Norway has no shortage of troll-themed landmarks — Trolltunga, Trollveggen, Trollstigen — but the one near the small town of Egersund wins the naming contest outright. Trollpikken translates, roughly, as "the Troll's Dick", and the phallic rock formation has been a genuine international celebrity since 2017.

That fame arrived in the strangest way. Weeks after locals started promoting the site as a tourist attraction, hikers found the protruding section of rock had been deliberately cut off with power tools. A crowdfunding drive quickly beat its NOK 200,000 target, and a local contractor hoisted the stone back into place using drilled holes, iron fittings, adhesive and cement — all inside two weeks. The British tabloids had a field day, and a barely known local curiosity became a global headline.

Nearly a decade on, more than 25,000 people visited in 2025 alone. The good news for travellers: unlike Norway's headline hikes, this one is short and family-friendly. Expect a round trip of roughly 4-5km from the main parking area, about two hours including time at the rock itself. The route follows a gravel road uphill from the car park, then a blue-marked trail across open rock, grazing land and past a small pond.

Parking costs NOK 100 per day (payable by machine or EasyPark), with a toilet on site and usually a summer kiosk. Car-free visitors can hike a longer marked trail of around 6km from central Egersund, handy if you arrive by train.

The rock's shape gets the photos, but the setting is the real surprise. Trollpikken sits in the Magma UNESCO Global Geopark, where the surrounding anorthosite formed from magma about a billion years ago — the same rock found on the Moon's surface. Glaciers then did the finishing work during the last Ice Age, leaving boulders balanced in odd positions across the landscape. Egersund itself, with colourful wooden buildings and coastal walks, makes a pleasant base.

Manage your expectations: this isn't Preikestolen-scale drama. It's a fun, accessible walk through unusual geology with a story you won't forget — and a photo opportunity with no equal. Wear grippy shoes (exposed rock turns slippery in rain), stick to marked paths, and give the grazing sheep some space. After surviving the Ice Age and one unfortunate encounter with a drill, the old boy has earned a little respect.

Credit: Life in Norway