Gamle Stavanger
173 white wooden houses from the 1700s, still lived in
Overview
Gamle Stavanger occupies the hillside west of Vågen harbour. The 173 wooden houses were built between the late 1700s and early 1800s, during the height of Stavanger’s herring and sardine industry. The workers who processed the fish in the canning factories lived in these houses.
The houses are small — two storeys, narrow facades, white-painted clapboard. The streets between them are cobblestoned and barely wide enough for two people to pass. Gardens with roses, rhubarb, and old fruit trees fill the narrow plots between buildings.
This is not a museum district. Every house is privately owned and occupied. Residents have maintained the buildings to strict preservation standards since the area was protected in the 1950s. Walk quietly. Do not photograph through windows. Respect the fact that this is someone’s home.
The Norsk Hermetikkmuseum (Norwegian Canning Museum) sits in the middle of Gamle Stavanger, inside a former sardine canning factory. The museum tells the story of Stavanger before oil — when the city was the sardine capital of Europe. Smoking demonstrations happen on the first Sunday of each month.
Highlights
Wooden Architecture
173 white clapboard houses, all privately owned and occupied. The smallest residential buildings in central Stavanger, preserved since the 1950s. The white paint tradition dates to when white lead paint became affordable in the 1800s.
Hidden Gardens
Between the houses, narrow garden plots hold roses, rhubarb, berry bushes, and old fruit trees. The gardens are private but visible over low fences. They add colour from May to September.
Canning Museum
Norsk Hermetikkmuseum: inside a former sardine factory. Stavanger processed sardines for export from the 1870s to the 1960s. Smoking demonstrations on the first Sunday of each month — the smell of smoked brisling fills the street.
Walking the Streets
Allow 30–45 minutes to walk the cobblestone lanes. Start from the harbour side (Øvre Strandgate) and wind uphill through the narrowest passages. Morning light hits the white facades from the east.
Practical information
Getting there
West side of Vågen harbour, 5-minute walk from the city centre. Enter from Øvre Strandgate (harbour side) or from Nedre Strandgate below.
Canning Museum
Norsk Hermetikkmuseum: adults 120 NOK. Open Tue–Sun. Smoking demonstrations: first Sunday of each month, 11:00–14:00. The smell alone draws a crowd.
Time needed
30–45 minutes for the streets. Add 45 minutes for the Canning Museum. Total: 1.5 hours.
Etiquette
These are private homes. Do not enter gardens. Do not photograph through windows. Keep voices low. Walk on the cobblestones, not on planted borders. Respect the residents who keep this place alive.
More in Stavanger
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Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
604-meter vertical drop into Lysefjord, no railings
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Nuart Street Art Festival
Over 100 murals turning Stavanger into an open-air gallery since 2001
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Norwegian Petroleum Museum
From fishing nation to oil power in a single generation
Read guidePlan your Stavanger trip
Stavanger has more to offer. Explore the full city guide or browse other Norwegian cities.