5 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.

The striking rune stone in the cemetery of Oddernes kirke says that Øyvind, godson of Saint 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 Saint Olav.

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. 

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.