3 Best Sights in Southern Norway, Norway

The charm of the city's past is on view in Old Stavanger, northern Europe's largest and best-preserved wooden house settlement. The 150 houses here were built in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Wind down the narrow cobblestone streets past small white houses and craft shops with many-paned windows and terra-cotta roof tiles.

With a perfectly preserved interior, this 19th-century manor house feels as if the owner has only momentarily slipped away. The building is an outstanding example of what the Norwegians call “Swiss-style” architecture, and also has some elements of the Norwegian National Romantic style. It was built in 1882 by the Norwegian merchant and shipowner Lars Berentsen.

The site where Norway was founded has been memorialized by these three huge bronze swords, designed by artist Fritz Røed and unveiled by King Olav in 1983. The memorial is dedicated to King Harald Hårfagre (Harald the Fairhaired), who through an 872 battle at Hafrsfjord managed to unite Norway into one kingdom. The Viking swords' sheaths were modeled on ones found throughout the country; the crowns atop the swords represent the different Norwegian districts that took part in the battle.