Lysefjorden

Historie

Lysefjord or Lysefjorden is a fjord located in the Ryfylke area in southwestern Norway. The 42km long fjord lies in Forsand municipality in Rogaland county, about east of the city of Stavanger. The name means light fjord, and is said to be derived from the lightly coloured granite rocks along its sides. It is particularly well-known by the huge Preikestolen cliff overlooking the fjord, which is a major tourist destination for the region. The fairly isolated village of Lysebotn lies at the eastern end of the fjord and the villages of Forsand and Oanes both lie at the western end of the fjord near the Lysefjord Bridge, the only crossing of the fjord.GeologyThe fjord was carved by the action of glaciers in the ice ages and was flooded by the sea when the later glaciers retreated. The geology of Lysefjorden was thoroughly investigated and described by Professor Bjørn G. Andersen in his Master's thesis (1954) "Om isens tilbaketrekking i området mellom Lysefjorden og Jøsenfjorden i Ryfylke" (On the glacial retreat in the area between the Lysefjorden and Jøsenfjorden in Ryfylke).