2018.07.17 Stavanger Norway
With around 200,000 inhabitants, Norway's fourth largest city is on the one hand one of the oldest in which many old wooden houses are still reminiscent of the past, but on the other hand it is also one of the most modern thanks to the oil.
Although a settlement on the site of today's Stavanger was mentioned as early as the 8th century, the city only entered the stage of history in 1125 with the construction of the cathedral and the transfer of the bishop's seat. The cathedral, originally built in the Anglo-Norman style, later rebuilt in the High Gothic style, still forms the center of the city today and is one of the most important medieval churches in the country. From there it is only a few steps to the Vågen harbor basin, which is rammed by old and new houses and where there is always a hustle and bustle in the water and on land. Here you should visit one of the restaurants or cafes, many of which have an open-air terrace.
Afterwards you can stroll through Gamel Stavanger, an old town district consisting of 170 listed houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. All have been lovingly renovated and painted bright white. In the middle of this inhabited open-air museum is the Norks Hermetkkmuseum, which tells the story of canned fish production. From the middle of the 19th century Stavanger's canning factories were an important part of the economy and the city became known worldwide for its canned sardines.