[Countrywide] Iconic rock formations: which cliffs/boulders feel most “symbolic” — and which are safer alternatives to the crowded classics?

For iconic rock formations, Preikestolen still feels absurdly symbolic, like Norway distilled into one square slab of drama, but the crowds can really kill the magic if you hit it mid-day. From what I’ve seen, the actual danger is mostly people inching toward the edge in bad wind while pretending they’re immune to gravity, so early morning or late evening makes it both safer and quieter. If you want a calmer alternative, nearby viewpoints along Lysefjorden give you that same scale and fjord drop without the heart-rate spike or influencer traffic jam. Am I alone in thinking the “safer view with fewer people” sometimes beats standing on the famous rock itself, or do you need the classic shot to feel satisfied?

I’ll say it straight: Preikestolen is iconic, but it’s not where I’d send someone who wants meaning over mayhem. The danger isn’t technical, it’s complacency — people edging out for photos, wind picking up, slick rock after rain. What hit me harder was finding quieter alternatives nearby where you still get that stomach-drop view, just without a hundred people shuffling around you. Early morning or shoulder season changes everything, both for safety and atmosphere. My one non-negotiable rule is simple: if the rock is wet or the wind feels sketchy, I turn around. No exceptions. Are you building this into a fjord base, or hopping between iconic stops day by day?