Page 630 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

628  SC ANDINA VIA

Stavanger’s main attraction shops, and restaurants – make
is Gamle Stavanger (Old up an attractive harborside.
Stavanger), west of the harbor. Close by the harbor is the busy
Visitors can wander down the Fisketorvet (Fish Market), where
narrow cobble-stone streets fresh fish, produce, and local
of this old city quarter, amid crafts can be found. Also nearby
the white-painted wooden are the 11th-century Mariakirken
houses, and imagine life here (St. Mary’s Church) and the
in the 19th century. An Hanseatiske Museum – an
interesting museum in the excellently preserved late Hansa
town is the Hermetikkmuseet house from the 18th century.
(Canning Museum) at No. 88 Around Lille Lungegårds-vann,
Øvre Strandgate, which tells the city’s central lake, are a
the story of Stavanger’s number of interesting art
fisheries. Overlooking the galleries. Finally, no visitor to
harbor, the Norsk Oljemuseum Bergen should miss the chance
(Norwegian Petroleum to take a trip up Mount Ulriken
The waterfront at Stavanger’s Museum) gives an insight into for a panoramic view of the area.
attractive marina North Sea oil exploration. A cable car takes you from the
edge of the city to the summit.
2 Stavanger 3 Bergen and
* 130,000. k g £ @ the Fjords
n Domkirkeplassen 3 (51 85 92 00).
_ Maijazz (May); Glamat Food Festival * 255,000. k g £ @
(Jul). ∑ regionstavanger.com n Strandkaien 3 (55 55 20 00).
_ Bergen International Festival
Stavanger is best known today (May–Jun). ∑ visitbergen.com
as Norway’s major oil town, with
North Sea oil having provided Surrounded by no fewer than
its prosperity since the 1970s. seven mountains, Norway’s most
Earlier in its history, in the mid- westerly port offers the visitor
19th century, the town grew plenty to do and see, although it
rich on herring exports. rains relentlessly here. Founded
Small enough to be seen on in the 12th century, Bergen is
foot, much of the center of one of Norway’s prettiest cities,
Stavanger is modern. One with a medieval quarter dating Elaborate Baroque pulpit in the
exception is the cathedral, the back to the days when the port Mariakirken, Bergen
Stavanger Domkirke, which was an important center of
dates back to the 12th century European trade for the all- Environs
but has been restored several powerful German Hanseatic Just outside the city is Trold-
times since. Later 17th-century League. Many of the surviving haugen, an enchanting villa
additions include a flamboyant Hanseatic buildings are found filled with paintings, prints,
pulpit and a number of huge, on the Bryggen (quay), where and other memorabilia, where
richly carved memorial tablets brightly-painted old wooden Norway’s most famous
hanging in the aisles. warehouses – now museums, composer Edvard Grieg (1843–
1907) spent the later years of
his life and composed much
of his work. A short way
beyond is Fantoft Stavkirke,
a traditional, ancient wooden
church, originally built in
Sognefjord, but moved here.
Bergen also makes a good
base for viewing the western
fjord scenery, which extends
from south of Bergen to distant
Kristiansund in the north. Boat
trips leave from Bergen
throughout the summer (a few
run year-round), visiting local
fjords. One of the closest is
Osterfjord, but Hardangerfjord,
with its majestic waterfalls, is
The stunning scenery of the Sognefjord, north of Bergen perhaps the most spectacular.
For hotels and restaurants see p632 and p633

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