10 Essentials: what to see and do in Stavanger (Norway) in 1 day

It escapes no one that the norwegian fjords They are one of the places in the world with some scenery most incredible that can be visited.

And between mountains and fjords there are cities as amazing as Stavanger.

After several trips to different places in Norway, we have finally been able to calmly and slowly explore a city that we really wanted to explore.

A small city that is surprising for being full of White Houses traditional wooden ones.

But the good ones Stavanger is that it is an ideal size to walk around while you discover the best corners of the city.

The best things to see and do in Stavanger in Norway

Here we bring you the 10 must-see sites in Stavanger and so you should include this city on the list of destinations that you must visit at some point in your life.

Traditional white houses in Stavanger

Something very characteristic of Norway and that we travelers love to visit, are the neighborhoods of traditional houses.

It is something that quickly becomes obvious when you travel around the country.

Those wood houses with bright colors They give a very characteristic touch to the cities, and it is curious how beautiful they are among these mountainous landscapes.

But the curiosity of traditional Stavanger houses They are not colored and this makes them special.

All the houses, with the exception of some street or specific area of ​​the city, have as their predominant color white.

And the most beautiful area of ​​this type of houses are those of Old.

It is a succession of streets of low wooden houses, all perfectly painted white. next to the port, which are ideal for walking calmly and without rushing.

Our advice is that you get lost among them because there are incredible corners.

Fargegaten colorful houses in Stavanger

In the middle of the port you can already see some houses with touches of color, but there is a very peculiar street where painting the brightly colored houses They have taken it to the extreme.

And is that the Fargegaten houses They are some of the most colorful we have seen anywhere. Norway.

The colored houses In this country they tend to always maintain the same structure; The façade is painted in a striking color and the window and door frames are almost always white.

That's why the Fargegaten houses They are out of the ordinary and the frames are also painted with bright colors.

This crazy color draws a lot of attention in a city where pristine white predominates.

It is a street full of life, but not only because of the colorful decoration, but because it is full of bars and is a city ​​meeting point.

It is a essential visit in Stavanger.

Oil Museum in Stavanger

How many oil museums have you seen in your life?

Probably none, as happened to us, and that's why the Stavanger Oil Museum We had it on our list.

And we have to admit that it is a very interesting visit.

Norway bases much of the wealth of the country in the oil extraction and they are one of the world's great experts on the subject.

In the museum you can visit several areas where the entire process is reviewed, from how it is extracted to its final uses.

There are models of extraction plants, oil ships, real machinery used to extract and a lot of other things.

We definitely recommend this visit.

There is something that is common in all cities in the world, and they are the graffiti without sense.

It is clear that it is something that, in general, makes cities dirty, but it is also true that an ugly signature is not the same as some works of art that some people are capable of painting.

Si Velázquez o Goya Whether they were painters of this time, instead of painting canvases, they expressed their art on the walls.

That is why we recognize that we have a weakness for cities where they have managed to channel this type of artistic expression to decorate inconspicuous facades in an orderly manner.

For 20 years, in Stavanger A festival takes place in which artists express their graffiti in the enabled corners.

This has made it possible to make a Street Art route that we recommend that you visit if you visit Stavanger, because you find authentic works of art.

Geoparken in Stavanger

The parks They are something very common in all cities in the world, and Byparken It is the most famous in the city, but there is another one that is located outside the oil museum which is very curious.

It is a park where everything you find is built with recycled material.

You have to understand that Norway It is one of the countries in the world where the impact that man has on nature is most taken care of, and recycling is an important part of the culture.

You can see an area full of buoys taken from the sea, or places to sit that are actually plastic blocks used to separate lanes on roads.

An excellent example of how to give different uses to materials that were built with a completely different function than the one they ended up having.

Fjord cruise from Stavanger

We cannot ignore that Stavanger It is located in a privileged natural environment.

The fjords Due to their origin they create amazing landscapes, which is why it is very common to ride in some cruise to navigate these rugged landscapes.

One of the most recommended cruises in Norway can be caught right in Stavanger to tour one of the most famous fjords in the country, the Lysefjord.

It is a fjord that stands out because in its more than 40 kilometers of length there are places icons of Norwayas Pulpit Rock, kjerag y Florli, with its 4444 steps.

If you don't want to or can't make a trekking of at least 4 hours to climb the famous great rock of the Pulpit Rock, the cruise is the best option since you pass through its lower part and you can see the very vertical slopes that form it.

St Swithun's Cathedral, Stavanger

It is very difficult to find a city that does not have an outstanding church, and in the case of Stavanger has the St Swithun's Cathedral.

It must be understood that the churches in this country are not as huge as in other areas of the world such as Spain or Italy, they are more modest churches.

Norway It is known as the country of gods as Odin, but this was left behind years ago.

In the middle of the Viking Age, the Christianity began to be established until reaching the present day, when the predominant religion in Norway is Protestant for 83 percent of the population.

Fisketorget fish market in Stavanger

Norway It is undoubtedly a country closely linked to fishing, and that is why a large part of its cuisine includes sea ​​products.

You can buy fish anywhere in the city, but exclusive fish markets, oddly enough, there is only one located right in the port, Fiketorget.

In fact, the Spanish translation of fiketorget It's a fishmonger.

Don't expect a huge market, on the contrary, it is a fairly small place, but it has a peculiarity.

In addition to being able to make the classic purchase, Fiketorget It is also a restaurant.

Every day you can buy and eat the fish that the sailors bring in the restaurant, and that is why the menu changes continuously.

It is the most affordable and quality site where eat fish in Norway.

There is a menu with the dishes of the day that vary, although some of them are kept all year round, like their famous mussels.

If you want to try many things, you have another option, a multi-course menu, so that you choose how many you want to try, between 3 and 7, and you taste it in small portions.

You know that Norway is a very expensive country, And in Stavanger this is the best option for eat good fish at a reasonable price.

We try the 3 course menu with drink, and we paid 50 euros per person.

What to see around Stavanger

Stavanger It is the city within a region of impressive nature.

That is why a recommendation is to do some nature activity within the Stavanger region.

In summer The most popular activities are trekking in different areas of the fjords.

Without a doubt the most visited is the 8 kilometer one that allows you go up to the Pulpit or Preikstolen; It is about four hours round trip on a tour that will take you up to one of the highest and most photographed cliffs in Norway.

But there are many more, such as trekking a kjerag, Himakana, Langfoos with its waterfall, The sorceress, or one of the hardest and most spectacular, like that of Troll tongue.

But in the Stavanger region can also be visited waterfalls, fishing in the fjords, to surf, bath, visit an island, and in winter, of course, ski.

Helicopter over the Preikestolen

For our last recommendation we have left what is the most brutal experience that can be lived in the fjords.

This is only for wealthy pockets, but in return it offers you something unique.

From the air is where you can truly understand the magnitude of the fjords.

It is not easy to understand how enormous these natural formations are, since there are fjords of hundreds of kilometers.

Un helicopter tour 30 minutes or 1 hour long Lysefjord, or the Fjord of Light, which is one of the most famous in all of Norway.

They pick you up at the hotel, take you to the Stavanger heliport and now you just have to enjoy an experience that very few people can live.