The fjord
Lysefjorden is located in Forsand, which is a small village in south-western Norway. The name means light fjord, and is said to be derived from the lightly coloured granite rocks along its sides. The fjord was carved by the action of glaciers in the ice ages and was flooded by the sea when the later glaciers retreated. End to end, it measures 42 km (23 miles) with rocky walls falling nearly vertically over 1000 m (3,000 ft) into the water. Read more..
Lysefjorden is an extremely popular tourist attraction and day trip from nearby Stavanger can be done by fast boats or ferry in the summer season. As well as the extraordinary scenery of the fjord itself, two points along its length are popular side trips. The rock of Preikestolen, located above a vertical drop of 600 meters, can be seen from the fjord, but is more impressive from above. At the end of the fjord lies the small village Lysebotn and the Kjerag mountain, a popular hiking destination with even more spectacular drops. Kjerag is also a popular place for base jumpers, and it is legally allowed to jump there.
Not only is the fjord long and narrow, it is in places as deep as the mountains are high. Only 13 m (43 feet) deep where it begins, Lysefjorden drops to a depth of over 400 m (1300 feet) below the Pulpit Rock.
