Haraldshaugen, National monument in Haugesund, Norway
Haraldshaugen is a national monument in Haugesund, Norway, built around a tall granite obelisk surrounded by 29 standing stones arranged in a circle. The stones and the obelisk together form a single open-air site that visitors can walk through freely.
The monument was raised in 1872 to mark 1000 years since the Battle of Hafrsfjord, the event through which King Harald Fairhair brought Norway under a single rule. The area around Haugesund was already closely tied to Harald's story long before the monument was built.
The bronze reliefs at the base of the obelisk show scenes from the life of King Harald Fairhair and are easy to read as you walk around the monument. Locals and visitors often gather here on national occasions, making it a place where Norwegian identity is felt in a concrete way.
The site sits near the Karmsundet strait in northern Haugesund and is open year-round with no entry requirements. Comfortable footwear is a good idea as the grounds are outdoors and can be uneven or wet depending on the season.
The 29 stones placed around the obelisk were not chosen at random but each one stands for one of the historic regions of Norway as they existed when the monument was built. Walking around the circle, you are in effect tracing the shape of the country as it was understood in the 19th century.
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