Austre Åmøy: Rock Carvings and Island History

Prehistoric rock carvings take centre stage on Austre Åmøy: the images are vivid, the site extends across several fields, and clear protection rules apply to visitors. A chapel with its own architectural history and the road connection via Sokn add to the picture of the island. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider the archaeological site, other cultural attractions in Stavanger and your choice of location as distinct priorities.

Rock Carvings: Motifs and Dates

Up to around 1,000 figures are spread across 10 fields along a route of approximately 1 km. The rock carvings date from the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. The Meling farm on Austre Åmøy contains the largest concentrations of rock carvings in Rogaland, as well as the largest fields. This dispersed layout gives the site a different scale from that of a single image or object.

The motifs include ships, sun symbols and human figures. These varied subjects offer a tangible starting point: you can look at individual motifs and connect them with the site's long history. If you are visiting together, the recognisable groups of motifs can also be a starting point for conversation about the rock images.

Visiting and Protection

The largest rock-carving fields at Meling farm have been prepared for public access and are signposted. Smaller fields are not prepared for visitors. When finding your way around, therefore, focus on the largest signposted fields.

The entire Austre Åmøy rock-carving area is protected under Norway's Cultural Heritage Act. Please do not walk on the rock surfaces bearing carvings, and leave the figures and their surroundings undisturbed. These guidelines are part of planning your visit, along with following the routes to the prepared fields.

Chapel and Road Connections

The Austre Åmøy Chapel adds a different historical perspective from the prehistoric rock carvings. It was built in 1904 to a design by Jæger and restored in 1978. The two dates distinguish the original construction from the later restoration, adding a more recent building to the island's prehistory.

The route connecting the island is also important for finding your way around Austre Åmøy: a bridge links the island to the neighbouring island of Sokn. From there, a tunnel connection runs beneath Bru and through the Byfjord to the mainland at Randaberg and the Rennfast section of the E39. This lets you take the road connections into account step by step when planning your trip, without assigning a specific journey time to any section.

More Cultural and Natural Attractions in Stavanger

Stavanger offers other options for your trip. The Stavanger Museum – MUST comprises eight museums in Stavanger. Trehusbyen has around 8,000 houses, with architectural styles ranging from Empire and Art Nouveau to Functionalism. Stavanger Cathedral also brings together history and the present: it is the only medieval cathedral to have preserved its original architecture, and services have been held there since 1125.

Stavanger's urban nature includes Byparken and Breiavatnet: the park surrounds the lake in the centre of Stavanger. Breiavatnet is also a habitat for swans, ducks and several species of gull. When choosing where to stay, you can compare these attractions with the focus on Austre Åmøy: would you like to plan your trip mainly around the rock carvings and the rules for visiting them, or are museums, architectural history and urban nature in Stavanger a higher priority? This choice gives your search for a holiday apartment a clear thematic direction.

Discover more destinations: Stavanger.

Go to the main travel overview: Stavanger.