Explore the south coast of Norway

Explore the south coast of Norway

In summer, Norwegians spend their holidays on the south coast, walking in the forest, walking in the mountains, swimming in the small lake, and exploring the islands.

At the beginning of October, the weather was still warm, but there was no traffic on the road. I had my own place. I set off from Stansted, London, in Kristiansand, Norway’s fifth largest city, on a direct flight, and will soon be heading west. Where to stay in Norway Tripline

 

Lindennis Lighthouse

At the southernmost point of the Norwegian mainland is Lindesnes Fyr, the country’s first lighthouse, built by the King of Denmark in 1656. The confluence of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, as you might expect, is a rough place.

For hundreds of years, breeders had to drag coal upwards to keep the light bulbs glowing. In 1915, it was replaced by iron structures and electric lights. It is still in operation today and has a museum and excellent restaurants. You can even spend the night in the lighthouse keeper’s cabin.

 

Underwater restaurant

The engineering miracle of Restaurant Under is about a 20-minute drive east of Lindesnes village. As the name suggests, it is the world’s largest underwater restaurant, which opened in April 2019.

It was built on land and then lowered to 5.5 meters below sea level. One wall is transparent glass, so you can watch fish and even hear fish eating, its design is wood and woven textiles. It is like a living movie theater, with marine life as the movie, and the menu reflects the underwater season. You must make a reservation because this restaurant has only 40 covers. Stay next door to Lindesnes Havhotell, so you don’t have to

 

Bowen Manor

Back to the east outside Kristiansand, is Boen Manor on the banks of the Tovdalselva River. There is salmon fishing here, which is one of the main attractions.

The main building was built in 1813 and has now been completely restored. Guests can live here or in a new residence by the river, where you can see salmon jumping from the window.

The restaurant’s cuisine is local and seasonal – chef Tomasz Rochon uses vegetables, apples, berries, herbs and honey from the ground, salmon comes from the river, and lambs graze on the surrounding grass.

 

Canvas Hoff

After eating all of these, I wanted to taste some outdoor activities, so I drove east to Canvas Hove on the ocean.

You can bring your own tent, but a better option is to live in a luxurious yurt with a copper bath, king-size bed, wood-burning oven, and insulated walls and ceilings.

The beach is very close and I explored Raet National Park on an electric bike, following the best trail in Arendal through the forest. Then I climbed into a two-person kayak and rowed around the island.

 

Sandoya

About 40 kilometers northeast is the island of Sandøya, which has no roads and no connection to the mainland. I parked my car at the entrance of the bridge in Hagefjorden, took the ferry for a while, and then picked up an old rusty bicycle. The island is small, only 1.5 square miles, so it’s not far from my hotel Inni Granskogen, which is located on the shore of a beautiful small lake. Only about 200 people live here, most of whom are artisans or boat builders, but there are still some fishing activities.

This is the first day of the lobster season, so I bravely accept the elements, and then take a boat to see what is in the pot. Disappointingly, lobsters are females that carry eggs, so we had to throw them back.

 

Risso

This will be my last stop, another 40 kilometers to the north, which is not disappointing. Risør is still a fishing port. Its white wooden houses are shrunk around the port, behind which is a pine forest. Its history can be traced back to 1723. It is one of the oldest towns on the southern coast and is thriving in timber and shipbuilding.

When these disappeared, there would be no funds for reconstruction, so the beautiful old house survived. The 16 suites of Det Lille Hotel are located in historic buildings throughout the town and are furnished with fine antiques. A fresh meal of lobster, crab, shrimp, and mussels is the perfect way to end my journey.

 

Fact file

Flying: Widerøe flies non-stop from London Stansted to Kristiansand. Check for cheap airline tickets to Norway