Stavanger
Encyclopedia
Stavanger is a city and municipality
in the county
of Rogaland
, Norway.
Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation
, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway. Stavanger is the centre of the Stavanger metropolitan area
, which has a population of 297,569, and the administrative centre of Rogaland
county. The city is commonly referred to as the Petroleum Capital of Norway.
Despite its age, dating back at least to the Viking Age
, Stavanger only grew to its position among the most important Norwegian cities in the second half of the 20th century, after oil was discovered in the North Sea
. Today, the city is marked by noticeable foreign influences as a result of the presence of several major international oil companies. Stavanger also houses the NATO Joint Warfare Center
.
Norway's oldest cathedral, Stavanger domkirke, is situated in the city centre, right next to Breiavatnet lake. The two most popular recreational areas are situated around lakes, namely Mosvatnet and Stokkavatnet.
was an economic and military centre as far back as the 9th-10th century with the consolidation of the nation at the Battle of Hafrsfjord
around 872. Stavanger grew into a centre of church administration and an important south-west coast market town
around 1100–1300.
Stavanger fulfilled an urban role prior to its status as city (1125), from around the time the Stavanger bishopric was established in the 1120s. Bishop Reinald, who may have come from Winchester
, England, is said to have started construction of Stavanger Cathedral
(Stavanger domkirke) around 1100. It was finished around 1125, and the city of Stavanger counts 1125 as its year of foundation.
With the Protestant Reformation
in 1536, Stavanger's role as a religious centre declined, and the establishment of Kristiansand
in the early 17th century led to the relocation of the bishopric. However, rich herring fisheries in the 19th century gave the city new life. Stavanger was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). The then rural municipalities of Hetland
and Madla
merged with Stavanger 1 January 1965.
The city's history is a continuous alternation between economic booms and recessions.
For long periods of time its most important industries have been shipping
, shipbuilding
, the fish canning industry and associated subcontractors.
In 1969, a new boom started as oil was first discovered in the North Sea.
After much discussion, Stavanger was chosen to be the on-shore center for the oil industry on the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, and a period of hectic growth followed.
(Vitis vinifera
). Which leaves and branch type that is depicted on the coat of arms has been hotly debated. The original meaning and representation of the vine remains unknown.
form of the name was Stafangr. The origin of the name has been discussed for decades, and the most used interpretation is that it originally was the name of the inlet now called Vågen which was the original of the city on the east shore of the bay.
The first element of the name is stafr meaning 'staff, branch'. This could refer to the form of the inlet, but also to the form of the mountain Valberget Staven meaning the staff is a common name of high and steep mountains in Norway. The last element is angr meaning 'inlet, bay'. Facing the North Sea
, Stavanger has always been economically dependent on its access to the sea.
s.
(marine west coast - cfb) and rather windy, with all monthly temperature averages above freezing, and precipitation 1180 mm/year. Summers are pleasant and lowland areas in and around Stavanger have the longest growing season
in Norway.
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Starting in the 1880s, industry grew in Stavanger, primarily based on treatment and exports of fish and fish-products. The industry was however one-sided which left it vulnerable to changes in demand and was therefore particularly hard hit by the economic depressions between World War I and World War II.
After World War II, the canning-industry hit difficulties. Increased competition from abroad and old machinery led to decrease which was only partially compensated by an increase in shipping and boat-building.
In the 1960s, exploratory oil-drilling in the North Sea changed the situation for Stavanger. It is located close to the oil-fields, and Stavanger with its good harbour and plane-connections was well-positioned to take advantage of the increased activity.
After petroleum-exploration and production became the most important business sector in the Stavanger area during the mid 1970s, business and cultural climate has changed considerably.
The largest oil company in Stavanger is mainly state-owned oil company Statoil
who have their headquarters located in the suburban area of Forus
, located between neighboring Sandnes
and Stavanger.
The NATO Joint Warfare Centre
is located at Jåttå.
railway, and the road E39 from Kristiansand
and E39 north on the west coast.
