Preikestolen, Norway

Also called Pulpit Rock or Bishop's Chair, Preikestolen is a famous rock outcropping that sits above the lovely Lysefjord in southwest Norway.

After our morning cruise of Lysefjord, we were dropped off at a small town where we boarded a bus that took us to the base camp area of Preikestolen--the location of its trailhead. The beginning of the hike is quite easy, meandering through forested areas. 

My husband Brian takes in the view of the base camp area where several amenities are available including a hotel and a restaurant. 

We started the hike at 1:00 p.m and stopped early to eat the lunches we had packed. Lots of wildflowers including this heather above gave color to the trailside. 

We were very glad we brought our trekking poles for this hike. Even though the elevation gain is only 340 meters (1096 feet) and the length about 3.8 kilometers (2.4 miles), this path follows a variety of many climbs and descents. It felt much longer to me and was a more difficult hike than I expected.

We were rewarded by abundant, beautiful views all around.

Here I am coming up the last ascent before the top.

Here is a side view of Preikestolen, a nearly flat-topped outcropping of about 25 x 25 meters (82 x 82 feet). It is a popular tourist attraction, especially on such a beautiful day as we enjoyed. 

Below is the view looking up Lysefjord where we had just been on the day cruise vessel earlier in the morning. The two pleasure boats passing each other gives a sense of scale. Preikestolen is 604 meters (1,982 feet) above Lysefjord's surface.

The photo below looks down Lysefjord and toward Stavanger where we started this day's adventure.

Below is an example of the trail to Preikestolen. Most of the surface is rock and much of it is very steep with large steps. At 5 foot 5 inches tall, I felt like giants had built the steps. This hike is listed as moderate, but that's according to Norwegian standards. This is one of the hardest hikes I have ever done.

Here we are back at the base camp of Preikestolen. We missed the first bus back to Stavanger. So, while waiting for the next and last bus, we took advantage of the restaurant at the hotel. We were SO hungry and enjoyed a hearty and delicious dinner that included stew. This was one of the most memorable days of all our months of travel in Europe. Absolutely unforgettable!