Discover Tau: Mølleparken, the Cultural Trail and Hotels

There are several cultural and scenic highlights to explore during a stay in Tau: Mølleparken is right in the centre of Tau, the Cultural Trail links two places in the town, and Tau lies along the Ryfylke National Tourist Route. A nearby nature reserve adds another dimension. If you’re looking for a hotel in Tau, you might first consider whether you’d prefer to focus on historic buildings, a trail with information boards, or the landscape and road route.

Mølleparken: historic buildings and seasonal art

Mølleparken is a green, historic area in the centre of Tau and is open to everyone every day of the year. Villa Tou, a distinguished building dating from 1859, stands there. In the park’s Brugsløa, there is an art café and exhibitions by local artists every Sunday from May to September. A visit therefore combines a historic setting with a seasonal cultural offering, whose dates and day of the week you can take into account when planning.

The park is also home to a former director’s residence in the Art Nouveau style. It is not open to the public, but can be viewed from the outside all year round. The playground is another feature of Mølleparken. At Tou Mølle, along the Taura waterfall, three mill houses are also well preserved in their original setting. Villa Tou, the former director’s residence and the mill houses offer different insights into the area’s architectural and milling history.

The Cultural Trail and traces of the past

The two-kilometre Cultural Trail runs between Tau School and Strandstøa and passes remains from the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. Seven information boards mark the route, which follows a public road. Check the route markers on site if you plan to walk the Cultural Trail. Its length and archaeological sites make it a distinctive way to discover Tau’s history along the way.

Strand Church is also one of Tau’s historic places of interest. The church was built in 1874. It preserves an altarpiece, a pulpit and several objects from the former church, which dates from the 17th century. These objects point to an earlier period in the church’s history, while the present church building dates from the 19th century.

Woodland scenery and travel

Tau Nature Reserve is near Tau, not in the centre of the town. It preserves bilberry-oak woodland as well as oak woodland with a herb layer; these woodland types are considered to be of high scenic value. Together with Tau’s location along the Ryfylke National Tourist Route, the woodland adds a natural and route-related dimension to the historic sites.

There is a good bus connection from Tau to Solbakk. From there, you can continue to Stavanger and Hjelmeland through the Ryfast subsea tunnel. Check the current bus timetable when planning your specific journey.

Putting Tau in the context of Strand

The wider destination of Strand is home to Preikestolen, a 604-metre-high cliff. The trail there passes through wetlands and forests and includes stone steps built by Nepalese Sherpas. The hike is eight kilometres in total and takes about four hours for the return journey; trail conditions can vary. This is a different kind of route from Tau’s two-kilometre Cultural Trail. The distances are defined differently: for Preikestolen, the distance given is for the return journey, while for the Cultural Trail it is the route between Tau School and Strandstøa.

When choosing where to stay, consider which of these highlights best suits your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Jørpeland, Strand, Idse

Return to the main travel overview: Strand.