Haugesund is a fairly compact city, to which we sail regularly. The city has a coastline with the North Sea, however, the island of Karmøy and the small islands of Røvær shelters a great part of the rough waters. Between Karmøy and Haugesund is a fairway, the sound of Karmsund. Downtown Haugesund has a distinctive layout of streets, also found in other parts of Norway - such as Bergen, Kristiansand and Oslo.

Visitors who sail to Haugesund can enjoy a variety of cafés, bars and restaurants -which act as a gathering place for the entire Haugaland region.

Haugesund is one of Norways busiest points of trade. The city has during the last 20 years confirmed its position as a trading centre for Haugaland and southern parts of Hordaland. It has several relatively large shopping centres, considering the size of the coastal city - another great attraction for visitors who sail to Haugesund.

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PLACES TO VISIT


Festivals
No sailing to Haugesund is complete without seeing the Sea Fishing Festival, the Sildajazz Festival, the Viking Boat Festival and the Norwegian Film Festival. This small but vibrant town on Norway's Southwest coast is making an international name for itself as THE spot for business conferences and cultural festivals.

Town Hall
Visitors can tour the town hall, which is decorated with murals painted by Alf Rolfsen, the same artist that beautified Oslo's city hall.

Haugalandet Region
A well-maintained network of roads let guests explore the entire Haugalandet region, of which Haugesund is the capital.

Krosshaugen
View an old stone cross dating from 1000 A.D.  When Norway converted to Christianity mass was celebrated outdoors next to this cross, before any churches were erected. This spot was also used as a meeting place for early Norwegian Parliaments. Just north of Haugesund is Norway's national monument, built to mark Harald the Fairhair's grave. Harald established Norway's first throne in 872 A.D. It was located alongside the Strait of Nordvegen, giving the country its name. This wonderful juxtaposition of new and old makes Haugesund a crowd-pleasing destination to sail to.