reviews and testimonials
“Ute and Rosslyn’s “From Beaches to Mountains: 38 walks and hikes in the Stavanger Region” is the book I definitely wish had been available when I arrived in Stavanger nearly 30 years ago. So much of the time local authors assume that you are already an experienced hiker/mountain goat and know the area. Ute and Rosslyn give you the information you need to get started as a new arrival in Norway with or without some previous knowledge of hiking. There are lots of walks in the book which are perfect for an easy introduction to the wonderful world of hiking in the Stavanger region and once you get a few of those under your belt you can move on to the more demanding hikes. Plus of course there are lots of wonderful photos to whet your appetite for some of the stunning scenery you will experience.”
“An amazing and well-documented book that will enable you to discover the beautiful mountains around Stavanger-Sandnes-Tau urban areas. I totally recommend it regardless if you are a newcomer or local!”
“This is a comprehensive guide that has it all: starting with many useful pointers for those newly – and not so newly – arrived in the Stavanger region, it progresses from short but scenic walks close to the city to hikes that commend themselves to the wonderful Norwegian tradition of søndagstur, typically a leisurely hike including a packed lunch on a Sunday, irrespective of the weather. Once you get bolder and more adventurous, the guide also offers several more challenging options. Well written, described and illustrated. I fully recommend this guide to help you discover the stunning beauty of the Stavanger region.”
Recommendation:
The latest Lonely Planet guide to Norway, 2018 recommends our book as and excellent resource. For further information, see the link below.
Reviews:
5-star, October 2019: “A really well laid out book filled with lots of options to suit all abilities and different tastes/ suitable weather conditions (this is Norway after all). Highly recommended for Stavanger native or visitor.” (amazon.co.uk)
4-star, June 2017: “I got this book in preparation for a May 2017 trip to Norway. We ended up doing all or parts of 5 of the hikes over 3 full days: Preikestolen, Kvernevik Coast, Vassoy Island, Lille Stokkavatn / Byhaug Cafe, and Store Stokkavatn. The general information on hiking in Norway helped us not only in Stavanger, but also in Bergen, Flam, and Trondheim. While the website ut.no has much of the same trail-specific information, the Google translations of that site are not always clear. Furthermore, the ut.no information assumes some familiarity with hiking in Norway which we did not have. Thus this book addressed our status as midwestern Americans hiking in Norway for the first time. As for improvements: It would be nice to have this book in Kindle format so it could be taken on the hike via smartphone. Something we never figured out from the book or other sources was "trail toileting etiquette". Toilets are much rarer on Norwegian trails than we were used to from the US. We got by, but it would be nice to know what is customary for longer hikes.” (amazon.co.uk)
5-star, March 2017: “I wish I could find hiking guidebooks like this one for every place I want to visit. This book has the perfect amount of detail to get to know what kind of day hikes and longer hikes are available in the Stavanger region. On the first page for each trail, the authors provide highlights of the terrain types, elevation, transportation access, facilities, and general trail descriptions. Then on next couple of pages for each trail, they provide directions on how to get to the trails and navigate the trails. Interspersed throughout the book are various tips about Norway and surprises you may find along the trails. My plans to visit Norway got cancelled after I bought this book, so I can't confirm the accuracy of the information in this book. I can only guess that it's quite accurate based on the level of descriptions in this book. Someday I'll go to Norway and look forward to trying out some of these trails.” (goodreads.com)