Destinasjon Haugesund og Haugalandet AS (DHH)

Destination Haugesund & Haugalandet AS (DHH) is the company in charge of marketing the Haugesund region. On behalf of its owners, the municipalities in the region, DHH is proud to have been given the job of marketing this area of Norway, which has an important cultural history for the founding of Norway as a country and which has a rich Viking history.In addition to marketing the region, DHH also operates the Haugesund Tourist Information Center. You'll find Haugesund Tourist Information in the heart of the town, open all year round. The helpful staff can give you tips and practical information.

Norway's national monument Haraldshaugen

Haraldshaugen was erected to commemorate the unification of Norway by Harald Fairhair. The monument is located at Gard, 2 km north of Haugesund.

Snorre Sturlason’s kings’ sagas make reference to the site where Harald Fairhair was buried, which is believed to have been found last century. The national monument was erected on top of this mound in 1872, to mark the millennium celebration of Norway’s unification into one kingdom. It was designed by architect Christian Christie, as a large burial mound surrounded by a granite wall with 29 standing stones, each representing one of the old Norwegian counties. A 17-metre granite obelisk with four bronze panels around its base stands at the top of this mound. Each panel depicts important scenes from the life and times of Harald Fairhair. Krosshaugen, one of 60 stone crosses in Rogaland, is also found in this area. The stone cross is from the earliest period of Christianity in Norway. It may commemorate the farmers adopting the Christian faith at the ting assembly, and the Christian mass is also believed to have been read at these stone crosses before a church was built.

Burial Mounds at Rehaugane

What is often referred to as Norway's largest monument from the Bronze age is to be found a kilometre from St. Olav's Church at Avaldsnes. Situated on the way to Haugesund, the area is on the left side of the main road. Today only 6 large burial mounds remain. However, maps dating from the 1800s show that there have been many more. A rare gold Bronze age bracelet has been preserved in the largest burial mound, named "Prinsehaug". the area is also called "Blodheia" – Blood heath – after the great 9th century battle that took place here between "Håkon The Good" and the sons of Erik Bloodaxe.

Credit and Copyright Photos: www.fjordnorway.com / Destinasjon Haugesund og Haugalandet AS