Preikestolen or Pulpit Rock - One of the most Beautiful Tourist Destination

Pulpit Rock or Preikestolen in Norwegian, is one of the area’s most popular and tourist attractions. This natural rock formation with a 25 meter squared (82 ft x 82 ft) plateau stands 604 meters (1,982 ft) above the sea. Thousands of tourists visit the Rock every year. The trip takes about two hours by foot, but the rock formation can also be enjoyed from the sea by boat. The original name of the rock formation is “Hyvlatonnå” – which means the tooth of a woodplane. There is a trail from the Pulpit Rock lodge through different mountain landscapes. A trip to Preikestolen from the closest car park and Norwegian Mountain Touring Associations-staffed refuge Prekestolhytta takes about 3-4 hours for a round trip hike.

Preikestolen and surrounding area

The tourism at the site has been increasing, around 2012, the plateau was each year visited by between 150,000 and 200,000 people who took the 3.8 km (2.4 mi.) hike to Preikestolen, making it one of the most visited natural tourist attractions in Norway

The walk is not recommended in winter and spring when there is snow and ice, and the track may be slippery. Best season to hike the trail is from April to October. Sturdy shoes and rain gear are recommended for the hike

The walk to Preikestolen is very steep in places

On top of Preikestolen

Even though the elevation differential is only 334 metres (1096 feet) and the walk is not particularly long (3.8 km each way), the total elevation gain and loss over the course of the hike is more than one might initially expect, as the path climbs and descends various ridges