STAVANGER REGION
Welcome to the versatile city of Stavanger.
Intro: Describing Stavanger
Stavanger and the surrounding area can be considered a little jewel of Norway, a kind of miniature of the norwegian beauties. The city, laid on the south west coast of Norway, has always been connected to the sea. All the raw materials, that had marked the history of the city, like wood, fish, and especially oil, are sourced from the water.
Herring, brisling and oil they all come from the sea that lies beyond Stavanger`s coast. These three natural resources have shaped the city history in the modern age.
To describe the soul of the city you can use a lot of epithets. We choose these for you!
Picturesque and
compact
Cosmopolitan and
international
Cultural
Rich in nature
and near to the
wilderness
STAVANGER
1) Picturesque and compact
Beyond the beauty of the city itself, the authentic charm of Stavanger is in its atmosphere: both international and compact lovely port city. Everything in Stavanger is concentrated in a small geographic area. Strolling through the city center you will find at the same time culture, history, shops and nightlife. Gamle Stavanger, the Old Town - with its small, charming, wooden houses and cobble stone roads - the Cathedral, the narrow alleys, museums and cafes are indeed all closer together.
What to see in the city center?
• Gamle Stavanger comprises more than 170 wooden houses, like the ancient Istanbul. Most of them are small and painted white. The houses were built at the end of the 18th and early 19th century and are now protected by a special preservation law. In old Stavanger you can visit the Canning Museum, that is located in an ancient canning factory.
• The Cathedral, built of stone in the 12th and 13th century, is one of the few churches in Scandinavia that has kept its original design. The church, built in Anglo-Norman style, in 1272 was damaged by fire, after which it received a new chancel built in the Gothic style.
• Broken Column is a special sculpture project created by Antony Gormley that consists of 23 cast iron figures placed to give the appearance of an imaginary column from Stavanger Art Museum to the city's harbour. The sculpture are based on a casting of the sculptor's own body and each sculpture is the same height as the sculptor ( 1.95 m).
• Øvre Holmegate is a colourful street in the centre of Stavanger where all buildings have been painted in fresh colours, like violet, red or blue.
2) Cosmopolitan and International
Even though Stavanger takes its roots in Norway, the city has always faced outwards to the world and in the last decades the oil industry has transformed Stavanger into an international city: the city has become an important oil and gas supplier and, furthermore, in 2008 was declared European Capital of Culture. To know more about how oil and gas are created, discovered and produced, and what they are used for, you can visit the Norsk Oljemuseum
3) Cultural
Declared European Capital of Culture in 2008, the city has an hectic cultural life and offers a lot of proposal for each kind of tourist. Today, Museum Stavanger (MUST) consists of ten museums including Stavanger Museum, Stavanger Art Museum, Stavanger Maritime Museum, the
Norwegian Children`s Museum, the Norweginan canning museum, Utstein Monastery, Ledaal, Breidablikk, the Norwegian Printing Museum and Stavanger School Museum.
You will find an exciting autumn at MUST: the Edward Munch exhibition, Mystery behind the Canvas (that will be open the entire fall, until November 25th) and the project art BMW Art Cars
that opens during ONS in Stavanger Art Museum. In Stavanger Art Museum every Sunday at 14.00 there is a guided tour of the exhibitions included in the ticket price!
Stavanger Art Museum and Lake Mosvannet
4) Rich in nature and close to the wilderness
• Fjords: One of the most famous fjords in the Stavanger region is Lysefjorden. This is one of the highlights of Norwegian nature and wilderness. The fjord is 42 km long with rocky walls falling vertically over 1000 m into the water. It was formed during the last ice age more than 10.000 years ago. The most famous attraction is "Preikestolen" also known as "Pulpit Rock". The natural rock formation with a 25 meter squared plateau stands 604 meters above the sea. The trip takes about two hours each way, by foot, but in winter time it`s advisable to enjoy the rock formation from the sea by boat (from Stavanger harbor). Along the fjord you may experience waterfall and stunning nature. The Lysefjord is the most known fjord in Stavanger Region, but there are others like Hafrsfjord, Frafjord, Høgsfjorden, Grandsfjorden, Byfjorden.
• Flor & Fjære: The garden, full of exotic plants and palm trees, which is located on the Sør Hidle island, includes flowers, shrubs and trees that are virtually impossible to grow other places in Norway. Due to it's location, Flor & Fjære has a very favourable climate.
• Stone Age Cave: the Stavanger area has a very rich and interesting history. The first proof of man in Rogaland is from around 7000 - 8000 BC. Near Stavanger you can admire the
Vistehålå, stone
age cave. It was first used by man around 6000 BC. People lived here until the Iron Age up to the year 500 AD.• Swords in Rock: Three enormous bronze swords, planted in solid rock, stand monument to the battle of Hafrsfjord in the year 872, when Harald Hårfagre united Norway into one kingdom. The monument was designed by Fritz Røed (1928 – 2002) and represents peace, unity and freedom. It was unveiled by Norway's King Olav in 1983. One sword is larger than the others. This was Fairheaded Harald's sword.
• Iron age farm: The reconstructed Iron Age Farm (Jernaldergården) at Ullandhaug consists of three wooden buildings with roofs made of peat and bark The reconstructed buildings have been erected on their original site. The hearths are the original ones and are still in use. This contributes to great authenticity and provides a valuable experience of the past.
• Lighthouse: Rogaland area offers you the possibility to admire many lighthouses.
Feistein Lighthouse is situated on an island 2 km west of Sele marina and was lit for the first time in 1859. In 1914 a 25-metre high steel tower was built. Among other amenities, Feistein had its own smithy. The buildings that remain today, the lighthouse tower,
lighthouse keeper's residence, the annex and boatshed are preserved as cultural heritage buildings. Kvassheim lighthouse was built in 1912. Its last keeper left when it was
automated in 1990. Obrestad lighthouse is built of granite in 1873.
It was automated and the last keeper left in 1991. The building was a cultural heritage site in 1998. Today there is a lighthouse museum with exhibitions documenting the day-to-day life in the lighthouse, at Obrestad farm, and the life of soldiers during World War II, as well as a war-time mural in the basement. Tungenes lighthouse was established in 1828 and closed in 1984. The lighthouse now serves as a fine arts and cultural center.