Stavanger Airport, Sola
has connections to domestic and European destinations, including Frankfurt
, Amsterdam
, London, Aberdeen
, Manchester
and Copenhagen
. Also, located outside Stavanger, there is a port serving ferries to Hirtshals
, Denmark. There have been advocates for the Smyril Line
ferry between the Faroe Islands
and Denmark to make a stop in Stavanger as the new port in Risavika allows this to be done while only adding one hour to the total sailing time.
Local ferries go to Tau
and Kvitsøy
, while fast passenger boats go to many villages and islands between the main routes from Stavanger to Haugesund
and Sauda
. Flaggruten operates catamaran passenger services to Bergen
with multiple stops along the way, among others Haugesund.
Express bus services are operated by NOR-WAY Bussekspress
from Stavanger City Terminal to Kristiansand, Bergen and Haugesund, and by Lavprisekspressen
to Oslo via Kristiansand.
". The buses are operated by Boreal Transport. RKT administers all bus routes in Rogaland County.
On 12 January 2009, Kolumbus initiated an express bus service to the large commercial district Forus located south of the city. This service consists of seven direct express routes that run mornings and afternoons. The express buses run from different neighbourhoods in Stavanger directly to Forus, without passing through the city centre, like all other regular routes.
The recently upgraded Jærbanen
between Stavanger and Sandnes will be serviced by trains running at a frequency of 4 departures per hour from the 13th of December.
The city has a number of bus services and taxis. There are two tunnel projects planned: Ryfast
and Rogfast
.
Stavanger has one university, the University of Stavanger
with about 8,000 students. The university was formerly a university college
. It was granted status as University
on 1 January 2005.
The population of Stavanger has a high percentage of university educated persons, with 31.3% of those above the age of 16 having higher education, compared to the national average of 24.2% (2006 figures)
.
, United Kingdom, was selected as a European Capital of Culture
for 2008. The Stavanger2008 vision is expressed through the concept "Open Port". This can be understood both in its English sense - "an open harbour", - and in its Norwegian meaning of "an open gate". Open Port – Openness towards the world. The region and its people is supposed to be even more open and inclusive towards art, ideas and opportunities.
Every May, Stavanger is host to MaiJazz
, the Stavanger International Jazz Festival. The International Chamber Music Festival takes place every August. Stavanger was the host port of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race in 1997 and 2004.
club Viking FK, plays in the Norwegian Premier League (2010). The club plays its home matches at the football stadium, Viking Stadion
, which was opened in 2004.
FK Vidar
, currently play football in the Norwegian third division.
Stavanger Oilers
plays in the Norwegian ice hockey
elite league, GET-ligaen
. The handball
team Stavanger Håndball plays in the Norwegian second division.
Stavanger is the host of the 2010 beach volleyball
SWATCH FIVB World Championships.
, Tristania
, Sirenia
and the singer Liv Kristine
and the black metal band Gehenna (band)
, among others. Janove Ottesen
and Geir Zahl
founding members of the alternative rockband Kaizers Orchestra
both lived in Stavanger as well.
,NOKAS
and Mannen som elsket Yngve
(The Man Who Loved Yngve), which received some recognition by Variety
magazine.
a very popular location for BASE jumping
.
Not too far from Stavanger, alpine centers are ready for skiers and snowboarders throughout the winter season.
Along the coast south of Stavanger there are a number of large, sandy beaches, including at Sola is within closest reach from the city.
Old Stavanger (Gamle Stavanger
) is located right next to the city centre and has a collection of eighteenth and 19th century wooden structures.
Stavanger domkirke (St. Svithun's cathedral) was built between 1100 and 1150 by the English bishop Reinald in Anglo-Norman
style, and in the late 13th century a new choir was added in Gothic
style, with a vaulted roof. The cathedral is the only Norwegian cathedral that is almost unchanged since the 14th century.
The city centre itself is small and intimate, with narrow streets and open spaces protected from car traffic. The open-air vegetable market is one of the very few in Norway where you can buy produce directly from local farmers every working day through the year. Unfortunately the Market has been in decline of recent years, it is now filled with very few stall holders.
is also located in Old Stavanger, commemorating the city's past glory as the herring
capital of Norway.
