Forsand Church

Forsand is a village in Sandnes Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located along the Høgsfjorden, at the mouth of the 42-kilometre (26 mi) long Lysefjorden, on the southern side of the fjord. The Lysefjord Bridge is located just northeast of Forsand village and it crosses the Lysefjorden, connecting it to the small village of Oanes which sits on the north side of the fjord. The village of Høle is located across the Høgsfjorden to the west. Høle is connected to Forsand-Oanes by a regular ferry connection.Prior to the merger in 2020, the village of Forsand was the administrative centre of Forsand Municipality which is now part of Sandnes Municipality. The 0.69-square-kilometre (170-acre) village has a population (2015) of 497, giving the village a population density of 720 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,900/sq mi). The Lysefjord Bridge crosses the fjord to the north of the village. The village of Forsand has two grocery stores, the local government offices, Forsand Church, and Forsand School.

Høgsfjorden is a fjord in Rogaland county, Norway. It lies in the municipalities of Stavanger, Sandnes, Strand, and Gjesdal. The innermost part of the fjord is located at the village of Frafjord in the municipality of Gjesdal. It flows west to Dirdal and then heads northwards. At the village of Forsand, the Lysefjord branches off to the northeast. The Høgsfjorden continues to the northwest past the islands of Idsal and Idse before emptying into the Horgefjorden (just east of the city of Stavanger) and ultimately into the vast Boknafjorden.The 23-kilometre (14 mi) long fjord is about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) wide and has a maximum depth of 170 metres (560 ft). The innermost part of the fjord from Dirdal to Frafjord is also known as the Frafjorden. There is a regular ferry crossing about midway through the fjord connecting the villages of Forsand and Høle.

Lysefjord Bridge Norwegian: Lysefjordbrua is a suspension bridge over the Lysefjorden in Rogaland county, Norway. The bridge connects the municipalities of Strand (on the north end of the bridge) and Sandnes (on the south end of the bridge). Construction on the 639-metre-long (2,096 ft) bridge began in 1995 and was finished in 1997 at a cost of 150 million kr. The bridge carries Norwegian county road 13, connecting to Norwegian National Road 13 on the north end. Its main span is 446 metres (1,463 ft), the depth of the deck is 2.7 metres (8 ft 10 in), and the width of the bridge is 12.3 metres (40 ft). The supporting towers are 102 metres (335 ft) tall, and are made of reinforced concrete. The bridge sits about 50 metres (160 ft) above sea level, leaving enough room for the regular ferry service that runs under the bridge to the village of Lysebotn, located at the other end of the long, narrow fjord.

Oanes is a small farming village in Strand Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located at the intersection between the Lysefjorden and Høgsfjorden, just north of the village of Forsand. The Norwegian National Road 13 runs through the village, just west of the Lysefjord Bridge. Oanes has a ferry quay for the Lauvvik–Oanes Ferry that crosses the Høgsfjorden as part of highway 13. Prior to 2020, the village and surrounding area were part of Forsand municipality.

Lysefjord or Lysefjorden is a fjord located in the Ryfylke area in Rogaland county in southwestern Norway. The 42-kilometre (26 mi) long fjord lies in the municipalities of Strand and Sandnes, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) 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 for 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.

Høle is a previous borough and a village in the eastern part of Sandnes municipality in Rogaland county, Norway, located along the Høgsfjorden. The area was historically a part of the municipality of Høle. Høle Church and Høle School are both located in the village. The 0.36-square-kilometre (89-acre) village has a population (2015) of 427, giving the village a population density of 1,186 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,070/sq mi). The borough of Høle is the least populous (and most rural) borough in the city of Sandnes with 1,042 inhabitants. The 101.4-square-kilometre (39.2 sq mi) borough is located in the eastern part of the municipality.

Høle or Høgsfjord is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The large municipality existed from 1865 until 1965. It was called Høgsfjord from 1865 until 1871 when the municipality was reduced in size and the name was changed to Høle. The municipality originally was quite large, surrounding both sides of the Høgsfjorden and Lysefjorden. Throughout its history, it included large parts of the present-day municipalities of Sandnes and Gjesdal. Since 1965, the area of Høle has been the borough of Høle in Sandnes municipality. Høle Church was the main church of the municipality.

Høle Church (Norwegian: Høle kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in the large Sandnes Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Høle in the central part of the municipality. It is the church for the Høle parish which is part of the Sandnes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger. The white, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1860 using designs by the architect Georg Andreas Bull. The church seats about 230 people.

Oltedal is a village in Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located in a narrow river valley about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) northeast of the municipal centre of Ålgård and about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) west of the village of Dirdal, just west of the Høgsfjorden. The lake Oltedalsvatnet lies on the southwestern edge of the village. Oltedal Church is located in the village. The village has some small industries such as yarn making, chemicals, and sand/gravel pits.The 0.58-square-kilometre (140-acre) village has a population (2019) of 993 and a population density of 1,712 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,430/sq mi).

Oltedal Church (Norwegian: Oltedal kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Gjesdal Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Oltedal. It is one of the three churches for the Gjesdal parish which is part of the Jæren prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger. The white, concrete church was built in a rectangular style in 2002 using designs by the architect Olav Urstad. The church was consecrated on 10 February 2002.

Preikestolen or Prekestolen (English: 'The Pulpit Rock', 'Pulpit', or 'Preacher's Chair') is a tourist attraction in the municipality of Strand in Rogaland county, Norway. Preikestolen is a steep cliff which rises 604 metres (1,982 ft) above Lysefjorden. Atop the cliff, there is an almost flat top of approximately 25 by 25 metres (82 ft × 82 ft). Preikestolen is located near the Western part of the fjord, and on its North side. Tourism at the site has been increasing in the early 21st century, with between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors in 2012, making it one of the most visited natural tourist attractions in Norway. BASE jumpers often leap from the cliff. Due to its increased popularity, the most used path to the site (an 3.8-kilometre (2.4 mi) long hike) was improved by Nepalese Sherpas in 2013.

Oltedalsvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Gjesdal in Rogaland county, Norway. The 3.12-square-kilometre (1.20 sq mi) lake lies just south of the village of Oltedal. It is a reservoir along the river Oltedalsåna that is used to store water for the Oltedal Hydroelectric Power Station. The lake sits at an elevation of 101.5 to 112.5 metres (333 to 369 ft) and it holds about 28,800,000 cubic metres (23,300 acre⋅ft; 37,700,000 cu yd).