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Holiday ideas

To explore is to discover

Spring, summer, autumn, winter
Last updated: 23.01.2025
Mum and boy at the Iron Age Farm making fire the old way
The Iron Age Farm|© Fabel Media
The Iron Age Farm|© Fabel Media

Explore the Edge. Curiosity and the desire to explore are part of human nature. In the Stavanger region, find an entire universe to explore. We promise you - you have plenty to uncover.


You will discover history, art and culture, and high-level urban qualities. You will be captivated by raw nature, mountain peaks with stunning views, and magical moments by the fjord. Perhaps you will also rediscover yourself? In surroundings like these, anything is possible. Explore the Edge.

Curious about life?

Do you believe that holidays should be about discovering, learning, and exploring new things? Preferably something that surprises and challenges you. Then you've come to the right place! Here - on the edge of Norway - you'll hear the stories behind the herring industry in Norway, get to know more about the North Sea workers, gain insight into how people lived during the Iron Age, and experience a famous Viking battle through modern technology. In Stavanger, Sandnes, Bryne, and Egersund, you'll find museums that teach you about the history and unique qualities of these places. At Jæren and along the coast, you'll uncover the coastal history and breathtaking nature - excellently presented in locations like Hå Old Vicarage or Kvassheim lighthouse.

How did people live during the Iron Age?
How did people live during the Iron Age? | © Fabel Media

Architecture and Art

Recent times have also given us groundbreaking architecture; take an architectural tour and learn about the various structures from different eras and styles. For several years, Nuart has adorned the region's walls with striking murals - feel free to take a street art walk with an experienced street art guide.

For art enthusiasts - visit the art museum and immerse yourself in the works of Bill Viola, Lars Hertervig, Kitty Kielland, or Frida Hansen.

The History and Nature of the Jæren Coast

Coastal history awaits you along the extensive North Sea Route; feel free to drive the Norwegian Scenic Route Jæren and make stops at museums, galleries, and even spend a night in a lighthouse. Visit Jøssingfjord and learn about the mining industry and the unique geology in the Magma UNESCO Global Geopark. Try something entirely new - sleep in an abandoned tunnel in hammocks with a view of Jøssingfjord. Sogndalstrand - the preserved village at the southernmost tip of Magma - feels like stepping into a whole different world. Here, time stands still a bit more than in other places, and you have the time to observe, enjoy, eat, and sleep well.

Treasures from the past

exhibitions museum of archaeology in stavanger

Museum of Archaeology in Stavanger

Learn about the treasures the Vikings brought back to Norway. Or come face to face with the 8,200-year-old skeleton from Vistehola? Visit the Archaeological Museum in Stavanger.

Sverd i fjell

Swords in rock

The Swords in Rock monument in Hafrsfjord, Stavanger marks the Viking battle of Hafrsfjord when Norway was united into one kingdom.

Woman standing in the doorway of a longhouse from the iron age. Dressed in period clothing.

Iron Age Farm in Stavanger

The Iron Age Farm at Ullandhaug in Stavanger is a reconstructed farmstead from the Migration Period (350-550 AD).

Utstein Kloster/Monastery with two hosts dressed in munk outfits in the monastery gardens

Utstein Monastery

Utstein Monastery is Norway’s best-preserved medieval monastery, beautifully situated in a protected cultural landscape on the island of Mosterøy, about a 30-minute drive from Stavanger.

kids at the museum looking at exhibitions

Stavanger Museum included Norwegian Children's Museum

Stavanger Museum is centrally located in the city and houses the Children's Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the City Museum. Discover tiny insects and large animals, childhood and the city's 900-year history.

Viking House visitor viking centre with vr experience

Viking House

Viking House is a groundbreaking concept. A Virtual reality-based world-class visitor centre conveys the Viking history of the Stavanger region.

Rural Life and Farm Tourism

Sirdal Mountain Museum

Sirdal Mountain Museum

At Sirdal Mountain Museum a collection of buildings and artefacts from Sirdal is presented, where the oldest building is from the 1770s. 

