Travelogue Norway 2021
Lysefjord
Our next destination was the Lysefjord, as a fjord in itself (according to Lonely Planet “the favorite fjord of many visitors”, but similar is said for a number of other fjords) as well as a starting point for the hikes to Preikestolen and Kjeragbolten. After a rough look at the map and available accommodations I had chosen an accommodation north of Forsand. As nice as this accommodation and its location was, I had not considered some points:
- I had already pointed out how important it is to pay attention to the ferry connection.
- The nearest grocery store was seven kilometers away and the nearest restaurant fifteen. Grocery stores in small towns are also only open for shorter periods on Saturdays and not at all on Sundays. And there was no kitchen in our accommodation. As a result, the food supply became a bit of a logistical challenge.
- Our destination Kjeragbolten was only 30 kilometres away as the crow flies. Taking into account ferry connections and long travel times (up to 120 kilometers!), it was impossible to make this trek from here and return the same day.
An optimized program and assuming optimal weather could have looked like this:
- Two overnight stays near Jørpeland.
- On the first day hike to the Preikestolen.
- On the second day, travel by tourist ferry through the Lysefjord (with your own vehicle on board).
- Overnight stay in or near Lysebotn.
- On the third day hike to Kjeragbolten.
We did it differently due to both sub-optimal preparation and the weather. I hope our experiences will help some of you in your travel planning.
There was some rain forecast for the next day, plus it had taken us a little longer to get breakfast in the morning. Therefore we decided to visit the Lysefjord by ferry today. Ideally, you should also plan something like this the evening before at the latest, find out about the departure times and book your ticket online. Important: There are two different ferries, both travel approximately the same distance. One is quite expensive, the other quite cheap. But while the cheap normal ferry simply drives in the middle of the fjord on a direct way to Lysebotn, the expensive tourist ferry navigates to different beautiful or interesting points at the shore and there is information by loudspeaker without which one would probably not discover one or the other.