Skudeneshavn is located at the southern tip of Karmøy, with the lighthouses facing the Skudefjord and the North Sea. The sailing ship town grew in the 1800s in connection with the rich herring fishery, and today has around 3,300 inhabitants. The major building period was in the years 1840-1860, with impulses from the wider world, brought home via the city's large fleet of sailing ships. The townscape was and still is particularly characterized by the Empire style.

The urban environment and buildings in Skudeneshavn are distinctive and unique in a national context, which is why it is also on the Directorate for Cultural Heritage's exclusive list of protected cultural environments. Old Skudeneshavn is one of Norway's best-preserved coastal town environments and has been awarded the Olavsrosa - a quality mark awarded to experiences of a particularly high standard, in terms of both cultural history and communication.