The museum of Archaeology
is one of five archaeological museums in Norway. According to the Museum itself it, follows a profile of environmental archaeology and interdisciplinary study, with a scientific staff that includes representatives from archaeology, the natural sciences and modern cultural history.
The Norwegian Petroleum Museum
is located at the harbour. The museum reflects the fact that Stavanger has been Norway's oil capital since oil drilling activities started in the North Sea in 1966.
; they are: Aberdeen
, United Kingdom Baku
, Azerbaijan Antsirabe
, Madagascar Esbjerg
, Denmark Eskilstuna
, Sweden Estelí
, Nicaragua Neskaupstaður
, Iceland Galveston
, United States Harlow
, United Kingdom Toulouse
, France Houston
, United States Jyväskylä
, Finland Nablus
, Palestinian Authority Netanya
, Israel Massawa
, Eritrea Chesterfield
, United Kingdom
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in the county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
of Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
, Norway.
Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway. Stavanger is the centre of the Stavanger metropolitan area
Stavanger Region
Greater Stavanger Region is a statistical metropolitan region in the county of Rogaland in southwestern Norway. It is centered around the metro's economical and cultural centre Stavanger. The metropolitan area is the third most populous in Norway....
, which has a population of 297,569, and the administrative centre of Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
county. The city is commonly referred to as the Petroleum Capital of Norway.
Despite its age, dating back at least to the Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
, Stavanger only grew to its position among the most important Norwegian cities in the second half of the 20th century, after oil was discovered in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. Today, the city is marked by noticeable foreign influences as a result of the presence of several major international oil companies. Stavanger also houses the NATO Joint Warfare Center
Joint Warfare Center
The Joint Warfare Centre is a NATO establishment headquartered in Stavanger, Norway.It was established at Jåttå the 23 of October 2003. The purpose of this was to have a command with responsibility for training and exercise of the NATO headquarters...
.
Norway's oldest cathedral, Stavanger domkirke, is situated in the city centre, right next to Breiavatnet lake. The two most popular recreational areas are situated around lakes, namely Mosvatnet and Stokkavatnet.
History
The first traces of settlement in the Stavanger region come from the days when the ice retreated after the last ice age ca. 10,000 years ago. A number of historians have argued convincingly that North-JærenJæren
Jæren is a traditional district in the county of Rogaland. The others are Dalane, Ryfylke and Haugalandet.Jæren is the largest flat lowland area in Norway, stretching from the municipality of Randaberg in the north to Hå in the south. The coast is flat compared to the rest of the Norwegian coast,...
was an economic and military centre as far back as the 9th-10th century with the consolidation of the nation at the Battle of Hafrsfjord
Battle of Hafrsfjord
The Battle of Hafrsfjord has traditionally been regarded as the battle in which western Norway for the first time was unified under one monarch.The national monument of Haraldshaugen was raised in 1872, to commemorate the Battle of Hafrsfjord...
around 872. Stavanger grew into a centre of church administration and an important south-west coast market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
around 1100–1300.
Stavanger fulfilled an urban role prior to its status as city (1125), from around the time the Stavanger bishopric was established in the 1120s. Bishop Reinald, who may have come from Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, England, is said to have started construction of Stavanger Cathedral
Stavanger Cathedral
Stavanger Cathedral is Norway's oldest cathedral. It is situated in the middle of Stavanger, and is the seat of the Diocese of Stavanger.-History:...
(Stavanger domkirke) around 1100. It was finished around 1125, and the city of Stavanger counts 1125 as its year of foundation.
With the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in 1536, Stavanger's role as a religious centre declined, and the establishment of Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
in the early 17th century led to the relocation of the bishopric. However, rich herring fisheries in the 19th century gave the city new life. Stavanger was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). The then rural municipalities of Hetland
Hetland
Hetland is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.It was created as Hetland formannskapsdistrikt in 1837. On 1 July 1922, Randaberg was separated from Hetland to create a municipality of its own. The split left Hetland with a population of 10,167...
and Madla
Madla
-History:Madla municipality was created by a split from Håland in 1930. At that time Madla had a population of 1,091. On 1 January 1965 Madla was incorporated into Stavanger along with the majority of Hetland municipality...
merged with Stavanger 1 January 1965.
