Stavanger

The port sits in the city’s heart. As many as two of the largest cruise ships can enter together and berth within sight of the lively market, shops and cafes. There is no need for a passenger-services terminal because every facility is only a very short walk away.

Taxis serve the port, although options can be limited. A shuttle to the town centre is also available for 7 Euros.

A printable map is available to take along.

Get acquainted with smiling, friendly Stavanger: a rich city of culture, nature, experiences and good times, with abundant charm and sea breezes.

The region long calls itself the Vikings’ cradle and marks the beginning of the Great Norwegian Fjords. To the east, fjords and steep mountains include Lysefjord with Preikestolen, "the Pulpit Rock", reached by an hour boat trip from the city centre. To the south lies Jaeren, a flat open landscape with long sandy beaches.

• The fascinating Stavanger Oil Museum is an interesting building about Norway’s oil industry. Submersible and drilling-equipment displays, a mock oil platform and audio-visual presentations can fill a good few hours, and the museum caters for all ages.
• Although the Canning Museum may not initially sound like the most interesting place to visit, it is a surprisingly good little museum with many hands-on exhibits.
• Gamle Stavanger (Old Stavanger) is a well-preserved piece of Norwegian history. Its winding old streets and wooden houses represent accommodation from Stavanger’s time as Norway’s canning capital. Most Old Stavanger houses are privately owned and well kept.
• Preikestolen (the pulpit rock) can be visited by boat or by hiking. This impressive geological feature appears on almost every Stavanger postcard, projecting about 604 meters above the fjord and nearly totally flat on top. The boat view is less satisfying than the hike, whose round trip takes several hours. Boats depart Vaagen, the harbour in the town centre; the moderate trail is well used, especially in summer.
• For a photo opportunity, visit the Three Swords (Sverd i fjell, literally Swords in Stone), a monument beside Hafrsfjord outside central Stavanger. The swords are massive and the fjord sits behind them. It commemorates the late 800's battle of Hafrsfjord, when Harald Hårfagre defeated his eastern opposition to become Norway’s first King.
• Sculptures: British sculptor Anthony Gormley’s mobile installation Another Place appeared on and off Sola beach in 2000. A few years later, the same artist’s permanent Broken Column installation was placed at various locations around Stavanger’s centre.
• Rogaland Kunstmuseum, the art museum, is at Mosvatnet Lake just 2 km from the city centre. It has a permanent Norwegian-art exhibition and a rotating show that can be quite spectacular. Do not miss the Lars Hertervig paintings, which reflect the landscape of the islands immediately north of Stavanger.

Rødne is the principal Lysefjord cruise company. Its website has schedules, prices and a map to its departure point right by the cruise pier. If travelling independently, consider pre-booking online to guarantee a place, in case it is also the ship’s operator.

Stavanger is highly walkable, with no immediate need for taxi's, buses or similar transport.

Consider Stavanger’s hop-on hop-off shore excursion.

Cobbled pedestrian shopping streets are full of quality Norwegian goods: hand-knitted sweaters, wood, pewter, glass, ceramics, jewelry, and Stavanger-specific gifts such as replicas of Viking-age jewelry found locally.

Almost at the ship's gangway, passengers can begin at the market before taking in the atmosphere and visiting the Anglo- Norman Cathedral. It dates from 1125, when the town had only some 200 inhabitants.

The Norwegian crown, or norske krone (kr), is Norway’s currency. Its 1/100th unit is the øre, and 1.00 EUR = about 8 NOK.

Norwegian ATMs are called Minibank.

Nearly every store accepts major cards including Mastercard and Visa; bring a passport/driver's license because credit-card users must identify themselves.

Norwegian serves as Norway's official language and closely resembles the two other mutually intelligible Scandinavian languages. English is in wide use.

Both McDonalds and Burger King are a short walk from the ship and offer free WiFi.

Depending on the pier where you dock, an open Wifi connection may sometimes be found from the ship’s open decks.

Norway’s opening hours have improved, but many smaller stores still shut early on Saturday, typically 1 PM or 3 PM, and nearly everything closes on Sundays. Door signs often read "9-21 (9-18)", meaning 9 AM to 9 PM on weekdays and 9 AM to 6 PM on Saturday.