Do you remember which fylke Stavanger is in? Rogaland fylke. Stavanger, the 3rd largest city in Norway (ca. 120,000 inhabitants) is actually the administrative center of Rogaland fylke. Stavanger is well known for the location of theViking Age battle in Hafrsfjord in the late first millennium. The city is also known as the Petroleum Capital of Norway, due to the massive quantity of olje (oil) found in the nordsjøen (North Sea). Because of this valuable natural resource, Stavanger became one of the most influential cities in the country in the second half of the 20th century, upon the discovery of olje.
As you may already know, Stavanger is situated on a peninsula on the southwestern coast of Norway. Because the city is på havet (the ocean) and receives the effects of the Gulf Stream (the warm Atlantic coast current), Stavanger, like other coastal cities, has a fairly mild and temperate climate. While there is almost never snow in Stavanger, all of the moisture presents itself in the form of regn, often accompanied by strong vind. Summers are very pleasant in Stavanger and the surrounding areas, which enjoy the longest growing season in Norway.
To give you an idea of where Stavanger is in relation to other Norwegian cities, Bergen is quite close, just over 90 miles north along the coast, while Oslo is further at just under 200 miles east, and Tromsø is a whopping 840 miles north. Fret not if you are traveling to or from Stavanger, for there is a flyplass (airport), Sola, that serves both domestic and international flights. You can also get to Stavanger by tog (train), buss (bus), or båt (boat)!
While Stavanger is a city that I have yet to visit, I have heard that it is a beautiful city with a lot to offer. The Norwegian Petroleum Museum is certainly a tourist attraction frequented by many. I’ve heard it is very informative as far as the oil industry in general and the technical process for extracting the oil, but lacks in the area of oil production and it’s effects on the environment. If you are into museums and other indoor city attractions, the Museum of Arcaeology, the Stavanger Museum, Vitenfabrikken (the science factory), Norwegian Children’s Museum, and the Rogaland Museum of Fine Arts are big tourist attractions.
If you prefer to spend more of your time utendørs (outside), a trip to Prekestolen (Pulpit Rock), a massive cliff above Lysefjorden is definitely a place to experience. Lysefjorden is known for it’s great hiking. A little south of Stavanger, there are strander (beaches) at Sola and Jæren. There are places to bicycle, kayak, canoe, fjord raft, take a helicopter ride, go surfing and kiting, and skiing and snowboarding. The possibilities are really endless.
Don’t you want to hop a plane and visit Stavanger now?
