Stavanger, Norway: attractions, photo, weather

The oil capital of Norway, rightly considered the most beautiful city in the country, is one of the most expensive. In the cultural life of the former fishing village closely interwoven Middle Ages and modernity. Thanks to the picturesque landscapes and developed infrastructure, the city has turned into a popular tourist center.

A bit of history

The real pearl of the country is on the shore of the North Sea. Colorful Stavanger (Norway), surrounded by beaches, fjords and mountains, appeared in 1125, and after the erection of the building of the episcopate and the cathedral, it becomes an administrative and religious center. However, after four centuries, it loses all its statuses and becomes an ordinary fishing settlement, inhabited by no more than three thousand people.

The XIX century was marked by the appearance of the first canneries, and the settlement begins to develop actively. And long before the beginning of the oil era, the city thrives on fish smoked products. It is known that there were about 70 enterprises producing canned goods with herring and sprats. Unfortunately, in 1965 all the plants are closed, and only in a few years, when the fourth largest city finds an oil deposit, it turns into a key region for the country's economy. Almost all the population works in this industry, and the city has the lowest unemployment rate.

Climate and weather

Stavanger (Norway), before visiting which it is desirable to get acquainted with the peculiarities of the mild maritime climate, is beautiful at any time of the year. Tourists who want to visit the northern city in winter will not freeze, as the average temperature in the daytime ranges from 0 ⁰ C to +8 ⁰ C, and only at night there can be frosts. For traveling at this time of year, warm clothes and shoes are needed to roam the cozy streets, without fear of sea coolness. Snow in the city in winter is a very rare phenomenon.

One of the most beautiful times for visiting the oil capital, open to the damp and warm winds from the Atlantic, is spring. In April, the snow is already falling and the temperature rises to +14 ⁰ C. Cloudy days are very short (no more than 8-10), and precipitation practically does not fall out. Such weather conditions make the northern city particularly attractive in the eyes of tourists.

Summer is a rainy season, and therefore it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the weather forecast in advance so that the impressions of the trip were not spoiled by heavy rainfall and cloudy days. With the arrival of cyclones from the Atlantic, the wind speed can be increased to 10-12 meters per second, and the temperature does not rise above +25 ⁰ C. When going on vacation, grab the umbrella with a raincoat.

In autumn, when there are a lot of clear days (the temperature ranges from 10 ⁰ C to 20 ⁰ C), it's so nice to get acquainted with a city that can tell a lot about its rich history.

City beaches

Fabulously beautiful Stavanger (Norway), featuring a warm climate, offers guests a lot of options for active and passive recreation. Its sandy beaches, the largest in length in Norway, are considered the most beautiful. By the way, along the coast there are numerous lighthouses that host tourists.

Sulastanden is a popular beach where you can not only swim and sunbathe, but also practice water sports, which is promoted by windy weather.

The cultural capital

It is no coincidence that the city of Stavanger (Norway) is called the cultural capital of the country: there is a huge number of theaters and museums of interest to tourists.

The canned museum has preserved in its original form huge ovens for smoking fish, machines for rolling cans, and most machines are in working order. It is interesting that there were special devices on the checkpoint that fixed the time of arrival and departure of workers.

Of course, in the city there is also an oil museum made in the form of a drilling platform, visiting which you can learn everything about black gold and its extraction.

Stavanger, Norway: University

The educational center of the city was still at the dawn of its existence: in the Middle Ages there worked a school. The University of Stavanger, founded in 2005, is the fifth largest university in which more than nine thousand students study. The university, which cooperates with Stavanger's industrial enterprises and other higher educational institutions in the US and Europe, is successfully implementing research projects that are funded by the state.

Old Town, consisting of wooden houses

Oil revenues allowed the local authorities to restore the Old Town (Gamla Stavanger), which began to be built around the cathedral. The historical part represents more than 170 wooden houses with red roofs, and the oldest of them appeared in the middle of the XVIII century.

Stavanger (Norway), whose sights deserve to be visited, the whole world is famous for its pretty buildings with white walls painted in white. This tradition arose in the XVII century, when the settlement started production of paints. The most expensive of them was considered white, because it added a very expensive for those times zinc. In the villages, residents were limited to red or green shades, and in the city wealthy owners spared no money. They painted the buildings in white, showing everyone their wealth.

Tsvetnaya street

Among the few streets, one is of interest, on which there are colored buildings that stand out among the others. By law, the city can not be changed facade, and only 17 years ago, opened a hairdresser, whose walls are painted in a pink shade. A visiting entrepreneur, who received permission from the authorities, thus attracted the attention of clients. Gradually Cafe Street began to appear cafes and shops, favorably differing from the usual snow-white houses that adorned several centuries Stavanger, Norway. Photos of a popular tourist attraction are made by all the admiring guests who know for sure that those who have not been here have not seen the city.

St. Vitusin's Cathedral with an interesting history

In the compact center of the capital of oil, which can be bypassed in a few hours, there are the most famous sights that make the pearl of Norway unique. The most interesting historical and religious monument is the cathedral, built in the XII century. With his appearance, a curious story is connected: when the Norwegian king decided to divorce his wife, all local confessors refused him, and only one bishop promised to help the monarch, but demanded that he build a magnificent cathedral in Stavanger, in the heart of the city. Made of soapstone, it was divided into northern and southern parts. One half of the sight of the builders made in the Romanesque style, and the other - in the Gothic.

Natural monument

The main natural attraction is the rock Preikestolen, towering 600 meters above the Lysefjord. It is surprising that it is a perfectly flat square. Hundreds of thousands of tourists hurry to Stavanger (Norway) to enjoy the amazing beauty of a unique object. Due to the fact that the beaches of the 42-kilometer Lysefjord are not inhabited, the guests enjoy a wonderful panorama: just such were the landscapes several millennia ago, when a crack filled with glacial water appeared in the earth's crust.

Despite the huge popularity of the rock, not every holidaymaker will be able to climb it. Pre-celestial is not equipped with cable cars, and therefore, before climbing, you need to evaluate your strength, since the heart load is very high. From the rock, which received the nickname "pulpit", the extremals make jumps with a parachute.

In memory of the ancient battle

Not far from the city there is a unique monument representing vikings swords introduced into the land. The sword monument in Stavanger, Norway, opened at the end of the last century, symbolizes the heroic past of courageous warriors led by Harald the Fair-haired, who won the battle in 872, after which the western lands were united into a single state.

The 10-meter song is admiring and trembling: giant swords stuck in stone symbolize the glory of the winners in the battle and the world finally arrived, because no one can take up arms. From the modern monument comes the ineffable charm of the Middle Ages, shrouded in legends.

Scenic Stavanger (Norway), keeping the romance of the bygone times, is a great place for leisurely walks. A developing city, thinking about the future, does not forget about the distant past. Fabulously beautiful, it attracts new tourists falling in love with it at first sight.