Stavanger Travel Guide | My Life Trips

Stavanger

Information

Stavanger is the fourth largest city and metropolitan area in Norway and the administrative centre of Rogaland county. The municipality is the fourth most populous in Norway and is located on the Stavanger Peninsula in Southwest Norway. Stavanger counts its official founding year back in 1125, the year the Stavanger Cathedral was completed.The city’s rapid population growth in the late 20th century, was primarily a result of Norway’s booming offshore oil industry. Today the oil industry is key in Stavanger region and the city is widely referred as the Oil Capital of Norway. The Norwegian currency is the Norwegian Crown and 10 Norwegian Crowns equals to 1,05 Euro . For the latest updated exchange rates visit the XE Currency Converter page.

What To See...

Gamle Stavanger

Gamle Stavanger neighborhood is our favorite spot and certainly one of the most beautiful of the city. Traditional wooden white houses are the trademark of this neighborhood and one of the things that makes it one of the most famous sights you can see in Stavanger. We highly recommend you to visit it!

Stavanger Cathedral

The Stavanger Cathedral is built in 1125 and is the oldest cathedral in Norway. The cathedral is located between Byparken park and Stavanger Harbor and is definitely one of the sights that you have to see.

Øvre Holmegate

This is the most colorful street in Stavanger with some very unique cafes and shops. A stop for a coffee here is required!

Norwegian Petroleum Museum

The Stavanger Petroleum Museum is one of the most interesting museums in the city and is definitely worth some of your time. Inside the museum you will learn some of the secrets of oil extraction and also other intriguing details. The opening hours of the museum are from 10:00-19:00 daily and the ticket costs 120 NOK per person.

Sverd i Fjell

Sverd i Fjell is a monument just outside the city center of Stavanger and its name means exactly what you see, swords onto a rock. The three huge 9 meters, bronze swords are a tribute to the battle of Harsfjord, which took place in 872 AD.

Byparken

Byparken is one of the most beautiful parks in the city and is located in the center of Stavanger. In the center of the park you will find a huge lake with a fountain, but also many swans in it. Ideal place for walking and relaxation.

Stavanger Harbor

Stavanger’s beautiful port is one of Norway’s most touristic ports, and is the third largest in the country. Very close to one of Norway’s famous fjords, Lysefjord, is the starting point for many cruises and also a stop for cruise ships from all over the world.

Nearby Excursions

Stavanger is located in Rogaland, Norway, very close to one of the most famous fjords of the country, the enchanting Lysefjord! In places like Stavanger, although the options are countless for excursions, due to the natural beauty of the landscape, the answer is very easy and it is called Preikestolen! An amazing hike that will reward you with one of the most magnificent and delightful landscapes you will see in your life!

Hiking to Preikestolen is along with Trolltunga the most famous in Norway and a must go destination for every traveler. This incredible hike is about 4 hours long and has moderate to easy difficulty. There are two ways to get there from Stavanger. The first is with your car, using the Oanes-Lauvvik ferry which costs 12 euros for the car and 2 persons for one route, and the other is the ferry from the port of Stavanger to Tau, which has almost the same price. Of course, Preikestolen is one of the most popular destinations in Norway, so you can easily find countless coach tours at good rates if you do not have your own car. This hike is an unforgettable experience that you certainly should not miss, but because we have too many to say about it, we will refer to it with more details in a separate article on our blog.

What To Eat

In Stavanger you will find many restaurants in the city center and around the harbor, where most restaurants and cafés are located. The prices are quite high and you have to spend a respectable amount of money for a dinner of two, if you want to eat in one of them. We preferred once again to cook in our apartment, which had a fully equipped kitchen, and so we saved enough money for those two days we stayed in Stavanger.

However, the Kanelsnurren bakery in the city center looked very interesting with its delicacies and so we gave it a try. Everything we tasted was delicious, whether sweet or salty and we suggest you to visit it also…

How to move

Stavanger can not be considered as a big city, and we do not think it is necessary to use any means of transport to move around. Almost all the sights are very close to each other except Sverd i Fjell and of course Preikestolen, that we mentioned above. The best option in our opinion is to park your car at the hotel, especially if it is in the city center, and enjoy one of the most beautiful cities in Norway on foot, without stress. Note also that parking for cars in the theoretically big cities of Norway is very expensive.

Where to stay

Accommodation in Stavanger is slightly cheaper than other major Norwegian cities such as Bergen and Oslo, however prices can by no means be considered as affordable and ideal for someone with a low budget. An average price for a double room in the city center will cost you around 100-150 euros per night. You can make your reservations via Booking.com

Booking.com