Museumsområdet på Slettebø

Dalane Folk Museum

Dalane Folkemuseum is a regional museum for Dalane, the southernmost part of the county Rogaland, encompassing the municipalities Bjerkreim, Lund, Sokndal and Eigersund.

Jærhus fra 1700- og 1800-tallet. Det yngste er nærmest.

Grødalandstunet

Grødalandstunet is perhaps one of the finest and best-preserved farmhouses in Rogaland! A typical sea farm with a great view of the sea to the west.

Hakkemaskin

Limagarden

Experience local history and the cultural landscape formed by generations of sheep farming.

geita får en kos

Vistnestunet

The Vistnestunet farm is open to groups and school classes. Various activities take place throughout the year, and the surrounding area is ideal for walks.

At Sea!

kids playing at a museum, stavanger maritime museum

Stavanger maritime museum

The museum's exhibitions are located in Stavanger's best-preserved merchants' buildings. The exhibitions convey the last 500 years of maritime history, craftsmanship and trade and the general development of the city.

Kvitsøy Hummermuseum

Kvitsøy hummermuseum (lobster museum)

Idyllic island of Kvitsøy lies far out on the fjord between Haugesund and Stavanger. It is the smallest of Ryfylke's municipalities. The island is home to one of Ryfylkemuseets finest museum sites, Kvitsøy Hummermuseet.

Tales from typical industries through the ages

Visitors to a museum looking at exhibition on books and printing

IDDIS The Norwegian Printing Museum and The Norwegian Canning Museum

The museum is situated in the heart of Old Stavanger, where you can discover more about the city's two key industries through engaging exhibitions and activities.

Norsk Oljemuseum, fasade

Norwegian Petroleum Museum

Norwegian Petroleum Museum: Uncover Norway's offshore industry evolution. Engaging exhibits highlight its pivotal role, in offering immersive experiences.

Alkemuggen

Egersund Faience Museum

After Egersund Fayancefabrik shut down in 1979, Dalane Folkemuseum took over the factory's archives and item collections. Today, this gift constitutes the core collection at Egersund Fayancemuseum (the Egersund Pottery Museum), which was first established in 1986.

Museet er lokalisert i en autentisk tyskerhanger.

The Museum of Aviation History at Sola

The Aviation History Museum (Flyhistorisk Museum Sola) is located close to Stavanger Airport. Here you will see an impressive and unique collection of aeroplanes, helicopters and objects.

Familiedag

Vitenfabrikken

Discover this popular science museum in Sandnes. There are four levels of exhibitions and activities. Topics are natural science, mathematics, energy and astronomy, regional industrial history and Sandnes' city history.

Play and learn!

nyklekket kylling

Vitengarden (science farm)

Vitengarden at Nærbø: Learn about Jæren's agriculture, food production, technology and nature through interactive exhibitions. Meet animals and jump in the hay.

Jøssingfjord Vitenmuseum sett utenfra. Med bratte fjellvegger like ved.

Jøssingfjord Science Museum

Jøssingfjord Science Museum is Norway’s only museum linking geology and mining – a unique, future-oriented initiative of global significance.

Take an art break

Kunst i Lysebotn i Lysefjorden

Street Art in Lysebotn

Experience street art in Lysebotn, the small village in the end of Lysefjorden. On the walls of Lysefjorden tourist cabin you will find a number of art motifs.

Two girls and man sitting on bench looking at art at an art museum

Stavanger kunstmuseum

Stavanger Art Museum offers a collection of distinguished Norwegian fine art ranging from the nineteenth century to contemporary art.

gatekunst

Street Art Nuart Stavanger

Nuart street art festival has left treasures all over the Stavanger region in the last few years. Stavanger is Norway's street art capital. Find art made by international street art artists in cities and the countryside.

Jærruta - Hå gamle prestegard

Hå gamle prestegard

Experience modern art and culture in historic surroundings on the very edge of Norway.

