WELCOME TO HAUGESUND & HAUGALANDET
Destination Haugalandet, which includes the coastal town of Haugesund, stretches from the island of Utsira in the west to Etne and Sauda in the east and from Karmøy in the south to Sveio in the north. Haugalandet can offer a broad spectrum of natural beauty ranging from shimmering coastline and wild heather moors to snow capped mountains with cascading waterfalls melting into the fjords. Haugalandet is also a buoyant centre for cultural events as well as outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, bathing, golf, Viking trails, active and extreme sports, café life, shopping and much more.
NORWAY’S BIRTHPLACE
For more than 3000 years chieftains at Avaldsnes, on the strait between Karmøy and Haugesund known as Nordvegen, levied tolls on passing ships. It is these chieftains or kings, from the time before written records began, who have endowed us with a history told through monumental burial sites, carved stones and other treasures discovered on the seabed as much as on land. It was here, following the battle of Hafrsfjord in 870 AD, that Harald the Fairhaired established Norway’s first throne and the strait of Nordvegen gave its name to Norway.
FOLLOWING NORDVEGEN
While archaeologists on the one hand continue to dig deeper and deeper for traces left by our forebears, technological development and advances on the other hand are taking place at a phenomenal rate just a stone’s throw away. Here, the foundations are being laid for a future that is harmonious with both history and nature. The Norwegian oil industry has strong roots in Haugalandet with the gas pipeline from the North Sea to Kårstø following the route of the Vikings and others before and after them, Nordvegen.
THE PEOPLE OF HAUGALANDET TODAY
Even yet, the earth and seabed around of the seat of the ancient kings at Avaldsnes, Rogaland’s millennium focal point, reveals long hidden secrets about both Norwegian and international history. Not least, are revelations about who, we, the people of Haugalandet are. Are we just a pleasant stock of people or do we have more royal linage than most? Whatever the case, the course of the last 1000 years has given us a friendly frame of mind, and open and proud of our history are we also. Modern day Haugalanders are just as interested in the region’s cultural heritage as they are in continuity for the cultural expressions of the present.
THERE IS FREEDOM IN THE OPEN LANDSCAPE
Gentle evergreen forests and inviting lakes are secrets we are glad to impart, but the open landscape is our trademark. Sporadic windblown pine trees and proud standing birches together with a vista of unending stone walls. Picturesque pastures. Rugged peaks. Open sea. It is advisable to let others know if you are planning to wander off the beaten path or take to the mountains and forests but you don’t need to ask. Around Haugalandet, you can hike where you please because access to the wilderness is unrestricted and fishing in the fjords is free. Above all, we want to ensure that you have the right to experience our fantastic landscape and nature.
Yours sincerely
Tore Gautesen
Regional travel director