In early October 2025 I joined a group of international Travel Agents for a short familiarisation trip to Stavanger and the surrounding area. Over five days we got to stay in historic buildings, try fantastic food and drink and stand on the edge of Preikstolen which juts out over Lysefjord (604 metres below).
We started the trip with a short walking tour of Stavanger which focused on the wooden cottages near the port which are still lived in and date back to the 18th Century. This area is only a short walk from the centre of Stavanger and worth a visit.
From Stavanger we took an Oslo bound train to Egersund which is about an hour along the coast. If you’re taking this train, look out for the massive painting of the Footballer, Erling Haaland as you pass Bryne. He started his football career for Bryne FK although he was born in Leeds whilst his Dad was playing football in the Premier League in the early 2000s . Morten from the Tourist Board told me that Man City fans make a pilgrimage to Bryne.
Our final destination for the day was Sognesdalstrand which is a scenic drive from Egersund and through the UNESCO Magma Park. This area is important in the story of the NASA Moonlandings as the rocks are made of anorthosite which is the same as those found on the Moon. A team of NASA Scientists used the area to plan a lunar landing zone. That means that when you look at the Moon and see bright areas, you are looking at the same type of rocks as you can see in this part of Norway.
Our overnight stay was at Sognsalstrand Kulturehotel which is a collection of old wooden buildings that were saved from demolition and turned into tourist accommodation. Due to the demise of the fishing industry and depopulation, the town became derelict and was almost condemned. Thankfully Oli and Jan Oddvar took a risk and invested in the village to save the building and preserve for future generations. My room was inside the old post office and was really tastefully furnished. There is a salmon river that runs behind the buildings and the village reminded me of a Cornish Fishing village. Shortly after my stay, the couple were due to meet the King of Norway to receive a medal and recognition of their project to preserve Norwegian heritage.
Sogndalstrand kulturehotell Mayors House Mark C
After spending the morning exploring the area, we walked up to see Trollpikken which is a short drive from Egersund. This is a short uphill hike and worth making time for. The locals call this rock formation the Happy Troll and looking at photographs you can deduce why that might be. In 2017, vandals cut off the Troll’s happiness, but after a flurry of fundraising the troll’s appendage was reattached within thirteen days. I am not sure how they did it or how much it cost but the result is impressive. This area is close to the coast and you can the sea and feel the wind on your face.
We stayed at the Grand Hotell, Egersund which is a mixture of old and new. The food was wonderful!
Our evening activity was Whisky Tasting at Berentsens Brygghus. They currently produce and sell Gin and small batch cider, while their Scotch reaches maturity. The distillery hasn’t been going long enough for them to call their product Scotch ( that’ll take another 6 years) but we were lucky enough to sample some work in progress. I am not a big spirit drinker but learned that adding a drop of water to scotch can affect the taste. Visitors are welcome to book a tour of the Brygghus and try for themselves. On the 15 minute walk back to the hotel we saw a very faint showing by the Northern Lights too.
After breakfast we checked out and drive towards Gloppedalsura which is the largest scree area in Europe. We only spent a few minutes here but it was nice to scramble over the scree and admire the valley. It’s nice here, a bit like the Lake District.
After a couple of stops for photo ops we stopped for a nice lunch at Sirdal Hoysfjellhotell which is near Kjerag and Lysebotn. This hotel is known as a ski hotel in the winter and in the summer is a great base for hikes. The food was outstanding as was their craft beer! After lunch we headed toward the ferry quay at Lysebotn. On the way we stopped at the Kjerag Coffee shop which is open for business between mid May and mid September. Although we didn’t get to look inside, the building is perched high above the granite valley and a stunning place to stop. If you’re planning on walking to Kjerag, you can park here and then walk the 11km round trip. I will have to come back as it’s on my bucket list and the group didn’t have time to visit! If you don’t know Kjerag, people visit to stand on a boulder that was left wedged between rock faces when the last Ice Age ended.
The journey down to Lysbotn is made by repelling down hairpin bends along Lysvegen to the edge of the Fjord. When we got to the bottom, the minibus’s brakes smelled hot and overworked! Until I checked the aerial photos on the internet, I hadn’t realised how coiled looking the road is. It looks like it was designed for car ads and Jeremy Clarkson.
We had to wait for an hour or so for the ferry to take us down the length of Lysebotn to Forsand. The view was stunning and the journey along the Fjord was like crossing a millpond. Along the way, it’s possible to see the Kjerag Boulder as a distant spec, the UNESCO site of Rjuken and also Preikstolen. It is possible to stop at Rjuken and climb the 4444 stairs to the summit but there wasn’t enough time. I will be back!
Once we docked at Forsand we were whisked off to Preikstolen Basecamp for a two night stay. The hotel feels very remote and looks out across a beautiful lake and a jagged horizon. The hotel is a perfect base for the hike to Preikstolen and local visits including Om Cider (their cider is delicious!) in Hjelmeland.
Om Cider Orchard
The highlight of the trip was the chance to hike up to Preikstolen. I have known about this place for years but never had the chance to visit. We were met by a guide called from Explore Lysefjorden called Erlend and his Border Collie, Balder (.The walk is regarded as Medium Level and a general level of fitness is required. We set off along rocky forest pathways and slowly climbed up to Preikstolen with our guide. It’s not necessary to have a guide but I think it’s a good idea if you’d feel safer in small group.
The track is a mixture of soft leafy mulch, firm bedrock and mud. In the summer a good pair of trainers will do the job but walking boots are better if you want to give you ankles some protection.
When we got to the summit, our group of eight were the only people there. The view was amazing and a little bit scary at the same time. Erlend’s Collie kept walking along the edge to make sure that his master wasn’t getting to close and was ready to shepherd him away. Most of stood a good metre from the edge and watching Balder the dog standing so close was stomach churning. After an hour or so selfies and group photos we headed back down to the hotel feeling elated. I am lucky enough to have walked up to Trolltunga and can add Preikstolen to my list. Amazing!
The following day we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I cannot recommend this part of Norway highly enough!
© Mark Champagne – Baltic Travel Company
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026 at 12:28 pm; on the subject of Uncategorized.