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Preikestolen

One of Norway's most famous attractions is the Preikestolen. And no wonder! Because the spectacular rocky pulpit of Preikestolen towers 604m above the Lysefjord, giving you a fantastic view over the entire Lysefjord. It can quickly leave you speechless...

23/06/2019

dear(travel)diary,

5 o'clock in the morning, the sun has already risen; we enjoy our breakfast and look back on a few exciting hours... Because after our hike to Kjerag, we decided to drive or hike to Preikestolen. We drove to Forsand and took the ferry to Oanes to get to the Preikestolen Fjellstue mountain hut. There we packed up our camping gear and set off towards Preikestolen at 11pm.

The hike itself was actually quite easy and short, but it was characterized by small mishaps: It started with us getting lost in the dark on a vast stone plateau and ended with us having to sleep on a cold stone floor because we forgot the closure of our air mattress. We really had everything with us: Tent, sleeping bags, air mattress and air pump, as well as our breakfast! The only thing left behind in the car was this stupid closure. So it was not only a short night, but also a cold and uncomfortable night.

When our alarm clock went off at 4 a.m., we left the tent behind and walked the remaining short distance to the rocky plateau to enjoy the sunrise. Although it was a little overcast, the mixture of clouds and sun created a very special atmosphere. It bathed the fjord in a beautiful light. Despite all the circumstances, our little adventure was well worth it.

xx Chiara

good to know:

Hike

We would classify the 8km hike as an easy hike. Although you will climb a total of around 500 meters in altitude, most of it is done by stairs, which makes it easier. The entire hike to Preikestolen should actually take about 2 hours each way. Though, it only took us just over 1 hour each way. You can do the hike all year round; in winter and in bad weather, however, you should definitely follow the instructions of the staff at Fjellstue.

Experiencing the sunrise at Preikestolen was a highlight. However, there were already quite a few people up there at around 4am. An hour later, we and a small group of girls were the only ones sitting on the plateau. So it's worth staying longer.


Getting there & parking

If you start from Lysebotn, you can either take the tourist ferry from Lysebotn to Lauvik or you can drive to Forsand and take the ferry to Oanes from there. This runs almost all day, every half hour. From both Oanes and Lauvik, it is not far to the Preikestolen Fjellstue mountain hut, from where the hike to Preikestolen starts.

The parking lot at Preikestolen Fjellstue costs around 25 EUR. However, there is an absolute ban on stopping along the entire route to Preikestolen. You should therefore park in the parking lot.


I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.