Stavanger Overview

The harbor town of Stavanger (pop. 120,000) served as a 2008 European Capital of Culture, along with Liverpool, BRI . Shedding the perception that it is merely a port city and a hub for the oil industry, Stavanger boasts a number of attractions, including the stunning Lysefjord to the east. On the western side of the harbor is Gamle Stavanger (Old Town), where lamp-lit, pedestrian walkways wind past well-preserved cottages. The 12th-century Stavanger Domkirke is one of Norway’s oldest cathedrals. (☎65 33 60; www.kirken.stavanger.no. Open June-Aug. daily 11am-7pm; Sept.-May Tu-Th and Sa 11am-4pm. 11am Sunday Services. Free tours daily noon-5pm.) The sleek Norwegian Petroleum Museum (Norsk Oljemuseum), down Kirkegata from the church, explains drilling, refining, and life on oil platforms with high-tech displays. (☎93 93 00; www.norskolje.museum.no. Open June-Aug. daily 10am-7pm; Sept.-May M-Sa 10am-4pm, Su 10am-6pm. 80kr, students 40kr. AmEx/MC/V.) A popular attraction,   Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) offers magnificent views from an altitude of 600m. If the crowds and your nerves permit, lie flat and look into the abyss below. Take the ferry to Tau from Fiskepiren wharf in Stavanger, catch a bus, and hike up the well-marked trail (1-2hr.)

The best budget accommodations are around Lake Mosvatnet, south of the city, and near the airport (bus #5a or 5b, 2-4 per hr., 25kr). Stavanger Hostel , Henrik Ibsens gt. 19, on the south shore of the lake, is a small red bungalow with quiet dorms. (☎54 36 36; www.vandrerhjem.no. Reception 7-10:30am and 4-10pm. Open from mid-June to mid-Aug. Dorms 280kr; singles 490kr; doubles 550kr. 15% HI discount. MC/V.) Bring your own tent and settle down at Stavanger Camping , next door to the hostel. It offers stunning lake views. (☎53 29 71; www.stavangercamping.no. 140-150kr per tent site, 470-650kr per cabin. Showers 10kr. Electricity 40kr.) Sample native strawberries (from 25kr per bushel) at the market opposite the cathedral in the main square (open M-F 8am-5pm).

Trains run to Kristiansand (3hr., 7 per day, 405kr, students 304kr) and Oslo (8hr., 4 per day, 1006kr, students 755kr. Check mini pris tickets). Buses to Bergen (5-6hr., 2 per hr., 400kr, students 300kr) leave from Stavanger Byterminal. The Flaggruten express boat (4hr., 170-680kr) sails to Bergen. (☎055 05; http://eng.tide.no">http://eng.tide.no">http://eng.tide.no. 1-4 per day. 50% Eurail and Scanrail discount. 40% student discount.) The tourist office, Domkirkeplassen 3, books rooms (30kr). Check out its helpful website. (☎51 85 92 00; www.regionstavanger.com. Open June-Aug. daily 7am-8pm; Sept.-May M-F 9am-4pm, Sa 9am-2pm.) Postal Code: 4001.