Past and present in Pedersgata

Pedersgata goes from Vinkelgata by the Petri church at the Nytorget square and all the way to Møllehaugen in the Eastern district. The now-demolished canning factories in the area had a lot of tall chimneys and an iron foundry where the sparks used to rise high into the sky. This caused the temperature to be higher than in the rest of the city and the district went by the nickname, "Varmen" (The heat).

The workers' avenue

It was mostly people from poor backgrounds who lived in the small houses in Pedersgata. The majority worked in the canning factories, but there were also many sailors, traders, rope makers, plumbers, barrel makers, bakers, butchers, jewellers, shoemakers, and tailors. Various shops and services were established in almost every house, and Pedersgata became the central shopping street until the 1980s.

Decay and stagnation

With increasing prosperity after the arrival of the oil industry, everyone had their own car, and large shopping centres were established outside the city. The shops in Pedersgata could not resist the competition and numerous premises were left empty. The houses fell into disrepair, and after a while, Pedersgata gained a dubious reputation.

An international food street

After a long period of decline, Pedersgata and the old industrial area have been transformed into a spacious residential area, and many of the old wooden houses in Pedersgata have now been carefully restored. In recent years, many immigrants have established their businesses here, and this has given Pedersgata a wide range of international restaurants, cosy cafes and bars, unique shops and various services. What used to be a neighbourhood you'd rather not go to has now become the place you shouldn't miss when visiting Stavanger.

Experience Pedersgata

GuideCompaniet takes you on a culinary experience through Pedersgata. Taste the flavours from all corners of the world and hear the guide telling anecdotes from this exciting district. Join us and discover the restaurants in one of Norway's coolest streets.

Experience The Travellers in Pedersgata

The Travellers is a series of light sculptures that transform public spaces, inviting us into a world between dream and reality, between sky and earth. Originally installed for this year’s Glød Light Festival, the sculptures can be seen throughout 2025 at three locations in Pedersgata: No. 40, No. 60, and No. 110.

The Travellers are created by the internationally renowned French artist Cédric le Borgne. About the sculptures, he says: – They appear and disappear in the sky, they fly between rooftops, they observe and explore the city. They care about us.

The sculptures are a gift to Glød from Smedvig and Pedersgata Utvikling.

Pedersgata in pictures