54 | TRAVEL
SHORT HOPS FOR A LONG WEEKEND Paris and Amsterdam have long been our default options for a city break, but there are lots of less predictable options worth exploring…
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STA V A N G E R
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tavanger is Aberdeen’s twin city in Norway, but there’s a lot more to the city than just being Norway’s oil capital. The flight time is just over an hour from Aberdeen, with flights being provided by a combination of SAS and Wideroe. Head for Gamle Stavanger, the old city, which combines gorgeous white painted wooden houses with cobbled streets and the overwhelming temptation to stare inside people’s living rooms. Sticking with the past, the city’s Iron Age Farm is great for family trips and the Archaeological Museum has some fascinating exhibits. In spring and summer, Flor og Fjære is one of the city’s most visited attractions. It’s an unlikely horticultural paradise which has been created on a rocky island in the middle of the fjord. The day trip includes the boat trip and a three course meal in the restaurant and costs around £120 per person. Those in search of an adrenaline rush and with a contempt for gravity, can head about 16km from the city via bus and ferry and a bit of a hike, to try base jumping from Preikestolen, a 600 metre high rectangular cliff that juts above the Lysefjorden. Specialist travel insurance and pre-booking is a must. As with anywhere in Norway, Stavanger is expensive, particularly when you get the bill in a restaurant or bar. Expect to pay around £8 for a pint, £90 for a meal for two in a mid-range restaurant or £10 in the local McDonalds.
