Lysefjorden is simply a terrific place with some kind of Lord of the rings like atmosphere. The impressive view on the fjord, the majestic waterfalls everywhere you look and the company of fluffy sheeps next to the road is simply the unforgettable place to relax the body and the soul.

Lysebotn is technically a tiny, very isolated village, relatively hard to access, but an important starting point for travelers. In the fact, the only way to get to it is by a quite difficult road, recommended for experienced drivers only. The road is namely located on a cliff so steep it goes from the snowy mountains to the bottom of valley in 29 kilometers, where it passes 27 hairpin turns (the 180 degree turns) in a direction downhill. Another important fact is that the roads are quite narrow. Combined with the weather conditions, which might be hard even in June and may come in the shape of mild to heavy rain or snow, can make you sweat a bit behind a steering wheel. So keep your own and passengers’ safety in mind.

Lysebotn is normally a good choice for a place to stay when you want to visit Kjerag, the boulder which is one of the most commercially known touristic places for the brave souls. We all have seen people standing bravely – or at least appearing that way – on the boulder that looks caught between two cliffs. Another popular activity there is base jumping for the last 23 years. If the weather conditions are nice, you might be able to see them! On our trip, we were not that lucky since it is quite common to experience the rainy and foggy parts of the day, which is why it is a good idea to spend more than a day there.

The Lysebotn village does not have many night life activities, the main things to do are the hikes around it and to take a ferry to the next stations, including the Flørli, Preikestolen (Pulpit rock) and Stavanger city. The hostel in there is also a very relaxing place with the main building and cabins. In case the climate does not serve you well, the chillout rooms allow you to relax and have the beautiful views on the fjord anyway. In the main building the souvenir shop and the café/restaurant is located and I absolutely need to praise their food. They were also so generous to create the vegetarian burger for the first time ever as we asked for it! I was not the one ordering it, but I appreciated a gesture a lot.

To sum it up, Lysebotn is definitely a place to stop by, whether it is the beginning, the end or the middle point of your journey. You are certainly going to want to stop and stay a bit to take in the wonders of Norwegian nature before you proceed. Book your stay at our wonderful Lysefjorden Hostel!

Written by:
Sandra Meglić

Photo credit: Sandra Meglić and Fernanda Miranda Cunha Tenorio