Experience Norways’ national treasures by car

The first stop on this beautiful drive is the mighty Langfoss waterfall, set amidst steep mountainsides and lush cultural landscape along the Åkrafjord. The 612-metre waterfall is an impressive sight. Not surprisingly, CNN and Budget Travel have named Langfoss one of the world's ten most beautiful waterfalls!

If you want to feel the power of the waterfall, you can park at the Langfoss picnic area and walk through the underpass. If you hike up Langfoss, you'll get a fantastic view of Åkrafjorden with Folgefonna in the background.

Treasure hunt in niche shops

Haugesund is a perfect base, whether you want to shop, go to a festival or experience the legacy of the Vikings.

In the city centre, charming niche shops are close together. You can go on a treasure hunt at Krimz Kramz and Shabby Records, experience glassblowing up close at Formbar Glassverksted and visit Den Lille bokbutikken, Norway's smallest bookshop with the city's finest window display. If you're interested in watches, you can buy a unique souvenir at Lervik Ur. Here you'll find the unique Bruvik Time watches, designed by Rune Bruvik from Haugesund.

When you need a break from shopping, Smedasundet and Indre kai is the place to enjoy good food and drink while watching the bustling crowds.

Festival summer for all tastes

The festival summer in Haugesund and Haugalandet has a lot to offer. Haugesund is particularly well known for Sildajazz and the Norwegian Film Festival, but you can also enjoy festivals linked to the city's maritime coastal culture and deep traditions of song and poetry. We can't guarantee sunshine and warmth, but a great atmosphere and memorable experiences - that's what you'll get!

A deep dive into Viking history

Haugalandet has a long Viking history, and the digital museum The Viking Planet in Haugesund city centre gives you a fun and educational deep dive into local history.

Did you know that, according to Snorre's king sagas, the Viking king Harald Hårfargre is buried 2 kilometres north of Haugesund? Norway's only national monument, Haraldshaugen, has been erected over the Viking grave, commemorating Harald Fairhair's unification of Norway into one kingdom in 872.

Enjoy great art and exciting museums

The beautiful and easy-to-walk Kyststien trail starts from the national monument.The highlight is the horse sculptures ‘The Rising Tide’ by Jason DeCaires Taylor, which were previously exhibited in the Thames in London. The sculptures change with the tide and are a great sight in Kvalsvik.

Haugesund also offers several interesting city museums, such as Karmsund Folkemuseum, Haugesund Billedgalleri and the herring museum Dokken.

Film becomes reality

New films and series are constantly appearing about the wild and beautiful Norse who travelled across the North Sea on a Viking expedition. At Avaldsnes, the film sets become reality! You can visit the Viking farm where Harald Fairhair and his descendants had their royal seat for almost 500 years. Avaldsnes is also strategically located by the Karmsundet strait, or Norðrvegr-Nordvegen, as Norway is known. The Nordvegen History Centre and the medieval St. Olav's Church are other historical gems that must be experienced!

If you want to go all in, then you have to take part in Western Norway's largest Viking festival! In June, ‘Vikings’ and sightseers from all over Europe gather in the small town on Haugalandet.

A taste of New York

At Visnes, you'll get a taste of ‘The Big Apple’. The Statue of Liberty in New York is made of copper from Visnes. In the mansion garden ‘Fransehagen’, which belonged to the mine's first director, you'll find a smaller, but equally beautiful, copy of the world-famous statue. At the Visnes Mining Museum, knowledgeable guides will take you on an exciting journey through the history of the mining community.

Norway's best-preserved coastal town

Once you've arrived in the well-kept and charming shipping town of Skudeneshavn, you can stroll through narrow streets with cosy white-painted houses and well-preserved 19th-century sea stalls. Visit Skudeneshavn Museum and explore Norway's best-preserved coastal town environment with the cultural history map and the app ‘Looking back’. Do you need a breather? Then we recommend Bybadet Bade Olena, where you can combine a refreshing dip in the sea with a hot sauna.

If you're travelling in early July, the Skudefestival is one of the highlights of the summer.

Then it's time to leave the coast and head back inland towards high mountains and deep fjords.

