Florli 4444 Steps

Florli was a hydroelectric station built in 1918, and the wooden stairway beside its penstock pipeline was made for maintenance access, running 4,444 steps from the fjord shore up to the intake at about 740 metres. When the plant was replaced by a new one inside the mountain the village was largely abandoned, and the stairway was opened as a walking route: it is the longest wooden staircase in the world, and the climb takes two to three hours of continuous steps with no flat sections. From the top a marked path leads on to Kjerag or down a longer trail back to the village. There is no road to Florli; a passenger ferry serves it, and the timetable defines the day.

The main sights

• The 4,444 steps - a continuous wooden stairway beside the old pipeline.
• The penstock - the pipeline the stairway was built to service.
• The fjord below - the Lysefjord dropping away through the climb.
• The abandoned power village - buildings from the 1918 station at the foot.

When to go

May to September, when the ferry runs and the steps are free of ice; the stairway is closed and dangerous in winter. Starting early leaves time for the descent before the last boat.

Things to know

The climb is relentless, with no flat sections and a heart rate that stays high for hours; many turn back. The wooden steps are slippery when wet. There is no road access, so missing the last ferry means staying, and accommodation in Florli is minimal.

Nearby

Kjerag is reachable from the top of the climb; Lysebotn and Preikestolen lie along the Lysefjord.