Stavanger

Stavanger sits on the southwest coast of Norway, with the cruise port near the centre of town. Gamle Stavanger, the old quarter, has rows of white-painted wooden houses from the 18th and 19th centuries packed along narrow lanes. The Norwegian Petroleum Museum, next to the harbour, is better than it sounds and tells the story of the North Sea oil industry with full-scale drilling rig replicas and interactive exhibits. The Swords in Rock monument, three large bronze swords planted in a hillside, marks the 872 battle that unified Norway. Lysefjord, about an hour by tour boat from the city, is the main excursion. Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) overhangs the fjord from 604 metres, but the hike to reach it takes about two hours each way and is not feasible on most port calls unless you dock early. The harbour restaurants serve fresh shrimp bought straight off the boats. Norwegian waffles with cloudberry jam are easy to find. Prices are high by most standards, as is typical for Norway.