After having hiked to the Pulpit Rock many times it was about time to have a look at it from a different perspective, trying out a fjord cruise to Lysefjorden.

Previously we have decided not to see the famous rock formation by boat. After all, once you have stood on the plateau itself several times, why see it all the way from the bottom? Well, as it turns out, because the view is completely different – in a good way.

The departure point was in downtown Stavanger, a very practical place to get to. As this happened during the Corona-crisis there were some changes, surprisingly for the better. Limited amount of people on the boat, excellent cleaning and few other boats and noise in general. What else could you wish for when visiting one of Norway’s most popular tourist destinations?

About an hour after departing from Stavanger we arrived at Lysefjorden and started by visiting some other sights before arriving at the Pulpit Rock. First up was Fantehola (or Fantehålå/Fantehåla), known as Vagabond’s cave in English. This was allegedly the place where people escaped from the local law enforcement when they hadn’t paid their taxes. A steep hill and a plethora of rocks to throw at the police was apparently the recipe for success in avoiding taxes back in the day.

Further on we sailed along the fjord and suddenly the Pulpit Rock appeared. Or did it?

Jørn was certain that this was the Pulpit Rock, although the rocks next to it looked quite different from the fjord. That was not without reason, as it was not the right place at all… It was an interesting sight nonetheless and we’ve put a marker on the map to come back later and explore this place from above.

Next up: Goats. Yes, apparently someone came up with the idea of introducing goats to this tiny slope of grass next to the steep mountains. A part of the experience was to feed them, but as they were just recently relocated to this place after winter they were not used to people and ran away whenever the staff tried to approach them with the food. Well, at least we got to see the goats…

Back to sailing and finally we arrived at the Pulpit Rock. Having stood on top it was strange to see it from such a different perspective. And the huge plateau looked so much smaller from below.

The view being so different from the bottom of the fjord was a big surprise to us and a nice reminder that a place can be visited in many different ways.

Finally we stopped at Hengjanefossen, a waterfall running into Lysefjorden. We were “warned” that this could turn into a rather wet experience and the captain certainly did what he could to get us as close as possible. Still, there wasn’t that much water in the waterfall and we escaped dry and warm.

With that the trip was coming to an end and the boat turned around heading back for Stavanger. In total the trip took a little over 3 hours and was a great way of seeing Lysefjorden and the Pulpit Rock.

Although the Pulpit Rock is the main attraction on this trip, Lysefjorden is filled with spectacular sights of steep rock cliffs, strange rock formations and the occasional goat. With a bit of luck you might even see a seal and enjoy the view of the mountain ranges on a sunny day.

Fjord cruises departure daily to Lysefjorden from Stavanger in May through October. The rest of the year it departs 5 times a week, so this trip can be done all year round.

Do you want to hike to the Pulpit Rock too? Spending the night at the top is something we can really recommend and a great opportunity to wake up to a view like this on good days.