Haraldshaugen, Krosshaugen i spacer do Kvalen Fyr
Haugesund is not one of the most visited cities in Norway. It is far away behind Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen or Trondheim. I guess the reason of that is because the city does not offer too many travel attractions. There is no enchanting old town like this one in Bergen or the climatic streets of Stavanger. A few summer festivals in Haugesud are probably not enough to get more visitors. But there are still several places worth visiting. One of them is visible from the road 47, just north of the city center, Haraldshaugen.
Haraldshaugen (Harald’s Mound) is a monument commemorating King Harald’s Fairhaired victory in the Battle of Hafrsfjord in 872, which helped consolidated Norway into one kingdom. The monument was created exactly 1000 years after those events, 18 July 1872. A 17-meter granite obelisk was erected on a mound. Below, there are 29 smaller obelisks around the hill, which symbolizing old norwegian counties.
Someone might ask why this monument is located in Haugesund, since the Hafrsfjord battle was near Stavanger, and the battle site is commemorated there by three high stone swords stuck in the rock on the banks of the fjord (Sverd and fjellet). The answer lies in Snorre Sturlallon’s saga, that describes Harald’s death in Hauge (Haugesund). In fact the remains of Harald Fairhaired have never been found, but in the nineteenth century they were believed that he was buried under a stone gravestone on a hill.
On neighboring hill, there is an almost three meters high stone cross, and the hill itself is called Krosshaugen. This cross is a proof of the strong influence of Christianity in this area in the tenth century. In the winter of 1846-47 the cross was destroyed, so today two broken parts are joined by the iron clamps.
We visited Haraldshaugen and Krosshaugen many times in the past, so we left them for the dessert. The main attraction of this day were the paths along the coast. One of the trails, just 1.5 kilometers route, leading to the lighthouse visible from the mound, seems to be just perfect for a short family walk. The trail starts directly at the monument site. There is also an alternative route, 5 km long loop around Kvala.
The walking area is a fenced with gates and there is information to not feed the sheep. Indeed, in this place you can meet many of these animals, which feed on the green belt between the sea and the buildings. The path is leading along the coast just in the middle of the sheep pastures, so you should carefully set your feet. The last part of the route runs on the peninsula, where the gravel path is often replaces by bare rock with signs of erosion.
This time we took a stroller for the youngest member of the family and a big carrier for Michael. Tymek traditionally has been running between his parents, occasionally pausing over a puddle or crab’s remains. In the neighborhood of the lighthouse we made a short break. I released Michael, but due to the shape of the terrain and his habits to go into the least desirable places, break did not last long. We came back to the Haraldshaugen by the street, running parallel to the path, right at the first buildings.
Another break we did at the parking lot. After that I took my older trolls and we went to Krosshaugen and Haraldshaugen.
Those who planning to visit this place may be interested in the fact that behind Krosshaugen there is a camping site (Haraldshaugen Camping), and about two minutes walk from there you can find grocery store in the shopping center (Gard Senter).
This post was originally published 2017-08-27 on https://kraina-trolli.pl.
