Avaldsnes

Avaldsnes sits on the Karmsund, the narrow channel that gave the coastal route, the Nordvegen, its name and eventually gave Norway its own; whoever held this point controlled traffic and the tolls on it, and it was a royal seat from the Iron Age through the Viking period into the Middle Ages. Harald Fairhair is said to have had his main residence here. Saint Olav's Church, built in stone around 1250 by Haakon Haakonsson, still stands, with a leaning stone pillar beside it, the Virgin Mary's Needle, and a legend about the world ending when it touches the wall. The Nordvegen History Centre is built underground beside the church, and across a footbridge on Bukkoy a Viking farm has been reconstructed.

What you actually see

• Saint Olav's Church - a stone church of about 1250 on the royal site.
• The Virgin Mary's Needle - a leaning stone pillar with its legend.
• The Nordvegen centre - an underground museum on the royal seat.
• The Viking farm - reconstructed buildings on the neighbouring island.

When to go

May to September, when the Viking farm and history centre are fully open and events run; the church and grounds are accessible year-round. Summer brings Viking-themed events on Bukkoy.

Honest expectations

The Viking farm is a reconstruction, and its opening is seasonal. The church interior keeps limited hours and closes for services. The history centre is underground and compact, taking about an hour.

Nearby

Haugesund and Haraldshaugen are north; Skudeneshavn lies at the southern end of Karmoy.