Stavanger & Preikenstolen
Three years ago I fell in love with Norway; the mountains, the fjords, the people it was all part of it. So when I landed in Stavanger it felt like coming home. I did not need an excuse to visit but, visiting friends was a good one!
Stavanger is the third-largest city in Norway. The city, primarily known because of the booming offshore oil industry that started in the late 20th century. Stavanger has a rich history and those stories can be found in museums all over town. There are not many outdoor activities in Stavanger itself, but who needs this when Lysefjorden, a particularly popular hiking place is nearby. Our 5 days were, therefore, spent strolling through the city, visiting musea and hiking on the trails.
Day 1: Shopping
On the first day, we went straight from the airport to our Airbnb. A nice apartment for 4 people. One of my best friends from Prague, would join us later in the week so we needed the space. In the afternoon we did some shopping in a nearby mall and drove to Stavanger to stroll around and eat some dinner with our Norwegian friend.
Day 2: Sola beach
ou second day started slow, with a big breakfast and some time spent in the garden. Sola beach is not that far from Stavanger, so we opted to spend the afternoon visiting the beaches around here together with the Norwegain friend we were visiting. Some of the beaches in these areas have remains of bunkers from the Second World War.
Day3: Preikenstolen
Visiting Norway is not complete without hiking. Hikes will take you up mountains, past fjords, behind waterfalls, and undoubtedly let you fall in love with Norway just as we did. It is truly one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a destination by doing what the locals do. Norwegians hike all the time, so your experience in Norway is kinda incomplete without at least a (mini) hike. One of the hiking trails near Stavanger is the hike to Preikenstolen. It is a (relative) easy hike that takes a maximum of 2 hours up and 2 hours down.
Since it is a shorter hike, the trails will be crowded with tourists after 10:00. Our tip would be to go early. Take the first ferry from Stavanger (6:00 AM), drive the last part to the parking lot, and start the hike around 7:30/8:00. When you are already on the top, enjoying the view and the silence while other people will start the hike, this way you will only meet them on the way back.