The city's history is a continuous alternation between economic booms and recessions.
For long periods of time its most important industries have been shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
, shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
, the fish canning industry and associated subcontractors.
In 1969, a new boom started as oil was first discovered in the North Sea.
After much discussion, Stavanger was chosen to be the on-shore center for the oil industry on the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, and a period of hectic growth followed.
Coat of arms
Hallvard Trætteberg (1898–1987), a leading specialist in heraldry, was commissioned to design the official coat of arms of Stavanger, a work that lasted from the end of the 1920s and until approved in 1939. His design is also used as the city's arms, flag and seal. The coat of arms is based upon a seal which dated 1591. It shows a branch of vineVine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
(Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
). Which leaves and branch type that is depicted on the coat of arms has been hotly debated. The original meaning and representation of the vine remains unknown.
Origin of the name
The Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
form of the name was Stafangr. The origin of the name has been discussed for decades, and the most used interpretation is that it originally was the name of the inlet now called Vågen which was the original of the city on the east shore of the bay.
The first element of the name is stafr meaning 'staff, branch'. This could refer to the form of the inlet, but also to the form of the mountain Valberget Staven meaning the staff is a common name of high and steep mountains in Norway. The last element is angr meaning 'inlet, bay'. Facing the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, Stavanger has always been economically dependent on its access to the sea.
Boroughs
Stavanger is officially partitioned into 22 parts and 218 subparts. Stavanger is also divided into 7 boroughBorough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
s.
- HundvågHundvågHundvåg is an island and borough of the city of Stavanger, Norway.In addition to the island Hundvåg, other islands are Sølyst, Grasholmen, Engøy, Buøy, Bjørnøy, Roaldsøy and Ormøy...
- TastaTasta-Neighbourhoods:Although the borders of neighbourhoods do not correspond exactly to the borough borders, Tasta roughly consists of the following neighbourhoods : Indre Tasta and Ytre Tasta.-Politics:Tasta has a borough council...
- Eiganes og VålandEiganes og Våland-Neighbourhoods:Although the borders of neighbourhoods do not correspond exactly to the borough borders, Eiganes og Våland roughly consists of the following neighbourhoods : Våland, Eiganes, Kampen and Stokka.-Politics:...
- MadlaMadla-History:Madla municipality was created by a split from Håland in 1930. At that time Madla had a population of 1,091. On 1 January 1965 Madla was incorporated into Stavanger along with the majority of Hetland municipality...
- StorhaugStorhaug-Neighbourhoods:Although the borders of neighbourhoods do not correspond exactly to the borough borders, Storhaug roughly consists of the following neighbourhoods : Johannes, Nylund, Varden, Bergjeland and Øyane.-Politics:...
- HillevågHillevågHillevåg is a borough of the city of Stavanger, Norway. It was a part of Hetland municipality, which was incorporated into Stavanger in 1965.-Neighbourhoods:...
- HinnaHinnaHinna is a borough of the city of Stavanger, Norway.-Neighbourhoods:Although the borders of neighbourhoods do not correspond exactly to the borough borders, Hinna roughly consists of the following neighbourhoods : Jåtten and southern Vaulen....
Climate
The city is located on a peninsula on the southwest coast of Norway. The climate is maritime mild temperateTemperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
(marine west coast - cfb) and rather windy, with all monthly temperature averages above freezing, and precipitation 1180 mm/year. Summers are pleasant and lowland areas in and around Stavanger have the longest growing season
Growing season
In botany, horticulture, and agriculture the growing season is the period of each year when native plants and ornamental plants grow; and when crops can be grown....
in Norway.
Economy
After World War II, the canning-industry hit difficulties. Increased competition from abroad and old machinery led to decrease which was only partially compensated by an increase in shipping and boat-building.
