Pulpit rock and Lysefjord near
Stavanger Norway

Fjords and mountains near Stavanger Norway

Fjord Norway on the west coast of Norway is world-famous, and rightly so. There are thousands of fjords, all with different characteristics, but the contrast of calm sea and dramatic mountains - often with towering cliffs - is a trademark.
Don't forget that although Sognefjord and Geiranger near Ålesund are impressive, you need to do a lot of driving to get there - Lysefjord is just as dramatic and much more accessible.

Lysefjord

Lysefjorden is very close to Stavanger, with daily sightseeing boat trips from Stavanger, and car ferries to Lysebotn at the inner end of the fjord during the summer. There is a popular touring day trip with car that takes this ferry from Stavanger, drives up and over to Sirdal and back to Stavanger.
Along the fjord you can look up at Pulpit Rock (called Preikestolen or Prekestolen in Norwegian) 604 metres above the water. Further along, you can just see the boulder of Kjeragbolten 1000 metres up. Base jumpers parachute from Kjerag during the summer.

Ryfylke

The Ryfylke area is a unique mix of islands, fjords and mountains to the north of Stavanger. Follow our route island-hopping to Sand and Sauda, then over the mountains to Røldal. From there, go west to Haugesund, north to Odda and Hardanger, or east to Setesdal (and Hovden) or Telemark.

Hardanger

Hardangerfjord is the big fjord between Haugesund and Bergen, which goes north east into the mountains, with another arm - called Sørfjorden - which then cuts south to Odda. To the west of Sørfjorden is the Følgefonna glacier and to the west is the vast wild plateau of Hardangervidda - but the slopes of the fjord are lined with fruit orchards, and there is a music festival here in the spring.

Sognefjord

This longest of fjords is famous for many reasons, including the Flåm railway and the Borgund stave church