The Coast
Norway's favourite playwright, Henrik Ibsen, washed up in Grimstad in January 1844. The house where he worked as a pharmacist's apprentice, and where he…
Must-see attractions in The Coast
Kristiansand
This exceptional regional art museum focuses on both fine and craft-based practices, and the collection includes some particularly strong contemporary…
The Coast
A walkable 1.5km northeast of Egersund centre, this well-designed museum (squirrelled away in an unprepossessing shopping centre), houses the wares of…
The Coast
This highly regarded contemporary art gallery is a 15-minute walk from the town centre on the northern reaches of Arendal. One of the largest contemporary…
The Coast
Kaupang, 5km east of Larvik, was a former Viking town built around AD 800 and occupied until 960. It is believed that up to 1000 people once lived here…
Kristiansand
Off the E18, 10km east of Kristiansand, Dyrepark is probably the favourite holiday destination for Norwegian kids. The former zoo is several parks rolled…
The Coast
The Mølen promontory, around 20 minutes' drive west of Stavern, is Norway's largest beach of rolling stones, and an austere and rather impressive sight…
The Coast
Rising above the cape is the evocative Lindesnes Fyr, a classic lighthouse. In two of the buildings you'll pass as you climb to the cape, there are…
Kristiansand
Strandpromenaden's hulking centrepiece is the distinctive Christiansholm Fortress. Built by royal decree between 1662 and 1672 to keep watch over the…
Agder Natural History Museum & Botanic Gardens
Kristiansand
The winding paths through the established 50-hectare park at Gimle Estate lead through a botanic garden that also contains rocks, minerals, stuffed…
The Coast
You might not agree with the continuation of the practice this museum explores, but there's no denying that Sandefjord's Whaling Museum is a well…
The Coast
There has been a church in Egersund since at least 1292. The cute, current manifestation dates back to the 1620s. The carved altarpiece, a depiction of…
The Coast
Rising up behind the Gjestehavn (Guest Harbour) is the old harbourside Tyholmen district, home to beautiful 17th- to 19th-century timber buildings…
Kristiansand
Baneheia and Ravnedalen, both north of the city centre, offer greenery and a network of lakeside hiking and skiing tracks for those keen to escape the…
The Coast
Some 20km north of Larvik is the beautiful, haunting lake of Damvann, surrounded by forests. Popular legend claims it to be the home of a witch called…
The Coast
The classic baroque timber Herregården manor house was constructed in 1677 as the home of the Norwegian Governor General, Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, the…
Kristiansand
Located 4km east of town on the E18, this open-air folk museum houses a collection of 40 farmsteads and hamlets from the Setesdalen region and…
The Coast
Displays of historical maritime and fishing artefacts and works by local artists are pleasant enough, but this museum is elevated above the mundane by…
Kristiansand
This island, a rocky outcrop just by the fish market and connected by a bridge, is one of the city's wonderful green spaces. There are some delightful…
The Coast
The town's impressive wave-shaped cultural centre houses a gallery that has an interesting curatorial calendar of contemporary Norwegian artists, concert…
The Coast
This sublime patch of green overlooking Larvik is Norway’s largest and the world’s most northerly beech tree forest. It is criss-crossed with walking…
The Coast
This spectacularly sited, but rarely open, museum in the office of the 1842 Hasseldalen shipyard provides a glimpse into Grimstad's history during 'the…
Kristiansand
Shows change seasonally, but are usually high-concept, challenging surveys well worth a browse. It's a stunning space, with a rare elevated town outlook…
The Coast
The 1950s whaleboat Southern Actor is moored at the harbour; entry is by your Whaling Museum ticket; while you're there, also look out for the striking…
The Coast
The old 'Dutch Town' district, with its narrow streets and old timber buildings, makes for a richly atmospheric walk.
The Coast
This multi-part museum is spread across the town and is under the auspices of the broader Vestfold Museene.
Kristiansand
The Kristiansand Posebyen takes in most of the 14 blocks at the northern end of the town's characteristic kvadraturen (square grid pattern of streets). It…
The Coast
Tønsberg Castle, spread across the hill behind the town, was the largest fortress in Norway in the 13th century. In 1503 the Swedes destroyed what they…
The Coast
At the foot of Slottsfjellet (Castle Rock) at the northern end of town, a five-minute walk northwest of the train station, this museum's highlights…
The Coast
One building that stands out of the uniform streetscape is the unusual octagonal log-built Flekkefjord Church, which was consecrated in 1833. Designed by…
The Coast
The interesting Risør Saltwater Aquarium, on the quay in front of the Risør Hotel, is a small showcase of saltwater fish, crustaceans and shellfish common…
The Coast
A 1730 brick structure immediately east of the harbour is home to maritime art and a number of impressive model ships. Colin Archer, the famous Norwegian…
The Coast
Verkensgården has tools and implements from a local 17th-century sawmill and ironworks. There's also a permanent geological exhibition documenting the…
The Coast
On the shore of Hellefjord, 3km from the centre, this museum consists of a 120-hectare estate with a country residence dating from 1803. There are gardens…
The Coast
Flekkefjord Museum is housed in a home dating from 1724. The 19th-century interiors, mostly the bequest of one local woman, illustrate how a high…
The Coast
The 'folk' part of the Dalane Folk Museum features eight historic timber homes at Slettebø, 3.5km north of Egersund just off the Rv42.
Kristiansand
Built in 1884 in late Gothic style, the Kristiansand Cathedral, with seating for 1800 people, is Norway's third-largest church.
