Stavanger Cathedral

Norway's best-kept cathedral is located only a stone's throw from the Stavanger harbour.

Season: All year, however, it is closed to the public during other events. Find updated opening hours for the Stavanger Cathedral at all times on their website.

History of Stavanger Cathedral

Stavanger Cathedral was supposedly built in 1125 after Sigurd Jorsalfarer named Stavanger a cathedral city. Bishop Reinald of Winchester was responsible for the construction. The church was built in Anglo-Norman style, probably by English artisans. The church's patron saint is Saint Swithun, and it is presumed that his arm was one of the original relics of the church. In 1272, the cathedral was damaged by fire, after which it received a new chancel built in the Gothic style. The pulpit was made by Andrew Smith in the 1650s, and the stained glass by Victor Sparre in 1957. In the armoury, there is a wall carpet hung made by Frida Hansen, of the holy Saint Olaf. She has also made one of the altar cloths, as well as the carpet in the altar ring.

The cathedral underwent extensive restoration between 2015 and 2024 and was reopened to the public to mark the 900th anniversary of both the church and the city.

Fun fact

The cathedral and the history of the city are closely connected. What came first, though? The city, or the cathedral? According to the Norwegian historian Knut Helle, Stavanger might have had certain city functions already before the building of the cathedral; however, you cannot really talk of Stavanger as a city until later on. It can seem as though Stavanger was perceived as a city already during the reign of Magnus Erlingsson from 1161 to 84. However, the first mention of city men dates back to the assault by the Baglars on Stavanger in 1205. The first known, official mention of Stavanger as a city is found in a letter by King Håkon Håkonsson confirming a donation by King Magnus Erlingsson to the episcopal chair sometime between 1226 and 1245. And is there an ancient church below the cathedral? In the crypt below the church are four postholes after a building that must have been there before the cathedral was built. Several people believe it to be the remains of a wooden church built by Erling Skjalgsson around 1015 (Literature: Stavangerkatedralen - vår enestående nasjonalhelligdom by Inge Bruland).