Sailing To Stavanger?

O.K., so here’s another update on my series of blogs about un-missable tourist destinations on the different ports of call we at cruise.co.uk send you all too. Again, bear in mind this is aimed at people who have never visited these ports before and it’s all based on my personal opinions and my favourite sites anyway. If you feel I’ve missed something important out or disagree with a point I've made please make a comment below to help other cruisers make up their minds. It’s ben pointed out to me that a lot of these guides have been for the Med so for a change were heading north to……..


Cruise Port, Stavanger is situated in the centre of the city. From here the market place is about ten minutes walk. This is the port from where international ferry ships and cruises depart or arrive at. The North Sea borders the Stavanger city and on these waters that the cruise ships travel. The Cruise Port, Stavanger is an important landmark and terminal point from where many tours begin. It’s also the one destination cruisers can’t miss.

Archaeological Museum, Stavanger has a Permanent Exhibition which covers 350 square meters of total area, two halls for temporary exhibitions and various other halls for special exhibits. Another 150 square meters have been reserved for children's activities, a classroom and the visitors' archive. The Permanent Exhibition consists of objects which are more than 11,000 years old covering the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and including the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. Rogaland has always been one of Norway's richest archaeological fields for ancient civilizations. The exhibition at the museum features six interesting dioramas portraying life in different periods of the historical past. The Archaeological Museum in Stavanger also holds temporary exhibitions which are usually 6-8 in number each year. These are designed and built in the museum or presented with aid from other museums and institutions.

Old Town, Stavanger, also known as Straen, is the largest surviving wooden house settlement in northern Europe. The beauty of the place lies in the innumerable little wooden houses that dot the area and the cobbled streets that dent the landscape. Only a couple of minutes away from the centre of Gamle is the Cruise Port from where the cruise ships depart. Commercialization has not changed the region in any way. A must stop for everyone looking to swell their photo albums with picturesque scenes. All the houses in the Old Town are painted white. Only a very few of them are coloured. Some of the houses are as old as 300 yrs and the more recent ones are not less than 100 yrs old. It’s not just the houses that give the area a resplendent look though. The playgrounds and parks and the small wooden benches along the streets also add to the beauty of the place. The usual duration of a tour to Old Town, Stavanger is 30 minutes or more. Since the tourists have been pouring into the region for quite some time now many cafes, shopping centres and public toilets have come up. Children love to spend time in the parks in Gamle.

The Rogaland War Historical Museum, Stavanger is an undertaking of the Department of Cultural History. Its primary intention is to reflect the way the culture of Stavanger has been influenced by the devastating World War II. Here in the museum the visitors will see a rare collection of weapons that were used during the time of war. There are detailed catalogues that narrate what exactly happened during the war. Documents that relate to war research are also found in the Rogaland War Historical Museum in Stavanger. Specifically speaking the museum concentrates on illustrating the war period and its focus is on Stavanger and Rogaland, which were worst affected during the Second World War.

Happy Cruising