Lysebotn - from the Stone Age to a world-famous tourist destination
Fjordbotnen, where the Lysefjord tourist cabin is located, has a long history. The oldest archaeological finds date back to the Stone Age and are estimated to be 6000 years old. In earlier times, Lysebotn served as a hub between mountains and coast. Many old traffic roads go via Lysebotn (e.g. Skinnvegen where the people of Setesdalen brought skins and hides to pay taxes to the bishop of Stavanger). Lysebotn, which today appears to be remote, was once considered very well connected to the city.
From the 1800s onwards, hunters and hikers began to come to the Lysefjord and Lyseheiene. In the Stavanger Trekking Association's yearbook in 1914-15 it was written:
The Lysefjord is known in Europe for its wild and magnificent nature, and tourist traffic inland – not least the local – has increased significantly in recent years.
In 1984, 70 years later, Lyseveien with its 27 hairpin bends was built as a construction road in connection with the development of Tjodan Power Plant. When production started in 1953, it was among the country's largest and most important power plants. In 1989, the general manager of STF, Kjell Helle Olsen, together with operations manager Leif Solheim, went on a trip to Lyseheiene. They came to Kjeragbolten, and Kjell took a picture of Leif on the bolt, which in 1990 became the center page photo in the hiking magazine Fjell og Vidde. The picture was discovered by a German magazine, the interest spread and soon the picture from Kjeragbolten went around the world. In the following years, Kjeragbolten became increasingly popular and people flocked from all over the world to make the spectacular trip out to the Kjerag plateau and perhaps venture out on Kjeragbolten.
Lysefjord Tourist Cabin
What is today the Lysefjord tourist cabin was originally a crew mess for workers in the power company Lyse. STF took over the fair from Lyse in 2013 to welcome hikers and other visitors to Lysebotn. Since 2018, there has been a large increase in the number of guests at Lysefjorden Turisthytte. The guests are a mix of base jumpers, backpackers, tourists with an interest in nature and mountain hiking from all over the world, faithful members of the tourist association - and workers in connection with the development and maintenance of the power plant.
New colorful Lysefjorden tourist cabin
After interior renovations in 2020 and 2021, the tourist cabin underwent a colorful revolution in the spring of 2021. The grey cladding that had lasted for decades was replaced with a multitude of colours. The main house was adorned with large works of art by Renate Hermansen, known for her street art under the artist name RH74. Paintings in smaller dimensions can be found around the other buildings. Among other things, there are a certain number of goldfish hidden on the cabin's many walls - can you find them all?
See pictures and read the artist's own description of the pictures' meaning below.
Photo: John Petter Nordbø
A handful of peace
In 1947, the construction of the first power plant in Lysebotn started and a new rural community grew up in here. The motif illustrates a young girl sitting in the fjord with light bulbs that indicate that Lyse Kraft is still firmly rooted in the village. The bird in the hand reminds us to take care of and respect life in nature, while the flowers in the hair are taken from old national costume patterns from Rogaland.
Listen to the light
The illustration is gathered in a circle indicating that the goal has been reached as well as a compass. A young girl used to the mountains, dressed in sheepskin and with a backpack on her back, cares for an injured baby bird after the journey down the high mountains. While mountains and nature are gathered in the circle, the fjord lies just outside. Care and respect for nature are central to this painting.
A new spring
The spring of 2021 was characterized by cautious hopes of reopening society. The girl helps the butterflies out of the darkness after a difficult year with corona. Everything will be fine!
