Famous Cliffs in Norway

The cliffs Norway is known for are the walls of the Lysefjord: Preikestolen on the north side and Kjerag on the south. Preikestolen is a flat plateau 604 metres above the water. Kjerag is the higher wall, with its summit at about 1,084 metres, the highest point on the fjord, and Kjeragbolten wedged in a crevice about 984 metres up.

Kjerag summitAbout 1,084 m, highest on the Lysefjord

KjeragboltenAbout 984 m / 3,228 ft above the water

Preikestolen604 m above the water

Same fjordOpposite sides

Kjerag’s cliff faceA big wall, used by climbers

Seen from belowOn a Lysefjord cruise

One fjord, two reputations

The Lysefjord does most of the work here. A glacier cut a deep, straight valley with very steep sides, and the two points on it that people photograph are simply the places where that wall does something legible: a flat shelf on one side, a wedged boulder on the other. Preikestolen is the more famous because it is easier to reach. Kjerag is the higher and, as a piece of rock, the more serious.

What the Kjerag wall actually is

A big wall in the climbing sense. Rock climbers work it from below, and it is one of the best known BASE jumping cliffs in the world, which is the source of nearly every alarming number attached to the name Kjerag. Those numbers belong to jumping, not to walking: there is no recorded death from falling off Kjeragbolten in Norwegian history. The two are separated properly on the BASE jumping page.

How to see a cliff like this

What works

From the top: the Kjerag hike, about 11 km and 6 to 10 hours
From the top, more easily: Preikestolen, about 8 km and 4 to 5 hours
From the water: a Lysefjord cruise, which passes directly below Preikestolen
From the water you also get Hengjanefossen and the Vagabond’s Cave

Worth knowing

Kjeragbolten cannot be seen from the fjord; it faces the wrong way and is very high
Neither clifftop has a fence, a railing or a marked setback line
The Kjerag road is open only about five months a year
Cloud sits on the plateau while the car park below is in sunshine

Which view is the better one

Different answers, and people who do both usually say so. From above you get the drop and the scale, and no sense of the shape of the wall you are standing on. From the water you finally see what the cliff is, and the specks on the shelf 604 metres up turn out to be people. If you have the day, the honest recommendation is one of each: the walk, then the cruise. If you only have one, and you want to be on top of something, start with the comparison.

Local tip

The fjord side is where the wind comes from. On both clifftops it is the reason to keep well back from the edge, and it arrives faster than the view suggests it should.

What there is to book

Nothing for the trail itself. What is bookable is the ride out of Stavanger, a guide, or the Lysefjord cruise, which involves no walking at all. Everything is listed on the bookings page.

Check dates & book

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Frequently asked questions

What is the famous cliff in Norway?

Most often Preikestolen, a flat plateau 604 metres above the Lysefjord. Kjerag, on the opposite side, is higher.

How high is the Kjerag cliff?

Kjerag’s highest point is about 1,084 metres, the highest point on the Lysefjord. The boulder hangs about 984 metres above the water.

Can you see the cliffs from a boat?

Yes. A Lysefjord cruise passes directly below Preikestolen. Kjeragbolten itself is not visible from the water.