Due to the world & corona’s trouble, we decided that 2020 would be the year to explore the Southern Part of Norway. Also known as Norway’s summer paradise with glittering sea and all the tiny houses painted in a beautiful white color. Southern Norway is all about blue sky, warm rocks, the love of the ocean and the seafood it brings. Hang along with us for the next 72 hours, where we will be exploring the “smiling” south.
Day 1 All the White Wooden Houses, in Southern Norway
Morning Walk in Kragerø
Kragerø a very charming town that is only 2h 22 min from Oslo the capital of Norway. Stroll through narrow streets between white wooden houses. Kragerø is the beginning of towns that are charmingly dotted along the coastline. Kragerø is one of many pearls along with southern Norway.
Other charming villages are Risør, Arendal, Grimstad, & Mandal.
Staying the night in Kragerø: Tollboden Hotell og Restaurant
Viewpoint of Steinmann in Kragerø
I highly recommend hiking up to the viewpoint of Steinmann (Stone men) of the town center of Kragerø. The reward is a magnificent panoramic view over the southern coastline in Norway. On the horizon, you can see Skåtøy Island, The island Jomfruland (Virgin land), and almost look over to Skagen (Denmark)
Edward Munch a famous Norwegian painter did find his inspiration in Kragerø, and by this, you will see a mini-museum on the outdoors explaining his inspiration and work at Steinmann the viewpoint of Kragerø.
Lunch in Risør
If you want the perfect escape in Southern Norway, look no further than to Risør. The sound of the wawes and the sun kissing your skin as you take s charming stroll along the harbor is all you need on a summer day in Norway.
Risør is purified by lovely white-painted wooden houses. Red roses are hanging laidback around the houses enjoying the summer of Southern Norway. Risør is located a small hour and a half from Kristiansand in Southern Norway.
Staying the night in Risør Hotel?
Viewpoint Risørflekken Sea Beacon a Favorite in Southern Norway
We all love viewpoints of the town centers, and Risør is no exception. Overlooking the Risør harbor is a large white rock that offers panoramic views of Risør harbor and coastline called “Risørflekken.”
The sea beacon is a famous landmark and has been used for many years by sailors to navigate their way at sea. Risørflekken can be seen 12 nautical miles from land.
If in Risør for lunch or a snack, stop by Risør Fiskemottaket – Fish store to catch a fish cake or maybe the best Skagen mix to have on tasty bread for lunch.
Lighthouse Dinner at Stangholmen
If you have more time in Risør, maybe take the “Agnes” ferry from Hukken at the police station in Risør city center. The boat leaves dails from 12:00 pm every hourd and every half hour to and from Stangholmen. The boat trips is around 15 minutes one way.
The chef recommends his own “Stang Holmen Bouillabaisse” which is a mixture of seafood served in an iron pot with baguettes and garlic butter.
– From Visit Norway about Risør
Potholes at Sild close to Risør, the Kids Favorite in Southern Norway
If you want to explore grand nature and something spectacular when it comes to the power of nature, you should visit the Potholes at Sild. The walk to the Potholes is a scenic walk of 20 minutes, and nature is grand and glorious. The drive is 25 minutes southwest of Risør towards Kristiansand.
The potholes being the largest in Northern Europe, they are well worth a visit. Remember swim gear, if you want to go for a dip in the largest potholes in Northern Europe.
Approximately 10,000 years ago, potholes were formed after the ice age at a place called Sild outside Risør – From Visit Norway about Risør.
Nidelv Camping in Arendal
Fun fact, even for Norwegians, it is expansive to spend a vacation in Norway, we agreed on a compromise, that some day’s we are glamping, and other days we are splurging. On our first night, we started off with a no-luxury cabin at Nidelv Camping, and it had three beds, a fridge, a bathroom, and nothing more.
Restaurant Nidelv
Nidelv Camping did maybe have the best restaurant that any camping has. The restaurant was beautifully located right by the river. Seafood and barbecue food was on the menu. Perfect start for our vacation in the Southern part of Norway. We did not splurge on our sleeping, but we did indulge in great food.
If More Time in Southern Norway Explore Merdø Island & Tvedestrand
I wanted to explore Merdø Island, the carefree, and car-free island that is located right outside of Arendal. Most of all I wanted to go for a swim in the beautiful surroundings. Have a walk on the sandy beach and enjoy lunch at the summer open cafe. We did not have time, I hope you have. Also if more time stop by Tvedestrand before Arendal and after Risør in Southern Norway. Tvedestrand is dazzling small-town charm and seaside love.
Day 2 All the Greenery in Southern Norway
Breakfast at the Beach Storesand
We did drive the coastal route 420 when making our trip in Southern Norway, and by this, discovering some scenic sites along the road. We had our breakfast at this cute local beach in the middle of nowhere. Or the name was Storesand (Great Beach), and it was a scenic breakfast spot before having a long day in the car.
