøfjellet, along with a bridle path built in 1872 to transport English tourists to the waterfall. In 1891, a new road with tunnels was constructed along the water between Eidfjord and Øvre Eidfjord, and the same year, Fossli Hotel was completed. It was designed in Jugendstil, likely by the local builder Fiksen, who had erected Vøringsfoss Hotel the previous year. Frederik Konow Lund was the architect when the hotel was later expanded and rebuilt.

In 1893, Vøringfossen’s height was measured using a rope, and it was found to be 163 meters. Around 1900, large cruise ships started entering Eidfjord, and from there, passengers were transported up the valley by horse and carriage. In 1915, the first car, an Opel, drove up to Fossli Bridge.
Six years later, a drivable road was established all the way to the hotel. The old National Road 7 eventually became a bottleneck for traffic. In 1986, the new National Road 7 with four tunnels was opened.