The idyllic farmhouse Nesheimstunet in Nedre Vats has been in the family of Elisabeth and Bjørn Steinar Nesheim for many years. The couple offer accommodation in the nostalgic ‘Gamla løå’ and ‘Great-grandmother's house’. Here you can enjoy local, homemade food while listening to the silence. Slow down the pace! Try fly fishing or explore the beautiful hiking areas. Here you can enjoy local, homemade food while listening to the silence. Slow down the pace! Try fly fishing or explore the beautiful hiking areas.

Architectural gems

Are you inspired by raw architecture? Then you can look forward to the next leg of the journey! The northern section of the Ryfylke Scenic Route is called the Architecture Tour. And not without reason - along the way you'll find a great collection of architectural works.

Take a break at the magnificent Ropeid and Ostasteidn rest areas and the mighty Svandalsfossen waterfall. When you arrive in Sauda, be sure to visit the Industrial Workers' Museum and the cosy district of Åbøbyen, often called Amerikanerbyen, from 1916. The cosy houses show a clear class divide, with the workers living closest and the director furthest away from the smoke and fumes of the smelter.

Ready for some more inspiration? The next architectural gem is the disused zinc mines in Allmannajuvet. Here, world-renowned Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has designed a spectacular facility that conveys the exciting mining history. You can join a guided tour of the mines, visit the gallery or enjoy a bite to eat in the summer café.

Take in the beautiful high-mountain scenery as you drive over Saudafjellet. Flesefossen waterfall is a natural stop before continuing to Nesflaten. The Norwegian architect Geir Grung designed the power station, the Energy Hotel and the housing estate in connection with the development of the power station in the 1960s, which is now regarded as Norway's best preserved example of functionalist style.

Visit the Guggedalsloftet, dated 1281, and the cluster yard Litunet from the 17th and 19th centuries, before ending the architecture tour at the beautiful Høse Bridge in corten steel, which crosses Suldalslågen on Sand.

Now it's time to satisfy your taste buds! At Hebnes vingard, the former pig farmers have replaced pork with wine of all varieties. They happily share their experience and knowledge, and every summer they have fixed times for wine tasting.

The idyllic beach resort of Jelsa, with its cosy white houses and beautiful wooden church from 1647, is well known for its tasty strawberries. Not far away is Fuglestein Fruktgård, which produces apple cider, apple juice and apple jelly.

When you drive back to the Norwegian Scenic Route Ryfylke (Rv 13), the farm shops are like pearls on a string. The first stop is the cider house Eiane Gard and close by you'll find the salmon smokehouse Mikals Laks. After a ferry ride across the Hjelmelandsfjord, you can visit Apal Sideri and OmCider. Enjoy a delicious meal consisting of local produce at Smaken av Ryfylke, before taking a break at Ryfylke Gardsysteri and Strand Gård.

The local producers focus on quality and have won several prestigious awards. In the summer, you can take a guided tour with tastings at the fruit farms.

Close to Ryfast, the world's longest underwater road tunnel linking Ryfylke to Stavanger, you can study rock carvings of ships and sun figures from around 500 BC. At Villa Rosehagen, you'll get a flavour of the old steelworks history at Jørpeland, and in the garden you can enjoy the sight of 120 different rose species in full bloom.

Spectacular design

The Bolder is a must for all architecture enthusiasts. Several of the cabins are designed by renowned Snøhetta. The spectacular location on the edge of the Lysefjord makes the small designer cabins a truly unique place to stay.

The magnificent viewpoint at Høllesli is worth a stop before boarding the ferry that takes you into the majestic Lysefjord.

Boat trip on the Lysefjord

The boat trip is an experience in itself. You'll pass attractions such as the world-famous Pulpit Rock, Flørli with the world's longest wooden staircase and Kjeragbolten, the iconic rock wedged between two mountainsides. If you're lucky, you might see base jumpers hurtling down the steep mountainsides!

Lysebotn is a beautiful gem at the centre of the Lysefjord. The small powerhouse village is best known for the popular hike to Kjerag, but the beautiful drive through 27 sharp hairpin bends from the fjord to the car park is an experience in itself. You can either take the boat back or continue the car journey towards Sirdal.