Stavanger
is a beautiful harbour city on the southwest coast of Norway. Much changed for this mid sized town when oil was discovered off the coast of Norway in 1969. After much discussion, Stavanger was chosen to be the on-shore center for the oil industry on the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, and a period of hectic growth followed. The city's population rapidly grew and today Stavanger is know as the Oil Capital of Norway. Norwegian energy company Equinor, the largest company in the Nordic region, has its headquarters in Stavanger. But Stavanger has also kept its charm.
Old Stavanger
is a historic area located at the harbours edge. The 173 beautifully restored building were originally built in the 18th century. A walk through this area is a must see while in Stravanger.
Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen)
towers 604 metres (1,982ft) above the Lysefjord and the trek there is one of Norway's most famous mountain hikes. The interest in Preikestolen is high, with more than 300,000 nature-loving hikers visiting the renowned rock formation every year. This iconic rock, was the reason we made it our first stop in Norway.
The hike to Pulpit Rock is 8kms round trip. It is definitely not an easy hike but one that draws all ages and levels of fitness. It almost seems like a rite of passage for all Norwegian’s - from the very young to the old.
There are no danger signs, there are no railings - just a lot of people standing near the edge of what would be their demise. People are even lined up to take a personal selfie of themselves at the very edge. For some, the closer you can get the more of an adrenaline rush you get.
The view of the fjord below is spectacular.
Now I know what the view from the Pulpit is really like. A magazine photo is nothing compared to actually being there. It was almost as if this rock has some magical powers to draw people to it. I had a unique sense of community with the other people who were drawn there with me - everyone impressed by the view and also intrigued by the danger of getting too close to the edge.
Definitely a great way to start a trip to Norway.
So how did my trip to Pulpit Rock compare to Tom Cruise’s? Certainly not as daring but definitely rewarding to me. Somehow he hung on to live another day and make more Mission Impossible movies.
