7 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 173 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.  Keep in mind that people still live here. 

Easily reached by ferry from Kragerø, visiting this national park is a great way to see the archipelago and the animals that inhabit the area. Established in 2016, the 117-square-km (45-square-mile) protected area includes the islands of Jomfruland and Stråholmen. About 98% of the park area is ocean.  Watch where you step, as tiny creatures inhabit the sand dunes. No drones allowed, unless you have a permit. 

A favorite with hikers and strolling nannies, Ravnedalen is a lush park that's filled with flowers in springtime. Wear comfortable shoes to hike the narrow winding paths up the hills and climb the 200 steps up to a 304-foot lookout. There is a café on-site, free parking, and open-air concerts in summer.

This circular fortress with 16-foot-thick walls, on a promontory opposite Festningsgata, was completed in 1672. Its role has been much more decorative than defensive; it was used once, in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars, to defend the city against British invasion. Currently, visitors can only explore the grounds as the inside fortress isn't open to the public, but a permanent exhibition on the grounds provides insight into the fortress and the city's history.

The striking rune stone in the cemetery of Oddernes kirke says that Eyvind, godson of St. Olav, built this church in 1040 on property he inherited from his father. One of the oldest churches in Norway, it has a baroque pulpit from 1704 and is dedicated to St. Olav.

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.