In the 1960s, exploratory oil-drilling in the North Sea changed the situation for Stavanger. It is located close to the oil-fields, and Stavanger with its good harbour and plane-connections was well-positioned to take advantage of the increased activity.
After petroleum-exploration and production became the most important business sector in the Stavanger area during the mid 1970s, business and cultural climate has changed considerably.
The largest oil company in Stavanger is mainly state-owned oil company Statoil
Statoil
Statoil ASA is a Norwegian petroleum company established in 1972. It merged with Norsk Hydro in 2007 and was known as StatoilHydro until 2009, when the name was changed back to Statoil ASA. The brand Statoil was retained as a chain of fuel stations owned by StatoilHydro...
who have their headquarters located in the suburban area of Forus
Forus
Forus is an industrial district in the borough Hinna in Stavanger, Norway. It borders to the Gandsfjord and stretches south and west to the municipalities Sandnes and Sola...
, located between neighboring Sandnes
Sandnes
is a city and municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren.-History:Sandnes was separated from Høyland as a municipality of its own in 1860, and gained city status the same year...
and Stavanger.
The NATO Joint Warfare Centre
Joint Warfare Center
The Joint Warfare Centre is a NATO establishment headquartered in Stavanger, Norway.It was established at Jåttå the 23 of October 2003. The purpose of this was to have a command with responsibility for training and exercise of the NATO headquarters...
is located at Jåttå.
Transport
Access to Stavanger is provided through the SørlandsbanenSørlandsbanen
The Sørland Line is a railway line between Drammen via Kristiansand to Stavanger. The line is 545 km long between Oslo and Stavanger.-History:...
railway, and the road E39 from Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
and E39 north on the west coast.
Stavanger Airport, Sola
Stavanger Airport, Sola
Stavanger Airport, Sola is an international airport located in Sola, Norway, southwest of Stavanger. It is Norway's third-busiest airport, with both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter traffic for the offshore North Sea oil installations...
has connections to domestic and European destinations, including Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, London, Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Also, located outside Stavanger, there is a port serving ferries to Hirtshals
Hirtshals
Hirtshals is a town in Hjørring municipality in Region Nordjylland on the north coast of the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark, Europe.-The town of Hirtshals:...
, Denmark. There have been advocates for the Smyril Line
Smyril Line
Smyril Line is a Faroese shipping company, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland, previously, it also served Norway and the United Kingdom. Smyril is the Faroese word for the merlin....
ferry between the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
and Denmark to make a stop in Stavanger as the new port in Risavika allows this to be done while only adding one hour to the total sailing time.
Local ferries go to Tau
Tau, Norway
Tau is a village in the municipality of Strand. Tau has about 3000 inhabitants and is connected to Stavanger by ferry.The name might come from the Norse word taufr meaning 'witchcraft', as one believes there was a sacrificial field here in the Iron age....
and Kvitsøy
Kvitsøy
Kvitsøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is the smallest municipality in Norway . Kvitsøy was separated from Mosterøy on 1 January 1923.The municipality is an archipelago situated northwest of the coast of the Stavanger peninsula...
, while fast passenger boats go to many villages and islands between the main routes from Stavanger to Haugesund
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
and Sauda
Sauda
is a municipality and industrial town in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Ryfylke. Sauda was separated from Suldal in 1842...
. Flaggruten operates catamaran passenger services to Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
with multiple stops along the way, among others Haugesund.
Express bus services are operated by NOR-WAY Bussekspress
NOR-WAY Bussekspress
NOR-WAY Bussekspress is a Norwegian coach company, with lines in the north and south of Norway. Still, the two networks are separate. The southern network runs as south as Mandal, and as north as Namsos, while the northern network operates between Bodø and the North Cape or Honningsvåg...
from Stavanger City Terminal to Kristiansand, Bergen and Haugesund, and by Lavprisekspressen
Lavprisekspressen
Lavprisekspressen is a Norwegian coach bus service operating out of Oslo to the cities of Trondheim, Kristiansand and Stavanger. The service is operated by Arctic Express Buss og Reisebyrå AS, a subsidiary of Sporveisbussene. Most routes have two departures per day....
to Oslo via Kristiansand.
