Elden Ring Shortcut: How To Skip The First Main Boss And Reach Liurnia Of The Lakes

Elden Ring’s opening area of Limgrave houses the first mainline boss battle, Margit the Fell Omen, who stands between you and the massive legacy dungeon Stormveil Castle. He serves as a significant skill and level check, and it’s possible that you may not be ready to face him the first time you stumble across his fog door. Luckily, you don’t have to fight him to continue exploring the game.

There is a well-hidden passage through a cliffside that will take you from Limgrave to the game’s next major Liurnia of the Lakes, allowing you to bypass Margit and continue leveling up, finding new gear, and otherwise becoming more prepared for fighting him and tackling Stormveil Castle. Let’s walk you through how to make it happen.

Finding and using the shortcut to Liurnia of the Lakes

From the Stormhill Shack Site of Grace, head directly north up the road. To your left is the pathway to fight Margit the Fell and gain entrance to Stormveil Castle, but you want to continue north under the archway ahead.

Shortly after passing under the archway, you’ll come across a bridge ahead. Cross it until you see an item at the end, then glance down to see that there is rubble down below. Drop off here and follow the crumbled bridge down a bit. Once you do, head slightly left and up to find a passageway that goes to the right against the side of the cliff.

Follow this long and winding cliffside passage while being careful not to accidentally fall off to your death. Along the way, you’ll encounter multiple packs of wolves, so be prepared to either fight them in a risky setting or simply use your stead to rush past them.

You’ll eventually emerge out of some dense woods into an open plain where you’ll see the Lake-Facing Cliffs Site of Grace. Congratulations, you’ve bypassed Stormveil Castle for now and have found yourself in Liurnia of the Lakes proper. You can now set off and explore the magical water-based area and discover its many, many secrets.