Preikestolen

Preikestolen, the Pulpit Rock, is a block of granite with a nearly flat top about 25 by 25 metres that ends in a vertical drop of 604 metres to the Lysefjord. The shape is the work of the last Ice Age: roughly 10,000 years ago, when the edge of the glacier stood here, meltwater froze in the rock's joints and split off angular blocks that the ice then carried away, leaving the square-cut platform. A deep fissure runs along the plateau behind the edge; geologists who have studied it have concluded that the block is not in danger of falling in any foreseeable time. There are no railings, by design: the authorities have decided against fencing, and serious accidents remain very rare.

The old local name was Hyvlatonnå, "the plane's tooth". The name Prekestolen, "the pulpit", was coined around 1900 by the Stavanger Trekking Association, which wanted to promote the site to walkers; the spelling with an "i" was adopted later to match the local written standard. A century on, it has become one of the most visited natural sights in Norway, with around 300,000 visitors in 2024. To cope with the traffic, the path was rebuilt between 2013 and 2016 by a team of Nepalese Sherpas, widening sections where walkers used to back up. The cliff has since appeared in the climax of "Mission: Impossible – Fallout".

The hike is the experience. According to the regional tourist board, the trail is about 4 km each way, with some 500 metres of total ascent, and takes around two hours in each direction; the climb from about 270 metres above sea level is steep in places and crosses several ridges, so the total effort is greater than the height difference suggests. Good shoes and water are essential, and in summer the trail is crowded, so an early or late start pays off. The route can be walked year-round, but from roughly October to April snow and ice are likely, and crampons or a guided winter hike are the safe choice. For a different perspective, sightseeing boats on the Lysefjord pass beneath the cliff. Kjerag, with its famous wedged boulder, is further up the same fjord.

Getting there

The trailhead car park at Preikestolen Fjellstue is about 10 minutes' drive from Jørpeland and around 40 minutes from Stavanger through the Ryfast undersea tunnel; the rock itself is about 26 km from Stavanger in a straight line. Stavanger Airport, Sola (SVG) is about 34 km away. Without a car, take a regional bus to Jørpeland and continue by taxi or seasonal bus to the car park; parking there is paid.