Hotels in Stavanger

Stavanger: Oil Capital, Fjord Gateway, and Old Town Timber

Stavanger sits on Norway's southwest coast, roughly 300 km from Oslo by air. The city of 145,000 is Norway's petroleum capital — Norsk Oljemuseum (Norwegian Petroleum Museum), opened in 1999 on the Stavanger waterfront, draws 100,000 visitors annually. Yet the oldest quarter, Gamle Stavanger, preserves 173 white-painted wooden houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, making it one of the best-preserved timber-house districts in northern Europe.

Gateway to Lysefjord and Preikestolen

Travelers use Stavanger as a base for Lysefjord, the 42-km fjord whose sheer walls rise 600 m. The plateau Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock), a flat cliff 604 m above the fjord, is a 4-hour return hike accessed via a ferry from Stavanger Fiskepiren pier. Kjeragbolten, the wedged boulder 1,084 m above sea level, attracts more experienced hikers. Ferry crossings to the trailhead at Tau take 40 minutes.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Stavanger Airport Sola is 14 km southwest; airport bus (Flybussen) reaches the city centre in 30 minutes.
• Season: Hike Preikestolen between late April and October; snow closes the trail in winter.
• Local food: Stavanger's Øvre Holmegate street concentrates cafés and restaurants within five minutes of the old town.
• Currency: Norwegian krone (NOK); card payments accepted almost universally.