Called the oil capital of Norway, Stavanger is a cozy little town by the fjord.
Wooden houses and oil riches
The port of Stavanger smells of fresh fish and the spirit of the old days lives in the wooden house blocks cared for with the tenderness of the old town. Norway’s fourth largest city has seen history since the 15th century.
Stavanger is an important center for the oil industry. Here are the state oil agencies and also a museum of interest to tourists, presenting the importance of oil from both an economic and an industrial and scientific perspective. However, stopping in the city does not have to be afraid to face only the gray industrial environment, as the role of the oil capital is hardly visible in the urban look of Stavanger.
Rainy in winter, fresh in summer
Stavanger is well suited as a weekend destination or a car trip for the whole family on a wider Norwegian tour.
The best time to travel is from May to August. As everywhere on the Norwegian coast, winters are windy with rain. Even in summer, when the sun is shining, the heat does not rise to a suffocating heat thanks to the sea breezes. The wind has its advantages: surfers enjoy the long beaches around Stavanger.
The shopping streets of central Stavanger have many cozy cafés and a wide range of shopping opportunities. Prices in the city are naturally high in Norway, so a shopping tour in Stavanger can only be recommended for those who are not interested in price tags.
Great hiking terrain around
The outdoor activities in the Stavanger region are excellent. In the surrounding area’s most peculiar reippailukohteisiin include Lysevuonolla located Kjerag crag fjord on the surface of the offering of Norway’s most popular nature site Preikestolen and a thousand meters straight towards the drop.
Base jumpers use the Kjerag tongue as a starting point for their wild jumps. The landing point is at the bottom of the fjord in the village of Lysebotn, right in front of the inn.
The easiest way to get to know the magnificent fjord is to take your own or a rental car to the starting points of the hiking trails, but from Stavanger there are both bus trips and cruises to the nearby fjord landscapes.
FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN STAVANGER
By plane via Stockholm or Oslo
There are no direct flights from Finland to Stavanger, but you can easily get there by flying via Stockholm or Oslo. Air fares start at around 200 euros, depending on the time and route.
More typically than flying, Finns travel to Stavanger in their own car as part of a wider Norwegian tour. Stavanger can be reached either by road or by ferry, which runs to the city from several nearby locations.
Hotels and campsites
Accommodation in Stavanger is commensurate with the size of the city. Good hotel options can also be found outside the city center and there are also several campsites for tourists. At its cheapest, a hotel room can be found for around 50-60 euros.
For example, the Sola Strand Hotel directly on the beach just outside the city is a cozy and well-located place to stay for your trip to Stavanger.
Getting around Stavanger
Getting around Stavanger city center is easiest on foot. The distances are short and everything can be reached on foot.
If you also intend to explore the nearby outdoor attractions, your own car will make it easier to travel to the starting points of the hiking trails. In Norway, the route planning of a motorist differs from the domestic one, as it must always be remembered to take into account possible ferry stages.
STAVANGER ATTRACTIONS
Oil Museum and oil rig mini version
The Norsk Oljemuseum also tells about the oil industry in a way that is interesting for lay people. The topic is approached not only from an economic, but also from a scientific and historical point of view. A mini version of the oil rig has been built in the museum, on the deck of which you can imagine what life would be like on a real oil rig in the middle of the sea storms.
Old town wooden house blocks
The wooden house blocks in Stavanger’s Old Town are well taken care of. The charming alleys are decorated with flowers in the summer and, as a counterbalance to the steel structures of the oil museum, the atmosphere is at least idyllic in the lovely little alleys.
There is also a very special attraction in the Old Town: the Norwegian Cannery Museum. Before the discovery of oil, canned fish was the most significant industry in the area, and the museum delves deep into canning. The canning theme may not be one of the most typical attractions for tourists, but as a curiosity, the place is definitely worth a visit. Here you can also test for yourself whether you would have managed the canning factory at a hard pace as a canner of sardines.
Harbor and fish market
In Stavanger Harbor, tourists can take a peek at the authentic Norwegian fish market. You can already smell it from afar. There are also several cozy restaurants and terraces in the harbor area where you can stop to bask in the sun.
The harbor is located right in the city center and just a few hundred meters from the beach, a small park with ponds starting next to the cathedral offers a place for a summer picnic.
Excursion to the magnificent Lysevuono
From Stavanger, you can explore the fjord landscape either on an organized excursion or on your own. Lysevuono and hiking destinations Preikestolen and Kjerag are the most well-known outdoor recreation destinations in the vicinity.
During the busy summer season, Preikestolen in particular is visited by a lot of tourists, so if you want to experience solitary nature experiences, you should head to these routes as early as the end of May.
If you want to linger in the fjord landscape for longer than a day trip, the village of Lysebotn, located at the very bottom of Lysevuono, is a good base. In Lysebotn you can really experience the ruggedness of the fjord. The cliffs rise to a height of almost a kilometer on both sides, and blue water flickers down the fjord. Only some of the houses in the small village are year-round inhabited and the soundscape is dominated by sheep grazing on the shores of the fjord – only occasionally do the cries of base jumpers descending from Kjerag break the peace for a moment.
THE BEST OF STAVANGER
Experience these in Stavanger
- Old town wooden house blocks
- Excursion to Lysevuono
- Harbor fish shops
- Norwegian Oil Museum
- Beach walk in the harbor