Haugesund is a city in the county of Rogaland, in the West Norway region of Norway. The town offers a much wider range of goods and services than might be expected from a city of its size (approximately 37,000 inhabitants in 2020), due to its position as the definite centre of its relatively populous region. The historical village of Avaldsnes, sometimes known as Norway's birthplace, is 8.5 km south of Haugesund.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
1 Haugesund Turistinformasjon, Strandgata 171, ☏ +47 52 01 08 30, post@visithaugesund.no. (updated Oct 2017)
The city center of Haugesund is compact; the streets are on a grid and easy to navigate by foot. The main north-south street is Haraldsgata, which is for pedestrian only from Skjoldavegen (north) to Åsbygata (south). The parallel street Sørhauggata is one way south, while Strandgata is one-way north. The two blocks of Torggata between Sørhauggata and Strandgata is also pedestrianized. If you want to travel further out, there is a local (county) bus system. The tourist information centre is the 2 Bytunet (Strandgata 171, 5525), one block west of the main pedestrian street Haraldsgata at the northern end.
1 Haugesund Town Hall (Rådhuset i Haugesund), Rådhusgata 66, 5528 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. (updated Jul 2017) 2 Karmsund Civic Museum (Karmsund Folkemuseum), Skåre gate 142, ☏ +47 52 70 93 60. A museum of local culture and history. (updated Oct 2017) 3 Vår Frelsers kirke (Our Saviour's Church), Skåregata 145 (at Torggata). Church of Norway (Lutheran) parish church, built in 1901, in the centre of Haugesund with a capacity of 1050.
1 Haraldsvang (beside the lake Skeisvannet). A nice hiking area with beautiful paths. Good conditions for swimming and diving in the lake, and for play and fun for children. Fishing Birdwatching Play golf Take a stroll along the piers Swimming outdoors or in the indoor swimming pool in Haugesund Climbing mountains, such as Steinsfjellet, 227 m.a.s. Cycle the North Sea Cycle Route (Route 1) In August Haugesund hosts the following annual festivals: The Norwegian International Film Festival (the main film festival in Norway) Sildajazz (one of the greatest jazz festivals in Norway) - listen to jazz and eat herring!
There are many restaurants on the harbor. 1 Brasserie Brakstad, Kaigata 2, ☏ +47 52 70 00 50. Maritime cuisine. (updated Oct 2017) 2 Il Forno, Smedasundet 92, ☏ +47 477 79 277. An Italian restaurant. (updated Oct 2017) 3 Lothes Mat og Vinhus, Skippergaten 4, ☏ +47 52 71 22 01. Aside from meals they also offer cooking-courses, cooking-battles, theater and concerts. (updated Oct 2017) 4 Naustet Spiseri, Åsbygata 3, ☏ +47 52 86 30 00. specialises in maritime fare served in intimate and cosy surroundings that reflect part of Haugesund's history. (updated Oct 2017) 5 Sabi Sushi Restaurant, Kirkegata 138, ☏ +47 904 06 070. A Japanese sushi-restaurant.
There are several pubs and clubs in Haugesund. However like the rest of Norway these places only come alive on a weekend and late at night, in many cases after 22:00, most have pretty good live music and cater for all ages, the big drawback is the crippling price of alcohol, US$11 for Guinness, $10 for local lagers, and up to $20 for spirit and mixer. The staff are usually very friendly and all speak good English, in fact many staff speak 2-3 languages. 1 Sam Son, Strandgata 130, ☏ +47 52 72 22 15. 11:00-01:30. Located on the waterfront, Sam Son's chic decor provides an excellent place or relax in the afternoon or party all night. They offer food, beer, wine and cocktails.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Aug, Haugesund typically sees ~17°C daytime highs and 20 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-08-01. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy