Stavanger

Introduction

Stavanger sits on the Stavanger Peninsula in southwest Norway, and its official founding year is tied to the completion of Stavanger Cathedral in 1125. The city is the administrative centre of Rogaland county.

The core of Stavanger is largely made up of 18th- and 19th-century wooden houses that are protected and considered part of the city's cultural heritage. This has helped the town centre and inner city keep a small-town character, with an unusually high ratio of detached houses, and has contributed significantly to spreading the city's population growth to outlying parts of Greater Stavanger.

Before you go

Stavanger sits on the northern edge of the Jæren flatland, just south of the wide Boknafjord. Its climate is mild and humid by Atlantic standards: expect more wind than you would find in Bergen, and rain spread across the year. January and February hover around freezing on average, so pack for cold, damp days rather than deep frost — snow falls but rarely settles for long. Layered, windproof clothing will serve you better than a heavy coat alone.

The city is compact and its downtown core is easy to cover on foot, but weekends bring crowds of revellers into that small centre, so take care late at night when people have had a few too many to drink. The local police are efficient, usually speak good English and keep a strong presence downtown at weekends; call 112 in an emergency. If you are out after midnight on a Friday or Saturday, night buses run, though fares are higher than during the day.

Getting there

Most visitors arrive by air at Stavanger Airport, Sola, about a 20-minute drive from the centre. Domestic flights from Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim are frequent, and from abroad SAS and KLM fly in multiple times daily from their Copenhagen and Amsterdam hubs, with Lufthansa from Frankfurt, LOT from Warsaw and Finnair from Helsinki and Stockholm also serving the airport. An airport shuttle runs to downtown every 20 minutes and takes around 25 minutes, though frequencies drop during early mornings, late nights, weekends and holidays. A slower, cheaper alternative is bus line 42 towards Sandnes, which departs every 15 minutes (less often on Sundays and holidays), then transfer to a bus heading for the city centre — line 5 or 3 at Koppholen, line 7 at Sande terasse, or line 2 at Tjora if you first board a bus towards Tananger. These are low-floor city buses with no dedicated luggage space, and stops are shown on a display on board.

Long-distance trains run from Oslo via Kristiansand, including a night service that does not run on Saturdays, and booking online well in advance is considerably cheaper than buying on board. The main station sits next to the bus terminal, from which express buses reach Bergen and Oslo via Kristiansand; from Bergen the express bus is the main public transport option, with limited-stop departures that skip Haugesund altogether and regular services that call at the centres of Haugesund and Leirvik, and ferry crossings on the route are included in the ticket. By road, E39 is the primary north–south route and the fastest from Kristiansand or Bergen, while Rv. 13 from Sogndal, Voss and Hardanger via Ryfylke is slower but more scenic. From Oslo, drive E18 along the coast to Kristiansand and continue on E39, or take E134 and fv. 45 for a more scenic run that involves the Brokke–Suleskard mountain pass, closed for much of the year in winter. Fjord Line also runs a daily overnight ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark, continuing to Bergen; the ship docks at Risavika International Ferry Terminal, a 20-minute drive from the centre, with bus line 2 calling outside the terminal for foot passengers. Passenger boats from Ryfylke call at Fiskepirterminalen in the northeastern corner of the city centre.

Getting around

Stavanger's centre is compact and largely walkable. The waterfront around the inner harbour curves like a big "U", and this is the most scenic and interesting part of town for visitors. On the west side of the harbour is the old town with two museums; on the east side are shops, restaurants and the Petroleum Museum; at the bottom of the "U" sit the market plaza and Stavanger Cathedral. South of the cathedral, the man-made Lake Breiavatnet separates the harbour area from the train and bus stations and further museums. The Tourist Information Office at Strandkaien, next to the harbour between the cruise pier and the historic Old Stavanger, is a good source of free advice, brochures, maps and wifi. To go much farther afield, some form of transportation is useful.