In the footsteps of literature

Garborgheimen er typisk jærhus med skut i begge ender

Garborgheimen

Garborgheimen is the childhood home of the poet Arne Garborg and is a very well-preserved Jæren house. Arne Garborg left home at the age of 16.

Garborgsenteret

Garborgsenteret

The Garborg Centre promotes interest in the author couple Arne and Hulda Garborg. A centre for social engagement, knowledge, democracy, reading and creation.

The Garborg trail

The Garborg trail

Use your smartphone or tablet and dive into the life and literature of Arne Garborg, one of the most important Norwegian authors at the turn of the 19th century. Through film and sound, you will meet Arne Garborg himself as well as characters from his novels.

If walls could talk

Ledaals flotte fasade.

Ledaal

Do you like to dream about times gone by? Ledaal lets you do just that! You can only imagine how the upper class lived here in the first half of the 19th century.

Exhibition living room at Holmeegenes

Holmeegenes

Holmeegenes in Stavanger is one of three historical house museums located along the prestigious Eiganesveien, which is open to the public from June 15th – August 15th.

museum interior of old house in rococo, empire and biedermeier style in Stavanger.

Breidablikk

Visit the grand villa Breidablikk, built by the Berentsen shipping family in the 1880s, and gain a vivid glimpse into the life of the upper middle class at the end of the 19th century.

The famous and the lesser-known natural attractions

Whether you're finally taking that trip to Preikestolen that everyone's talking about or tackling the 4,444 steps in Flørli, the territory is new to you. Explore places and viewpoints in the region and experience something new. If you need hiking equipment for the journey, you can rent it from Frilager.no.

The well-known icons

Flere folk som er på platået til Preikestolen.

Hike to Preikestolen in the Lysefjorden

Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock) rises 604 metres above the Lysefjord in Ryfylke, and is one of Norway's biggest attractions. The view at the top is stunning.

Hike to Flørlitrappene and Rallarstien in the Lysefjord

Hike to Flørlitrappene and Rallarstien in the Lysefjord

In Flørli in the Lysefjord, Ryfylke, you'll find the world's longest wooden staircase (Flørli Stairs) with 4,444 steps. A demanding but family-friendly hike.

nature, mountain formations in norway, famous kjerag mountain and kjerag boulder

Hike to Kjerag in the Lysefjord

Kjerag is called the majesty of the Lysefjord, Ryfylke. Most people are content to enjoy the fjord view, but for many, Kjeragbolten is the highlight.

Trollpikken

Trollpikken

Trollpikken near Egersund is a phenomenon created by the ice during the last ice age. You too can explore the hike to the peculiar Trollpikken in Magma UNESCO Global Geopark.

Lysefjordcruise

Fjord cruise to the Lysefjord and Preikestolen from Stavanger

Rødne Fjord Cruise offers a must-try fjord cruise to breathtaking Lysefjord from Stavanger. Highlights include Preikestolen and Hengjanefossen waterfall.

Månafossen Waterfall, viewed from viewpoint from the forest

Månafossen waterfall and Friluftsgården Mån

Short yet challenging hike to Månafossen. The effort pays off for the breathtaking view of the waterfall plunging 92 metres through a narrow gorge.

Dalsnuten solnedgang

Hike to Dalsnuten

Dalsnuten: Popular peak by the Gandsfjord in Sandnes. Short and easy hike from Gramstad, suitable for the whole family all year round.

Find a guided hike here

How to get to the attractions by bus or train!

The lesser-known nature gems

View from the mountain top towards steep mountains rising from the fjord

Hike to Ramnstoknuten

A hike in Frafjordheiene, with a magnificent view of the Høgsfjord and towards the Frafjord. A new Instagram favourite!

Nesvåghålo

Nesvåghålo

The (almost) untouched tourist gem Nesvåghålo.

Ørsdalen valley in Magma UNESCO Global Geopark

Ørsdalen valley in Magma UNESCO Global Geopark

Explore this almost hidden valley at the end of the lake Ørsdalsvatnet which was not connected by road until the 1970s. The valley is a great starting point for several spectacular tours.

