Stavanger and the Preikestolen

Stavanger is in southwest Norway, on the Rogaland coast, and is the country's oil capital: companies that operate in the North Sea have been based here since the 1970s. Before that, the city lived from herring fishing and canned sardine factories, and that history shows around the centre by the harbour of Vågen.

On the west side of the harbour, Gamle Stavanger brings together about 170 white wooden houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, on cobbled streets, with the Museu das Conservas in a former factory. On the other side, Øvre Holmegate has brightly painted facades. The 12th-century cathedral is the oldest in Norway to retain its medieval form, and the Petroleum Museum on the waterfront tells the other half of the city's story.

To the east, across the Boknafjord, lies the Lysefjord, 42 km long between granite cliffs. Above it sits Preikestolen, the Pulpit, a rock plateau 604 metres above the water, reached by a trail of about 4 km. At the fjord's head, Kjeragbolten, a rock wedged in a crevice about 1,000 metres up, is the region's most demanding hike. South of the city, the three bronze swords of Hafrsfjord commemorate the battle that, according to tradition, united Norway.

The hike is usually done from April to October; in winter, only with a guide. The Jæren coast to the south has sandy beaches used in summer.

This destination brings together 1 city: Stavanger.