Stavanger

Stavanger is Norway's fourth largest city, at 130,000 citizens. It is the largest city in, and the administrative centre of, Rogaland county in West Norway. Stavanger is the centre of the Norwegian oil industry and has the only petroleum museum in Norway. It also has a preserved old town on the west side of a charming waterfront.

Understand

Stavanger sits on the northern part of the Jæren flatland just south of the wide Boknafjord. Stavanger has a mild, humid Atlantic climate. There is less rain (1180 millimeter annually) but more wind than in Bergen. All months are on average above 0°C, January and February around 0.5°C on average. Snowfall occurs, but snow rarely stays for a long time. There is rarely deep frost.

Stavanger is the fourth largest city in Norway, and third largest metropolitan area when nearby Sandnes, Randaberg and Sola are included with a total of some 240,000 people. Stavanger is Norway's most densely populated city. Until around 1950 Stavanger was a typical industrial city with ship yards and Norway's canning capital. During the 1960s Stavanger became an economic backwater and one of the poorest cities in Norway. When the large Ekofisk offshore oil field was discovered in 1969 South-West of Stavanger a new era for the city and for the country began. The influx of oil workers, engineering firms and the estabishment of headquarters for Norway's oil industry changed the city into Norway's richest.

Stavanger is one of Norway's oldest cities and Stavanger or nearby area was a centre of power during the Viking ages. Stavanger became a catholic diocese around 1120 (when the southern part of Western Norway split from Bergen diocese) and the cathedral was founded. The first bishop was probably Reinald, a munk from Enland.

See

• ⊙Gamle Stavanger (Old Stavanger). Gamle Stavanger is a well preserved slice of Norwegian history. Old winding streets and wooden houses are representative of accommodation from Stavangers days as the canning capital of Norway. Most houses in Old Stavanger are privately owned and well kept.
• ⊙Norwegian Canning Museum (also part of MUST), Øvre Strandgate 88, 4005 Stavanger, ☎ +47 51 842700. Summerː open daily 10:00 - 16:00. Housed in an authentic cannery that was in operation from 1916 until 1958, the Canning Museum may not seem like the most interesting place to visit, but it is a surprisingly good little museum with a lot of hands-on exhibits. Next to the museum is the Worker's cottage, an authentic 1800s house built in regency style architecture, with the first floor interior decorated c.1920 and the second floor c.1960. Tickets are valid to all open Museums the same day in MUST, which includes the Stavanger Maritime Museum and the Norwegian Canning Museum in Old Stavanger. Stavanger Museum and the Norwegian Children’s Museum, Stavanger Art Museum next to the lake Mosvatnet, and Stavanger School Museum in Hillevåg. Adult: NOK 90; Children 4-18/Student: NOK 50; Pensioners: NOK 50. (updated Jul 2017)
• ⊙Stavanger Maritime Museum (part of MUST), Strandkaien 22, 4005 Stavanger. Summerː open daily 10:00 - 16:00. Free audio guide to take you through the entire museum, available upon request at the reception in German, English and Norwegian. Adult: NOK 90; Children 4-18/Student: NOK 50; Pensioners: NOK 50. (updated Jul 2017)
• ⊙Stavanger Cathedral (Stavanger domkirke). Stavanger Cathedral (romanesque style from about 1125, with later Gothic additions) is the best preserved medieval cathedral in Norway and well worth a visit. The church patron saint is Saint Svithun. The pulpit was made by Andrew Smith in the 1650s and the stained glass by Victor Sparre in 1957.  
• ⊙Norwegian Oil Museum (Norsk Olje Museum), Kjeringholmen in central Stavanger waterfront. 1 Jun-31 Augː daily 10.00-19.00; 1 Sep-31 Mayː Mon-Sat 10.00-16.00, Sun 10.00-18.00. The Norwegian Oil Museum is a very interesting building with fascinating information on Norway's oil industry, which got its start on Christmas eve 1969. Displays of submersibles, drilling equipment, a mock oil platform, and audio-visual presentations make for a good few hours. The museum caters to all ages. Adults NOK 120; Children NOK 60; Families (two adults and three children) NOK 300; Students NOK 60; Pensioners NOK 60. (updated Jul 2017)
• ⊙Fargegaten (lit, the coloured street), Øvre Holmegate. Street with vitally coloured houses, having some of Stavangers best cafes and shops. 
• ⊙Museum of Archeaology (Arkeologisk Museum, University of Stavanger), Peder Klowsgate 30 A. 1 Jun - 1 Sep, Mon-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sat-Sun 10.00-16.00. Collection of archaeological and natural history objects from the county of Rogaland. Gives an introduction to Rogaland’s prehistory from the Stone, Bronze and Viking Ages, and up to the end of the Middle Ages. Café and museum shop. Adults: 50 NOK; Children under 16 and students/seniors; 20 NOK. (updated Jul 2017)

Useful

Inside the range of 4 km:

• ⊙   Tourist-Information Stavanger, Stavanger
• ⊙   Bus towards Håvik, Stavanger
• ⊙   Ferry Stavanger - Nedstrand, Stavanger