Public transit consists of bus, railway and passenger boats, with fares and schedules organised by the transit authority Kolumbus. Reduced tickets for children, students and seniors are approximately half the adult price, and on weekends and after a set time on weekdays two adults and three children may travel on a single adult ticket. The Kolumbus Billett app is the primary way to buy tickets, covering single tickets as well as daily, weekly and monthly passes for any number of zones; virtually all trips within Stavanger, Sandnes, Sola and Randaberg are in the Nord-Jæren zone, and you can enter your origin and destination to let the app work out the zones required. The app also locates and unlocks Kolumbus e-bikes, with 15 minutes of use free with a valid ticket in the app. The separate Kolumbus app charges a distance-based fare using geolocation: press "Payment" before boarding, and press it again when boarding a new vehicle if your journey involves a transfer. A smart card can be bought onboard the bus (cash only) or at customer service centres and preloaded with money or a pass; there is no tapping out, so tell the driver before tapping if you need a different fare from your standard. Ticket machines are a viable alternative at railway stations but not if you start by bus, as very few bus stops have them. Buying from the bus driver costs extra and is cash only, as payment cards are not accepted onboard. The fare system covers the green and white city buses, the green and grey local trains, the passenger boat line to Byøyene and Hommersåk and the Vassøy ferry; blue long-distance trains cannot be used with Kolumbus tickets, and passenger boats to Ryfylke use a separate fare structure. Buses in the city centre stop along Breiavatnet and the bus terminal, and most have areas for wheelchairs and baby carriages.

• For quicker trips between Stavanger, the Forus business district and Sandnes, a bicycle super highway fenced off from cars and pedestrians runs through the area; bicycle infrastructure elsewhere varies from excellent to an afterthought but is present for trips anywhere, and designated routes in the city's official network are named and signposted.
• Rental e-scooters are operated by Voi and Ryde, with designated parking areas in central Stavanger; improper parking will result in a fine.
• Kolumbus e-bikes must start and end at official charging stations, though the bicycles can be locked for intermediate stops anywhere; charging stations in some areas can be empty at certain times, so keep a backup transport plan.
• Taxis charge high rates, with surcharges in the evening, at night, on Saturdays and on Sundays; credit cards can be used to pay through the taxi meters. During weekends there can be long lines for taxis downtown, so try walking out of the city centre and hailing a vacant cab on its way back.

Where to stay

Most of Stavanger's accommodation clusters within walking distance of the bus and train station, with the city centre a short stroll beyond. Budget options are limited: Mosvangen camping takes tents and cars south of the centre, while Centrum Romutleie offers very basic single and double rooms with a shared bathroom and a guest kitchen for preparing breakfast, a walk from both station and centre.

For hostels, Mosvangen vandrerhjem has high-standard rooms, all ensuite, with a basic guest kitchen and a no-alcohol rule; St Svithun vandrerhjem is comparable to a good hotel apart from making your own bed, with an ensuite room, a nice cafe and a guest kitchen, also alcohol-free. Mid-range guesthouses and small hotels include Rogalandsheimen Gjestgiveri and Stavanger BB, both with rooms that have sinks but no ensuite bathrooms, and Stavanger Lille Hotell, whose larger rooms come with TV/DVD and quality beds while economy rooms are smaller and not ensuite. At the top end, Havly Hotell sits in the heart of the centre five minutes from the station, with cable TV, coffee/tea makers and quality beds; Hotel Maritim and the Park Inn are a short walk from the station, and Hotel Atlantic, a few minutes from both station and centre, is described as the best available in town. Note that several places, including Havly Hotell, Mosvangen vandrerhjem and Rogalandsheimen, do not allow alcohol. If you need to be near the airport and the Sola Beach, Himmel og hav and the cosy Sola Strandhotell, the latter with a great sea view and a high-quality restaurant, are each about a mile's walk from the airport.

Food & drink

Stavanger has a strong reputation among food lovers, with a range of good restaurants and an annual food fair that fills the harbour area for a weekend each summer. Eating out is generally not cheap, as everywhere in Norway. If you're on a budget, head for the smaller ethnic restaurants, such as Chinese and Thai places. For take-away, Fortou on Kvitsøygata serves "asian fusion" food, and you can carry it to Øst and order a hand-brewed beer alongside. Sabi Sushi on Pedersgata does take-away and restaurant service and is considered by many the best sushi in town, while No 28 Pizza Pub on Øvre Holmegate makes everything in house, including the dough, and also serves babyback ribs. Tako by Fortou, from the same people behind Fortou, offers high-quality tacos and other Mexican food.

