On the southern cusp of the Lysefjord, in southwest Norway, Stavanger is where the country’s coast begins to splinter into a thousand islands, skerries, waterways and inlets. It’s little wonder, then, that this city — the fourth largest in Norway — should have been defined by water, both geographically and culturally. It first made big bucks in fish canning, then in North Sea oil, as two of its main museums recount. Yet, today, it surprises visitors with newfound urban cool.
While everyone raves about Bergen, Stavanger’s northern, more famous neighbour, here you’ll find fewer crowds in equally lovely cobbled alleys. Harbourside cafes fizz with life, streets are splashed with Norway’s finest street art — homegrown talent like Pøbel and DotDotDot alongside big names like Banksy and Pure Evil — and ingenious chefs reach for Michelin stars.
A weekend is enough for a taster, but you’ll be kicking yourself if you didn’t book that extra time off. Tag on an extra day or two to climb knife-edge, fjord-side cliffs or enjoy a blissfully
