Must-sees in Stavanger

Stavanger - Norway's street art capital! This is thanks to Nuart, which has been organising street art festivals in the city for several years. You'll find murals all over Stavanger in the most quirky places. New works are also constantly being added. Here are some examples.

Helge by Smug is a large mural at a local school; Kannik Secondary School. Smug is an Australian graffiti artist known for detailed paintings on a large scale.

Hera for Nuart at the train station in the Trains Planes & Automobiles project. ©Brian Tallman Photography @bktallman

Sandra Chevrier and Martin Watson created the Junction mural during their two-person exhibition at the Nuart Gallery in 2017.

Old Stavanger is a protected and preserved area. Here you will see 173 small, beautiful wooden houses. They are often timber-framed, and several houses have added arches (Stavangerarken) on the roof. This was to maximise the use of space - several tenants usually lived under one roof. The houses were typically homes for workers in the herring and canning industries.

Stavanger has received several awards for the preservation of Old Stavanger.

This colourful street in Stavanger is a popular photo stop, not to mention a place to sit in one of the many cafés and contemplate life. Several niche shops can also be found on the street.

Those who were initially sceptical about the project were quickly convinced, and all scepticism turned to enthusiasm when the street attracted new cafés, bars and shops, and not least more visitors.

In the colourful street, you can be a typical tourist with a selfie stick or just find an empty seat at the nearest pub or café. You can get a shave a the barbershop, cut your hair, shop in niche boutiques, get a tattoo or buy beautiful clothes from a local brand with its own silk printing workshop.

Norway's best-preserved cathedral stands proudly and shines within a short distance of shops, the city square, the harbour and the city park.

According to tradition, Stavanger Cathedral was built in 1125 when Sigurd Jorsalfarer made Stavanger the episcopal seat.

Valbergtårnet is a former lookout tower for the city's watchmen. It was built in the years 1850-1853. Today, it serves as a watchman's museum.

During the summer months, you can visit the tower's museum. It is also a recommended photo stop for overview pictures of Stavanger.

See opening hours and more information about Valbergtårnet.

The monument with the three swords commemorates the Viking battle in Hafrsfjord that united Norway into a kingdom in 872, led by the great Viking chieftain Harald Fairhair. © Sven-Erik Knoff | FotoKnoff | www.fotoknoff.no | Bono: Fritz Røed.