The most famous cliff in Norway is Preikestolen (also known as Pulpit Rock in English). It rises at a height of 604 m above the Lysefjord. It is an icon among tourist destinations, especially for foreign visitors. It was formed more than 10,000 years ago, it is Norway’s most famous natural monument, from the top of which you get unforgettable views.
The hike to Preikestolen is moderately difficult, which means approx. 8 km there and back, an elevation of about 600 m. The path leading to the cliff has a variety of terrains – it includes swamps, forests, stone steps built by Nepalese Sherpas, wide rock platforms, and at the end a narrow rock path over a precipice. The route is open year-round, while the weather and climbing conditions change a lot, even within the same day.
Preikestolen is a destination for visitors from all over the world, and their number has gradually increased so that in 2019 more than 300,000 tourists climbed the cliff.
The ascent to Preikestolen is one of the three officially declared scenic hiking routes in Norway (the other two are the Kjerag rock on the opposite side of the same fjord, and the ascent to the waterfalls Storsaeterfossen in the town of Geiranger).
Interesting fact: Preikestolen and Lysefjord were the filming locations of one of the most important action scenes of the film Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018).
