Norwegian Canning Museum, Stavanger

Long before oil wells dotted the Norwegian coast, it was the sardines that captured the hearts and livelihoods of Stavanger's inhabitants. Indeed, at its peak, back in the 1920s, the city's canneries provided a staggering 50% of local employment.

Situated in a former cannery, the Norwegian Canning Museum today pays homage to that flavorful bygone era, taking visitors through a captivating 12-stage process that transformed humble sardines into delectable canned delicacies.

As you move through the place, look for the original machinery and equipment that once filled rooms like these. The displays take you through the production process step by step. First, sardines were salted and threaded onto racks before being smoked in large ovens. They were then prepared, packed tightly into tins, filled with oil, sealed, and made ready for export. Some of the historic machinery is still demonstrated on selected days, giving you a much better sense of the noise and activity that once characterized Stavanger’s canneries.

Keep an eye out for the colorful sardine-can labels as well. Competition between producers encouraged companies to create distinctive packaging, and the labels became an unexpectedly creative side of this otherwise highly industrial business.

After exploring the factory, continue to the workers’ cottage nearby. This small wooden house offers a very different perspective on the industry, shifting the focus from production to the everyday lives of the people who worked here.

Inside, the rooms recreate working-class domestic life during different periods. Downstairs, look for interiors representing the 1920s, with simple furnishings and household objects typical of the period. Then head upstairs, where the surroundings move forward several decades, showing how a Stavanger home might have appeared in the 1960s.

Together, the cannery and workers’ home tell two sides of the same story. One shows you how Stavanger’s famous canned sardines were produced; the other introduces you to the people and families whose lives depended on the industry.