Public transport
The local bus service in Stavanger is administered by Rogaland Kollektivtrafikk (RKT) under the brand name "KolumbusKolumbus
Rogaland Kollektivtrafikk FKF branded Kolumbus is the public transportation administration in Rogaland, Norway and organised as a county agency. The agency is responsible for planning, marketing and organising the public transport in Rogaland, including buses and passenger ferries, but does not...
". The buses are operated by Boreal Transport. RKT administers all bus routes in Rogaland County.
On 12 January 2009, Kolumbus initiated an express bus service to the large commercial district Forus located south of the city. This service consists of seven direct express routes that run mornings and afternoons. The express buses run from different neighbourhoods in Stavanger directly to Forus, without passing through the city centre, like all other regular routes.
The recently upgraded Jærbanen
Jærbanen
The Jæren Line long railway line between Stavanger and Egersund, in Jæren, Norway. The line is officially the western-most part of the Sørland Line. Owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration, the line has double track from Stavanger Station to Sandnes Station, and single track from...
between Stavanger and Sandnes will be serviced by trains running at a frequency of 4 departures per hour from the 13th of December.
The city has a number of bus services and taxis. There are two tunnel projects planned: Ryfast
Ryfast
Ryfast is a planned sub-sea tunnel between Stavanger and Strand in Norway.Approximately NOK 5 billion is planned to be spent on a sub-sea tunnel from Stavanger to Solbakk between Tau and Jørpeland in the municipality of Strand. The target is a part of the Norwegian main land but without road...
and Rogfast
Rogfast
Rogfast is a planned sub-sea northward tunnel between Randaberg near Stavanger and Bokn in Rogaland, Norway....
.
Education
Stavanger has several schools for the expatriate community including the British International School of Stavanger and the International School of Stavanger.Stavanger has one university, the University of Stavanger
University of Stavanger
The University of Stavanger is located in Stavanger, Norway and has about 8,500 students and 1200 administration, faculty and service staff. It is organised in three faculties, including two national centres of expertise. It includes 107 professors, and more than 150 of the academic staff hold...
with about 8,000 students. The university was formerly a university college
University college
The term "university college" is used in a number of countries to denote college institutions that provide tertiary education but do not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university...
. It was granted status as University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
on 1 January 2005.
The population of Stavanger has a high percentage of university educated persons, with 31.3% of those above the age of 16 having higher education, compared to the national average of 24.2% (2006 figures)
.
European Capital of Culture 2008
Stavanger and its region, along with LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, United Kingdom, was selected as a European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
for 2008. The Stavanger2008 vision is expressed through the concept "Open Port". This can be understood both in its English sense - "an open harbour", - and in its Norwegian meaning of "an open gate". Open Port – Openness towards the world. The region and its people is supposed to be even more open and inclusive towards art, ideas and opportunities.
Every May, Stavanger is host to MaiJazz
MaiJazz
MaiJazz is the Stavanger International Jazz Festival, Stavanger's oldest festival,taking place every May. Since the first MaiJazz in 1989, the festival has become one of Norway's leading jazz festivals. The festival presents both international jazz artists and the best of national and local...
, the Stavanger International Jazz Festival. The International Chamber Music Festival takes place every August. Stavanger was the host port of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race in 1997 and 2004.
Sport and recreation
The largest local footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club Viking FK, plays in the Norwegian Premier League (2010). The club plays its home matches at the football stadium, Viking Stadion
Viking Stadion
Viking Stadion is a football stadium, built at Jåttåvågen, in Stavanger, Norway. It was inaugurated in May 2004 and cost 160 million NOK to build . 50 million NOK, plus the lot it was built on, was a gift from the municipality. It replaced Stavanger Stadion as the home stadium for Viking F.K....
, which was opened in 2004.
FK Vidar
FK Vidar
FK Vidar is an association football club from Stavanger, Norway. They currently play in the Norwegian Second Division, the third highest level in the Norwegian football league system.-Club history:...