If you want to spoil yourself, several excellent places exist for the traveller on an expense account. Try Tango, NB Sørensens (the upstairs restaurant) or Renaa. Straen Fiskerestaurant is considered one of the best seafood restaurants in Norway, though it serves only seafood, with no meat or poultry. Spildr is another seafood option. Bravo serves small dishes with seasonal ingredients and a menu that changes regularly, and Söl offers a seasonal set menu; both appear in the Michelin guide. Casa Gio is a very good, cosy Italian restaurant, while Ry combines food, drinks, music and other events indoors and out, and Brøl is a bistro focused on its bar and sourdough. For coffee and baked goods, try Kokko kaffebar for specialty coffee, Micro Kaffi for a great selection of specialty coffees, Kanelsnurren Øst for coffee or tea with fresh bread, pastry or sandwiches, Ostehuset Øst for a spacious, cosy place with good food, drinks, coffee, bread and cheese, or Jakob's Brød og Kafé, an excellent bakery and cafe in a cosy setting.

What to see and do

Stavanger's sights cluster around the inner harbour. South of it stands Stavanger Cathedral, a Romanesque building from around 1125 with later Gothic additions and the best-preserved medieval cathedral in Norway; inside, look for the 1650s pulpit and the 1957 stained glass. West of the harbour, Gamle Stavanger preserves winding streets of well-kept wooden houses from the city's canning days, and the Norwegian Canning Museum sits in an authentic cannery that operated from 1916 to 1958, with plenty of hands-on exhibits and a worker's cottage next door. East of the harbour, Fargegaten is a street of vibrantly coloured houses lined with cafés and shops, while the old beer factory at Tou Scene now hosts art exhibitions and concerts. Also in the centre are the red-brick St. Petri Church, the historical coastal steamers MS Rogaland and MS Sandnes docked in the city centre, and Valbergtårnet, a 19th-century fire watchtower on a small hill with a view over the inner harbour. On the waterfront, the Norwegian Oil Museum covers the story of Norway's oil industry with submersibles, drilling equipment and a mock platform. Anthony Gormley's Broken Column sculptures are placed at various spots around the centre.

Beyond the centre, the Three Swords monument beside the Hafrsfjord commemorates the battle in the late 800s that made Harald Hårfagre the first King of Norway, and the Stavanger Botanic Garden offers parkland. The city's wooden-house districts are worth wandering: Storhaug, east of the centre, is a gentrified neighbourhood popular with artists, and Pedersgata is known for its international cuisine; Eiganes is dominated by stately homes and large gardens, including the royal residence at Ledaal. For hiking, the trail to Preikestolen is a steep out-and-back route with a large elevation gain that demands layered clothing and proper footwear, and buses run from Stavanger to the trailhead, so check return times carefully. A gentler option is the trail from Rosenli Beach to Godalen Beach along the east coastline, passing bays, coves and sandy beaches; both beaches are popular for swimming, and Godalen has barbecue facilities and a play area. Trails around Stavanger are marked with rocks bearing a red "T", and mountain bikes can be hired.

When to go

Stavanger has a mild temperate oceanic climate warmed by the North Sea, and rain is plentiful year-round. Spring into early summer is the driest stretch, so a visit then is less likely to be interrupted by rain than at other times of year. Mild westerlies keep temperatures moderate, making this the most comfortable window for exploring the city and the surrounding fjords.

• Spring and early summer: The driest part of the year, with moderate temperatures and the best odds of dry days.
• Late autumn and winter: Precipitation is most plentiful then, arriving mainly as rain, so expect wet conditions. The North Sea and Atlantic lows keep winters mild for the latitude, though cold snaps can occur.

Three days in Stavanger

Day one: Start in Stavanger itself, on the Stavanger Peninsula, and get your bearings around Stavanger Cathedral before wandering the surrounding streets. Note that most places close on Sundays, so plan your arrival accordingly; if you fly in, Stavanger Airport at Sola handles domestic routes from Oslo and Trondheim as well as international connections via SAS, KLM, Lufthansa, LOT and Finnair through Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Warsaw, Helsinki and Stockholm.

Day two: Head south into Jæren, the flat coastal district in Rogaland known for its long beaches and open farmland. The Atlantic sweeps in from the west, and the weather is changeable through the year, with January and February bringing cold, wet and windy conditions and layered clothing serving you well. English is widely spoken throughout the region.

Day three: Look out over the Boknafjord and take in the wider sweep of Greater Stavanger, with Sandnes within easy reach. Ferries and road links connect the area towards Bergen, though the journey is long. Keep in mind that Fridays and Saturdays are the liveliest days for going out, while Sundays are quiet.