Norges Ryggrad aftermath: Lysefjord

My hiking trip in the summer of 2025 ended in Lysebotn, at the innermost reach of Lysefjord, the southernmost of the great fjords in western Norway. I have mentioned in previous entries how this was not part of the initial route plan and how it grew on me as I considered my options.

A good part of the appeal was to end the trip at this spot that feels like a natural endpoint where hiking on wouldn’t be an option, a body of water preventing any further progress. The other part is about getting out of there as part of the fun.

There is now road access to Lysebotn but it’s seasonal and it requires navigating about half a million hairpin bends. The fjord itself is probably still the main way into and out of the valley, certainly the only one with public transport and, without having tried the road, I’d say the most scenic. I was looking forward to the ferry ride out of Lysebotn as a perfect end for an outstanding hiking trip so much that it became one of my beacons.

I took the slow boat and I took lots of photos. Here are some.