, currently play football in the Norwegian third division.
Stavanger Oilers
Stavanger Oilers
Stavanger Oilers is an ice hockey club from Stavanger, Norway. They currently play in the GET-ligaen, which is the top division in Norwegian ice hockey. The club's official name is Stavanger Ishockeyklubb, but it is commonly known as Oilers...
plays in the Norwegian ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
elite league, GET-ligaen
GET-ligaen
GET-ligaen is the premier Norwegian ice hockey league, organised by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation. The league was known as 1. divisjon until 1990, when it was reorganized and named Eliteserien . That name was held until 2004 when cable TV company UPC became main sponsor...
. The handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
team Stavanger Håndball plays in the Norwegian second division.
Stavanger is the host of the 2010 beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
SWATCH FIVB World Championships.
Music
Stavanger is the home of the gothic metal bands Theatre of TragedyTheatre of Tragedy
Theatre of Tragedy was a Norwegian band from Stavanger, active between 1993 and 2010. They are best known for their earlier albums, which provided a great deal of influence to the gothic metal genre.-Biography:...
, Tristania
Tristania (band)
Tristania is a band from Norway, formed in 1996 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Olsson. Tristania's music is usually classified as symphonic gothic metal with doom/death metal influences , due to its strong ties with the goth metal's history...
, Sirenia
Sirenia (band)
Sirenia is a gothic metal band from Stavanger, Norway which incorporates a mixture of gothic metal and symphonic metal, as well as extreme metal and death metal elements...
and the singer Liv Kristine
Liv Kristine
Liv Kristine Espenæs Krull , better known as Liv Kristine, is the former vocalist for the band Theatre of Tragedy and current vocalist for the band Leaves' Eyes.- Career :...
and the black metal band Gehenna (band)
Gehenna (band)
-Biography:Gehenna was formed in January, 1993 by original members Sanrabb, Dolgar, and Sir Vereda. Their first demo, entitled Black Seared Heart, was recorded between the 3rd and 7 June 1993 in Soundsuite Studios, and was released as a cassette...
, among others. Janove Ottesen
Janove Ottesen
Janove Ottesen is a Norwegian musician, born at Bryne, Rogaland, Norway. He specializes in vocals, guitar and barrels, and is a leading member of the Norwegian band Kaizers Orchestra.-History:...
and Geir Zahl
Geir Zahl
Geir Zahl is a Norwegian musician. He is known for playing guitar in the Norwegian rock group Kaizers Orchestra. The band was founded by Geir Zahl and Janove Ottesen who had both played together in some other bands, namely Blod, snått & juling and gnom...
founding members of the alternative rockband Kaizers Orchestra
Kaizers Orchestra
Kaizers Orchestra is a Norwegian alternative rock group formed on January 1, 2000. The two leading members, vocalist Janove Ottesen and guitarist Geir Zahl, had known each other for years, and first played together in a band called Blod, Snått & Juling in 1989.Kaizers Orchestra are notable for...
both lived in Stavanger as well.
Film
Stavanger has also been the shooting location for Norwegian movies such as MongolandMongoland
Mongoland is a Norwegian film, from 2001, by Arild Østin Ommundsen.Having lived in England for six months Pia returns home for Christmas. She is looking for Kristoffer, her boyfriend, who was supposed to go with her abroad. It turns out rather difficult to locate him as she contacts their mutual...
,NOKAS
NOKAS
Nokas AS is a Norwegian security company established in 1987 as Vakt Service AS. The company is headquartered in Tonsberg . The largest shareholders is Orkla ASA and Wang Invest AS who are owned by Heine Wang, who is the company's CEO...
and Mannen som elsket Yngve
Mannen som elsket Yngve
Mannen som elsket Yngve is a Norwegian film released on 15 February 2008. It is based on a book of the same name by Stavanger author Tore Renberg. It received critical acclaim as one of the best Norwegian movies of the year....
(The Man Who Loved Yngve), which received some recognition by Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine.
