Preikestolen (Foto: Reisemål Ryfylke/ H. Sundbø)Preikestolen (Foto: Reisemål Ryfylke/ H. Sundbø)Welcome to Ryfylke, a unique part of Norway’s west coast! Ryfylke is a part of Rogaland County – and you are never far away from the cities of Stavanger and Haugesund.

Explore Ryfylke at Reisemål Ryfylke.

The area covers 47% of Rogaland’s total land mass, but only 6% of the county’s total population live in the area. Ryfylke has 27 500 inhabitants – and lots of space on islands, in the mountains, and in small villages.

Ryfylke has a lot of spaceRyfylke has everything – from precipitous mountains cutting into the fjords, to heavy industry. Ryfylke produces lots and lots of food; tomatoes, poultry, pork and large quantities of lamb find their way to Norwegian dinner tables from Ryfylke farms. Tons of fish from Ryfylke fish farms travel to European countries every day by trailer trucks. Ryfylke is dramatic scenery, charming islands, calm fjords, rough seas, farmers and factory workers. Ryfylke is ferries connecting communities, roads winding their way through valleys and along fjords, sub sea tunnels and high tech power plants. Not to forget, Ryfylke is beautiful sunsets in the western horizon.

The Lysefjord is perhaps the most famous part of Ryfylke, with the Pulpit Rock and Kjerag spearheading the spectacular fjord scenery. The fjord is located in Forsand, the least populous municipality in Ryfylke (population 1200). Their neighbour, Strand, is by far the most populous, with around 12 000 inhabitants. Strand has the Ryfylke town of Jørpeland, a high school, steelworks and an Olympic champion (Gunn Rita Dahle, mountain biking). Hjelmeland is famous for its fish farm, providing the top chefs of the world with top quality salmon and halibut. Suldal has spectacular scenery including islands, rivers, lakes, high mountains and deep valleys. Sauda has great downhill skiing in Svandalen, and a large smelting plant. Finnøy is famous for tomatoes and farming – and is the largest producer of tomatoes in the country. One in three Finnøy inhabitants is involved in the primary industries.

Erøy, a part of Ryfylke (Foto: Reisemål Ryfylke/ H. Sundbø)Erøy, a part of Ryfylke (Foto: Reisemål Ryfylke/ H. Sundbø)Ryfylke is located on the coast of southern Norway, where west-coast meets south-coast. The name is old – linguists suggest it may be from around 900 a.d. Ryfylke is connected to the name of the people who migrated to the area between 400-600 a.d. Another – and more disputed theory – is that the name stems from tribes emigrating from the area to settle in northern Germany more than 2000 years ago. What is certain is that Ryfylke is the basis of Rogaland County, formerly known as Rygjafylke.

Many people come to Ryfylke as tourists. Some visit the area for a day, then leave. Others spend several days, perhaps weeks, exploring Ryfylke by boat. Ryfylke is loaded with marinas, and from April to September our fjords are teeming with boats of all sizes. During the summer months, the population of the area multiplies. Ryfylke is however no dull place during winter time. Our ski-resorts in Sauda and Suldal provide popular destinations for thousands of people. The people of Ryfylke also know to keep themselves occupied through all sorts of volunteer work, and most people are very eager to contribute in their local community.

Another thing the people of Ryfylke are eager to do is making a visit here a great experience!

Welcome!

Related links:
Lakseslottet Lindum
Lysefjorden Utvikling
Mo Laksegard
Reisemål Ryfylke
Ryfylkedagane
Ryfylkemuseet
Sauda Ferie og Fritid
Spa-Hotell Velvære
Suldal Reiselivslag