No city in Norway is a travel bargain, but there are free and cheap things to do in them all. That’s certainly true in Stavanger, especially if you bring your walking shoes.
Norway’s oil and energy capital has a charming central area and there’s plenty of nature and hiking opportunities within easy reach of the city. Here are five things to do with your time in the Stavanger region that won’t break the bank.
Explore the old town
The cobbled streets of the Gamle Stavanger neighborhood are home to a collection of immaculately-kept white timber houses. The few hundred buildings are mostly private residences and the owners are clearly proud of their homes. It’s not unusual to find a local tending to plants and flowers as you potter by.
Gamle Stavanger is known for its cobbled streets and white, wooden houses.
After World War II, proposals were made to destroy the area and replace it with concrete buildings. It was only after protests led by the Stavanger city architect that the plans were shelved. He argued that the original timber buildings were unique and should be treasured, not destroyed.
If you are visiting Stavanger by cruise ship, the old district is immediately in front of you on the hillside behind the port building.
Walk Norway’s most colorful street
At busy times, Stavanger’s Øvre Holmegate is an assault on the senses. Pastel colors compete for your eyes’ attention, while the sounds and smells drifting out of the cafes and bars lining the cobbled street are hard to ignore.
Stavanger's Øvre Holmegate is known as Norway's most colorful street.
In 2005, the street was just like any other in the old shopping district, until a local hairdresser wanted to more vibrant environment in order to draw more people to his salon—and neighboring businesses.
While the resulting colorful design seems haphazard at first glance, the color combinations are actually the result of careful design by Scottish artist Craig Flannagan, who took inspiration from Miami Vice.
“Colours work like musical notes creating harmonies. Each house was given a series of four or five colours, which were designed to harmonize with its neighbours. Eventually everybody was happy, all except for one house that still refuses to follow the scheme,” said Flannagan.
See the swords of Stavanger
Three 32-feet-high swords planted in the rocky ground by a beach make up the striking Sverd i fjell monument.
The 'sverd i fjell' monument in Stavanger commemorates the Battle of Hafrsfjord that united Norway ... [+]
It marks the location of the 9th-century Battle of Hafrsfjord, after which—according to the sagas—Norway was united under the crown of King Harald.
While entirely free to explore, the monument does require a bus ride from downtown Stavanger unless you fancy a one-hour walk each way. Just bear in mind there isn’t much else to do in the area beyond sitting on the beach, although a kiosk does sell coffee and ice-cream most days.
Enjoy the beaches of Stavanger
Norway isn’t known for its beaches but there are many places with wild sandy beaches ideal for a coastal walk, or sunbathing if you strike it lucky with the weather. Many of the best beaches are clustered around the Stavanger region.
The best known is Sola, thanks in part to its location right by the city’s international airport and the Sola Strand hotel and spa. The handful of small sandy beaches at Vaulen are even closer to the city.
Sola beach is known as one of the best beaches in Norway.
Father south from Sola, the stretch of fine golden sand backed by dunes at Orrestranden is one of Norway’s longest beaches.
Hiking in the Stavanger region
The hike to Pulpit Rock at the Lysefjord is one of the most famous hikes in Norway, if not the whole of Europe. But visitors to Stavanger don’t have to venture so far to enjoy a taste of Norwegian nature.
Just over a mile west of the city centre, Store Stokkavannet lake is a popular recreational area with locals. The five-mile trail around the lake and through the forest is ideal for those who don’t want to leave the city.
In neighboring Sandnes, the summit of the Dalsnuten hike offers a great view across Stavanger, Sandnes and the Gandsfjord at the cost of a relatively straightforward hike that shouldn’t take more than three hours for the roundtrip.
