Haugesund and the region
In Haugesund, the city is our campus; we have several modern buildings in the city centre, all within walking distance of each other. Our main building is located right next to the hospital, town hall, theatre and court house. We have a friendly and casual campus atmosphere, with approximately 1500 students and about 150 employees.
Even though Haugesund is not big, it has almost everything you will find in a big city – all within walking distance. The city offers a lot of cultural activities; plenty of concerts, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, a jazz- and a film festival.
In addition, Haugesund has versatile outdoor activities and you may play a range of sports at all levels, both summer and winter. You can go swimming, skating, sailing or play soccer. How about some indoor climbing or a round of golf on one of the district's golf courses? We also have great hiking and recreation areas close to the city center.
When you are not studying, we have a great region for you to explore in the weekends. The area around Haugesund, Haugalandet, is called the Homeland of the Viking kings and Norway's birthplace. A variety of heritage experiences are waiting for you. Perhaps you would like to visit a reconstructed Viking village and see how the Vikings lived? At Avaldsnes you may explore a Viking village and the history center.
From Haugesund you can also go island hopping. How about visiting Røvær, an island with 110 inhabitants and one car? Or explore Utsira, Norway's smallest municipality, known for its rich birdlife and street art (on farm buildings).
Another local destination that you may find worth a visit is Skudeneshavn, a small town which is also known as "Norway's summer town". The old part of the town is under heritage preservation order, and all the house facades have to be painted white. They literally had to cut some corners when people started buying cars: If you know where to look, you will find houses that have had their corners cut. There's even a custom-made fire engine to navigate the narrow streets of the old town so it can reach all the small wooden houses.
Winter offers many possibilities for wonderful experiences, both for those who like speed and excitement, and for those who prefer quieter outings. With ski resorts a couple of hours drive from Haugesund and numerous cross-country skiing trails, we have something for every taste also during winter.
The ever-present ocean makes Karmøy, about 20 minutes' drive from Haugesund, a wonderful place for surfers, kite-surfers and wind-surfers. Karmøy has a reputation for being one of Norway's premier wind-surfing spots. Powerful winds and the open ocean make winter the high season for wind surfers.
Come study and live the good life in Haugesund!
You can also check out the website Visit Haugesund to see and read more what you can experience in Haugesund.
