Visit Region Stavanger

Meet Stavanger’s very own Leaning Tower… But with more oil, less pizza.😁

The “Leaning Tower” of Jåttåvågen, locally known as Skråtårnet, was built in 1984 by the company Norwegian Contractors as a giant offshore engineering experiment. And yes, it really does lean by 16 degrees on purpose. Not because someone forgot the spirit level.🙈

This 50-metre concrete giant was designed to prove Norway could build the enormous concrete structures needed for the North Sea oil industry, including the legendary Troll platform, which rises an astonishing 472 metres from seabed to top. Basically, this tower walked so Troll could run.

Originally, the tower was only meant to be temporary and even had built-in dynamite channels so it could be blown up afterwards. Very dramatic. But instead of going out with a bang, it ended up storing cement… and later hosting church services with spectacular views over Ryfylke and the Gandsfjord. Probably one of the few places where you could pray while leaning slightly sideways.

Today, the tower stands as a quirky symbol of Stavanger’s engineering history, right in the middle of Jåttåvågen’s transformation from heavy industry to modern city life.

So if Pisa has a leaning tower… Stavanger decided to make one tougher, taller, and capable of surviving the North Sea. 😄

📷 Spectacular Norway

Newsflash from the Stavanger Tourist information office! Stay safe, see you tomorrow 😊