Haugalandet

Haugalandet lies on Norway's western coast, around the island of Karmøy and the sheltered Karmsund strait. Ships sailing along the coast could pass through the strait instead of facing the rough waters west of the island. At Avaldsnes, beside this important passage, Harald Fairhair and his successors maintained a royal seat associated with the early kingdom of Norway. King Håkon IV had the stone church of St Olaf built there around 1250, leaving a conspicuous landmark beside the old sailing route.