Outdoor activities
Lysefjorden is popular for hiking. Tourists typically visit places like Prekestolen (aka the Pulpit Rock), and Kjeragbolten. Prekestolen is a massive rock overhanging the fjord (604 meters above). Kjeragbolten is a rock wedged in the cliff approx. 1000 meters above the fjord. The straight fall 1000 meters down to the fjord makes KjeragKjerag
Kjerag or Kiragg is a Norwegian mountain, located in Lysefjorden, in Forsand municipality, Ryfylke, Rogaland. Its highest point is 1110 m above sea level, but its northern drop to Lysefjorden attracts most visitors. The drop is and is just by the famous Kjeragbolten, a 5 m³ big stone...
a very popular location for BASE jumping
BASE jumping
BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E jumping, is an activity that employs an initially packed parachute to jump from fixed objects...
.
Not too far from Stavanger, alpine centers are ready for skiers and snowboarders throughout the winter season.
Along the coast south of Stavanger there are a number of large, sandy beaches, including at Sola is within closest reach from the city.
City centre
Gamle Stavanger
Gamle Stavanger is an area of the city of Stavanger in the county of Rogaland, Norway, and is believed to be Europe’s largest collection of wooden buildings. The area includes the Norwegian Canning museum which displays a typical factory from the 1920's.In the years after World War II, a new city...
) is located right next to the city centre and has a collection of eighteenth and 19th century wooden structures.
Stavanger domkirke (St. Svithun's cathedral) was built between 1100 and 1150 by the English bishop Reinald in Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
style, and in the late 13th century a new choir was added in Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style, with a vaulted roof. The cathedral is the only Norwegian cathedral that is almost unchanged since the 14th century.
The city centre itself is small and intimate, with narrow streets and open spaces protected from car traffic. The open-air vegetable market is one of the very few in Norway where you can buy produce directly from local farmers every working day through the year. Unfortunately the Market has been in decline of recent years, it is now filled with very few stall holders.
Museums
The Stavanger MuseumStavanger Museum
Stavanger Museum is a museum of natural and cultural history established in 1877, located in the Norwegian city Stavanger. The museum's collections consist of several departments: the department of zoology, the department for cultural history .Departments include the Stavanger Museum of Natural...
is also located in Old Stavanger, commemorating the city's past glory as the herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
capital of Norway.
The museum of Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
is one of five archaeological museums in Norway. According to the Museum itself it, follows a profile of environmental archaeology and interdisciplinary study, with a scientific staff that includes representatives from archaeology, the natural sciences and modern cultural history.
The Norwegian Petroleum Museum
Norwegian Petroleum Museum
The Norwegian Petroleum Museum was opened on 20 May 1999. In Norwegian language the museum is called Norsk Oljemuseum. The unusual architecture has made the museum a landmark in the Port of Stavanger. Seen from the sea the museum looks like a small oil platform. The museum focuses on offshore...
is located at the harbour. The museum reflects the fact that Stavanger has been Norway's oil capital since oil drilling activities started in the North Sea in 1966.
Twin towns - sister cities
Stavanger has several sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
; they are: Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, United Kingdom Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan Antsirabe
Antsirabe
Antsirabe is the third largest city in Madagascar and has a population of approximately 183,000. It's the capital of the Vakinankaratra region...
, Madagascar Esbjerg
Esbjerg
Esbjerg Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Johnny Søtrup, from the Venstre political party...
, Denmark Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn population....
, Sweden Estelí
Estelí
Estelí, officially Villa de San Antonio de Pavia de Estelí is a city and municipality within the Estelí department. It is the third largest city in Nicaragua, an active commercial center in the north and is known as "the Diamond of the Segovias."...
, Nicaragua Neskaupstaður
Neskaupstaður
Neskaupstaður is a town located on the fjord Norðfjörður on the eastern side of Iceland. It is part of the municipality of Fjarðabyggð and, as of 2011, it has a population of 1,437.-History:...
, Iceland Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, United States Harlow
Harlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
, United Kingdom Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, France Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, United States Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
, Finland Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
, Palestinian Authority Netanya
Netanya
Netanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...
, Israel Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
, Eritrea Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
, United Kingdom