Vatne og Torsnes
De boerderijen Vatne en Torsnes hebben een belangrijke rol gespeeld in de toeristische ontwikkeling rond Preikestolen. Vatne werd begin twintigste eeuw omgevormd tot een toeristisch resort en Torsnes werd in 1925 een toeristische trekpleister.
To the north of Preikestolen lie two farms, Vatne and Torsnes, each with a rich history. Vatne farm is situated on a sunny hill overlooking Revsvatnet and boasts a preserved main house that is still used for overnight stays. The old Preikestolhytta now stands where the barn on the farm once was. The farm was allegedly first inhabited by an outlaw in the 1800s, but there are no written records to confirm this. However, evidence of hard work by several generations can be seen in the foundations, clearance cairns, and stone walls that remain.
In the early 1900s, the first tourists who wished to visit Preikestolen were accommodated by the people at Vatne. In 1920, the Stavanger Tourist Association furnished three rooms on the farm. Vatne farm was sold to the Stavanger Tourist Association in 1946 after several changes in ownership.
On the northeast side of Revsvatnet lies the neighboring farm, Torsnes. According to legend, the farm was cleared in the 1600s by a man named Tor who came from the east and settled by the shore of Revsvatnet, but he tragically drowned. The farm started out as a cotter’s farm and later became its own farm. The people at Torsnes also provided accommodation for the first Preikestolen tourists. Vatne and Torsnes worked well together, and it only took a few minutes rowing between the farms. Torsnes became a tourist station for the Tourist Association in 1925 and operated until 1962, when the Tourist Association bought the farm. Together, Vatne and Torsnes form an important part of the history of Preikestolen and the surrounding area.
