Stavanger through four turning points

Why go

Stavanger Cathedral and early city development explain Stavanger’s first importance; the wartime account centres on Sola Airport and occupation; the oil chapter shows why the modern city grew so quickly. Read the chapters in any order, then seek out Swords in Rock or the Norwegian Petroleum Museum for a physical link.

Useful to know

• Begin with the general history for chronology, then follow the period that matches your visit.

The route, stop by stop

1. 01

   Optional · – min

   Stavanger Cathedral

   Step inside the cathedral at the heart of Stavanger to see how a medieval fire left two architectural eras in one building, from the older nave to the Gothic chancel.

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2. Walk · 8 min · Estimated

   02

   Optional · – min

   Norwegian Petroleum Museum

   Follow Norway's offshore oil story through machinery, models and hands-on exhibits on Stavanger's waterfront. The building's platform-like shape announces the subject before you go inside.

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3. Walk · 89 min · Estimated

   03

   Optional · – min

   Swords in Rock

   Three giant bronze swords rise from the rock at Hafrsfjord, forming Fritz Røed’s memorable monument to the historic Battle of Hafrsfjord.

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4. 04

   Optional · – min

   How Stavanger became a city

   Stavanger grew from a coastal religious and trading centre through herring, shipping and canning booms before North Sea oil gave it a new national role.

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5. 05

   Optional · – min

   The making of medieval Stavanger

   Stavanger’s harbour, coastal position and church institutions shaped its early streets; surviving cathedral fabric gives a visible starting point for this less certain early history.

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6. 06

   Optional · – min

   Stavanger during the Second World War

   The German attack on Sola Airport on 9 April 1940 quickly reached Stavanger, making the airport and nearby coast central to the region’s occupation story.

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7. 07

   Optional · – min

   How oil changed Stavanger

   North Sea exploration and the 1969 discovery made Stavanger an onshore centre for Norway’s oil industry, rapidly changing the scale and character of the city.

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