Stavanger

Stavanger has always been an international town dependent on the sea and very much influenced by trends from outside. In the Viking Age, Stavanger was a centre of power. Some of Norway’s richest burial finds from this period have been made in this area.

In the mid 1600s, large parts of the city burnt down, including the old medieval area. The ’Old Stavanger’ of today consists of 173 listed and restored wooden houses built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is one of Northern Europe’s best preserved collections of wooden houses and the city has received several awards for its preservation efforts.

The financial upturn for Stavanger started in the 19th century. Herring fisheries, shipping and the canning industry were the mainstays of Stavanger's economic growth up to the 1960s when the first oil finds were made. This is when the foundations of the modern city of Stavanger were laid. Stavanger became an important administrative centre for the Norwegian petroleum industry’s activities.

The city has several museums and collections, of both local and national interest. The Norwegian Petroleum Museum is the most popular museum in the city. It is currently the only petroleum museum in Europe.

One of our round trips to the fjords goes by Stavanger:
Lysefjord & Norway in a nutshell®

If you travel Norway by car, buy our discount card Fjord Pass®. You will receive:
- 10% discount on car rental
- Up to 20% discount on accommodation
- 10-25% discount on activities

Rent a car with our 10% discount here
See activities and prises in Stavanger

See all our car routes connected to Stavanger
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