Lysefjord, Norway

Our day cruise out of Stavanger departed at 10:00 a.m. on a cool August morning. This excursion included hiking the famous Preikestolen, which I will cover in the next post.

The Norwegian flag flies jauntily as the clean and comfortable vessel is prepared to depart Stavanger.

We passed salmon farms and many islands before we entered Lysefjord. The houses all looked so well-kept and cozy. 

As we entered the fjord, the magnitude of the sheer cliffs dropping into the deep water was stunning. You can just make out a one-person kayak in the water, which gives some scale to the size of these walls of the fjord.

Our vessel stopped to visit these wild goats that are actually quite used to humans. 

Leaving the goats behind, the cruise boat speeds along to a key highlight of this trip. 

Jutting out at the very top center of the photo below is Preikestolen, also called Pulpit Rock or Bishop's Chair. This rock outcropping sits 604 meters (1,982 feet) above Lysefjord. 

Below is a broader view with Preikestolen in the center. This sighting inspired us for our hike later in the day. My next post will feature our hike up to that amazing spot where we enjoyed a panoramic view of Lysefjord and beyond.

A fjord cruise wouldn't be complete without at least one waterfall.

This one was so beautiful, it needed three views to appreciate it fully. 

The view below shows the direction from which we'd come. Time to turn around and head back down Lysefjord.

Looking back up Lysefjord, the immense size of the cliffs dwarfs a cruise ship. The cruise boat took us to a small town where we boarded a bus that took us to the trailhead of Preikestolen. More about that part of this one incredible day in my next post.