Dyr på beite langs turstien vest

The hiking area west at Kvitsøy

Hiking trail along reefs and old bunkers from Håland to Kvitsøy lighthouse. At the lighthouse you get a good view of the sea, Skudenes, Karmøy and Bokn.

Varberg - vinter

Varberg in Egersund

Easily accessible gem of a lookout point at just the right length from the Egersund centre.

Rennesøyhodnet

Rennesøyhodnet

A view such as this is rare! Rennesøyhodnet is in the middle of the Ryfylke islands and gives a tremendous view in all directions.

A sheep on rocks, enjoying the view from Hilleknuten

Hilleknuten

Hilleknuten is located In the middle of the Sirdalsheiene. A steep hike, but the reward awaits you at the top, where you have a formidable view.

Vistehola

Vistehola (Svarthola)

Vistehola, also called Svarthola is one of Norway's oldest Stone Age settlements. Here, among other things, one of the best-preserved skeletons from the Stone Age, the so-called Vistegutten, was found.

Accommodation on the Edge!
Eat on the Edge!

Why Edge of Norway, and where?

It's easy to think that the Stavanger region is summed up by Edge of Norway solely due to its geographical location and renowned natural attractions like Preikestolen, Kjerag, and, not least, Jæren, which in old Norwegian means 'edge.' There are several spectacular landscapes and natural phenomena that earn the region its title as the edge of Norway, even the edge of the world.

You'd have to travel to the moon to find a landscape and geology similar to what you find in the Magma UNESCO Global Geopark. And in the sea beyond this lunar landscape, there's the amphidromic point where tidal waves converge and neutralize each other.

The region is Norway's outer edge facing the North Sea. Traces of some of the country's earliest settlements have been discovered here. Norway was united into one kingdom here, and we've ventured out for a thousand years and the world has come to us. We're known for a strong entrepreneurial spirit, for seizing opportunities and leveraging the resources around us. There's no one here saying it can't be done. On the contrary, we celebrate those who take chances, those with an extra gear and great determination.

The atmosphere is refreshingly informal. We know that teamwork wins, and we take pride in what we achieve together. This has given us confidence, prosperity, but also significant setbacks and challenges. We're accustomed to managing change and risk. We push boundaries without being foolhardy or overconfident. It's only natural that people from around the world come here to challenge their comfort zones, test new ideas, and create value. Here, they find like-minded individuals.

People who appreciate freedom, quality, and enjoyment. It's a cliché that there's a short distance from work to the surfers' paradise, the kayak, the hills, the fjords, the mountains, and the cliffs, but it's true.

Edge of Norway encompasses Kvitsøy - Randaberg - Stavanger - Sandnes - Sola - Gjesdal - Klepp - Time - Hå - Bjerkreim - Eigersund - Lund - Sokndal - Sirdal.

The Sound of Edge of Norway

Do you hear the sound of people excitedly saying "Mmm", "aha!" and "WOW"? That's the sound of Edge of Norway.

The Sound of Excitement

The Sound of Excitement

Enjoy the Edge in the Stavanger region! Perhaps a breeze on the Lysefjord or a world-class gastronomic experience tempts you?

Ready for some action?

Ready for some action?

Pushing the Edge! Ready to go high, low, far, wide, or fast? Is it time to push your limits in the Stavanger region?

Crazy Combo on the Edge of Norway

Crazy Combo on the Edge of Norway

Welcome to the Edge of Norway™. Jæren originally signifies edge. Combined with the several spectacular landscapes and natural phenomena we have in this region; the name Edge of Norway is a fitting match.

Immerse Yourself in a Sense of Inner Peace

Immerse Yourself in a Sense of Inner Peace

Step back from the Edge. Here in the Stavanger region, life is lived, experienced and savoured in sensory pleasure. Some days the pace is fast, other days it's good to just relax and immerse yourself in a sense of inner peace.


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