Facts about the region

The Stavanger & Ryfylke regions represent in total 18 municipalities. Region Stavanger comprises the municipalities Kvitsøy, Randaberg, Stavanger, Sandnes, Sola, Gjesdal, Klepp, Time, Hå, Bjerkreim, Sokndal, Sirdal. Reisemål Ryfylke AS represents the municipalities Forsand, Hjelmeland, Sauda, Strand and Suldal. Read more about our cities, communities, islands and municipalities. 
 

A Fjord Norway destination

The Stavanger & Ryfylke regions are the southernmost destinations in the Fjord Norway region. The region offers beautiful long beaches, vibrant city and cultural life, fjord and mountain scenery as well as several beautiful islands. The region is filled with contrasting experiences; you can enjoy an active vacation of hiking, for instance hiking to the world-renowned attraction Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock), kayaking, biking, surfing and kiting on the beaches of Jæren, hunting and fishing, or climbing. Interested in active holiday & adventure travels - read more.

Lunar landscape & architecture

In the south of the Stavanger & Ryfylke regions you can experience an exciting geological environment in Magma UNESCO Global Geopark; in fact, you have to travel to the moon to find similar terrain! Stavanger city further offers great restaurants, shopping, trendy cafes in Øvre Holmegate, in the city of Stavanger, also known as the colourful street, as well as charming cultural history of Northern Europe's largest protected wooden houses in Old Stavanger, and Stavanger Cathedral dating from 1125. Learn about the top 20 architectural attractions.
 

Culinary and cultural delights

The region is Norway’s culinary destination second to none - with culinary pleasures of world class standard; with lamb, seafood, vegetables and fruit from local producers. The climate provides ideal conditions for agriculture, additionally, there is an active gastronomic research environment here. Scandinavia's largest food festival, Gladmat, is just one of more than 30 large festivals held each year. Stavanger and Sandnes were both the European Capital of Culture in 2008, come and find out why! The iconic concert hall in Stavanger city centre has hosted world-renowned artists and previously years also the national music award – Spellemann. Intimate concerts in combination with nature experiences are also popular; such as a concert held outdoors with Tungenes lighthouse as its backdrop. The region also has an amazing diversity of museums, and several good experiences for families, as well as a large popular theme park.
 

What’s on – top five

• May Jazz festival - one of Norway's leading jazz festivals presenting international jazz stars and the best in national and local jazz every year.
• Tours of Norway - Bicycle racing is one of the most beautiful sports in the world. Don't miss out on this race! Tour of Norway is an international bicycle race.
• Gladmat - Scandinavia's biggest food festival takes place in Stavanger every year!
• International Chamber Music Festival – top class musicians play together in Stavanger and share their joy for music with the audience. 
• Nuart Festival - Nuart hosts an annual festival for national and international artists who operate outside of the traditional art establishment. Every year, a team of internationally acclaimed street artists leave their mark on the city’s walls, both indoor and out, contributing to one of Europe’s most dynamic and constantly evolving public art events. The work produced at Nuart Festival stimulates debate by challenging entrenched notions of what art is – and more importantly, what it can be.

See an up to date list of festivals and large events with dates.