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A nice hiking area with beautiful paths. Good conditions for swimming and diving in the lake, and for play and fun for children.
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2 km north of downtown Haugesund you will find Haraldshaugen, a testimony to the fact that although the city is young, the area has been known and used for thousands of years. Haraldshaugen consists of four important monuments in Norwegian history; the burial mound, the stone cross, the church site, and the National Monument (Haraldsstøtta). The latter was unveiled in 1872 in commemoration of Harald Fairhair’s gathering of Norway into one kingdom. The legend goes that he was buried here.
Our Saviour's Church
Church of Norway (Lutheran) parish church, built in 1901, in the centre of Haugesund with a capacity of 1050.
Karmsund Folkemuseum
A museum of local culture and history.
Rådhuset i Haugesund
A gift from shipowner Knut Knutsen and his wife Elisabeth, the town hall was designed by architects Gudolf Blakstad and Hermann Munthe-Kaas and opened in 1931.
King Håkon Håkonsson erected the St. Olav’s Church around 1250 AD as part of the royal farm on Avaldsnes. Next to the church stands one of Norway’s tallest pillars, “Jomfru Marias synål” (Virgin Mary’s Sewing Needle). According to the legend when the pillar touches the church wall it means the end of the world. That is why the priests through the years have chipped off parts of the top. St. Olav’s Church is situated on Avaldsnes, approximately 10 minutes by car south of Haugesund.
At Nordvegen History Centre, an audio visual King Harald Fairhair invites us in to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors. He is our guide through a 3500 year long history about Avaldsnes as a meeting spot between Norway and Europe, and as a national and, at times, international centre of power. The Viking king presents some of the kings who have controlled the Norwegian coast from Avaldsnes. Some of these kings are known through archaeological findings, and some through tales. The history centre is placed next to St. Olav’s Church. To preserve the integrity of the church as well as the historical landscape, most of the centre, opened in 2005, is underground. Café can hold up to 130 people. Also combo ticket with Viking Farm: adults 150 kr; child under 16 50 kr; senior 100 kr.