Hesnes Garden Center
After our beach breakfast, we went and visit Hesnes Garden Center, a 15 minutes driver from the beach. At Hesnes we did splurge on some great veggies, and making sure we had all the great vegetables for our evening barbecue.
Weather Was Changing Every Minute
When you have a road trip in Southern Norway or Norway as an entire country the weather does control you to some point. And by this, we decided to drive past Kristiansand and Mandal, due to heavy rain. We tried to cover some miles instead of getting soaking wet. You can fight the weather with proper clothing, but sometimes it is not worth it to get cold and wet for the sake of exploring another cute town.
Norway’s Southernmost Point
Lindesnes Lighthouse
Take by the wind is a part of the attraction at Lindesnes lighthouse and is also Norway’s Southernmost Point. You can spend the night here, but most of us settle with a stroll around the lighthouse.
Or spend a night at Mandal Hotel, 45 minutes drive to Lindesnes lighthouse. Cooming from Stavanger? and need a sleepover along the way. Farsund Resort is a pearl by the ocean that should not be missed. You can stay at Lindesnes Camping for a budget-friendly option. Our splurge at Lindesnes Ocean View Hotel.
UNDER – The Sea at Båly in Lindesnes
Spectacular architecture by the famous snøhetta combined with an 18-course menu of the finest Nordic products will give you a memory for a lifetime. Five meters below the ocean surface in Southern Norway is where you will find Under, one of the World’s most unique attractions. Also is on the Forbes list of the 10 coolest places to eat in 2020.
“A restaurant meets a James Bond villain hideout meets an underwater auditorium inside a fjord where the Vikings used to hang out in the rocky outskirts of Southern Norway,” is how Brask Thomsen sums up this off-the-beaten-path spot.
Kvavik Camping
Another night with pouring rain, we decided to go for a small apartment at Kavik Camping. There is no fun in putting up a tent when it is pouring down. We had an okay night at this camping site that offers us an apartment from the early 90s. We were dry, away from the rain, and having a delicious barbecue with all our veggies from Hesnes Garden Center.
Tollboden Bakeri at Flekkefjord
Our plan was to spend more time in Southern Norway, but due to the weather not being our favorite friend, we kept moving on the road towards Jæren. Our only stop in Flekkefjord was Tollboden Bakery, we can highly recommend the cinnamon buns at Tollboden in Flekkefjord.
Road Trip in Southern Norway is Spectacular
Southern Norway has tons of things to do, and once again we only scratched the surface. We were not the luckiest with the weather and due to having a time schedule, we could not wait around for the weather to change either. We did see many things, and my personal favorites are Risør, and Potholes at Sild close to Risør. Lindesnes Lighthouse is always spectacular.
More Time is Always a Challenge
I wish we had more time to explore the cute Merdø island outside of Arendal, and also Tvedestrand. Maybe next time I can do that?
Love Norway & Our Local Producers
Another thing that I much enjoyed was the local Hesnes Garden Center. We have so many great producers in Norway. We should know them better and choose them much more often! I definitely want to get better at choosing local. I hope also the locals get more visibility in Norway after every Norwegian has to spend a vacation in Norway.
The only difficult side with a vacation in Norway is that is not the cheapest, you have to be smart about how you want to spend your money.
5 Tips on How to Make Road Trip in Norway A Great Experience
How to Make Road Trip in Norway A Great Experience
- Plan your destination and sleeping arrangement.
Make a mini-plan on what to see and how to get there. And arrange your sleeping arrangement. Planning while driving is not recommended. Being on the road is the time to explore and look out the window.
- BOOK sleeping arrangement
If you are not only traveling by tent. Then make your booking before going, by this, you know where you will sleep when the night and hunger arrives. BOOKING reduces stress tremulously on the road. Looking for a place to rest after maybe eight hours in the car is not fun.
- Agree on Tourist Sites
Suppose you are traveling in a group. Agree on what to see and what to drop. In this way, there should not be any significant argument on the road on what to spend time on. Try to include one thing for every person.
- Agree on Road Choices
Are we traveling the scenic route our the fastest route? For some people, the journey is the experience for other the destination is the experience. In Norway, we have many scenic ways, but they are not the fastest.
- Agree on Budget – Splurge or Keep Budget
When being a group, you need to keep in mind that people have a different budget. You need to agree on how the money should be spent best for the group.
In our family, we sometimes like to live in a tent, and then we can have a 3-course meal. Other times we prefer a good night’s sleep and hassle-free food on the road.
Southern Norway
Google Map Road Stops
Day 1 Southern Norway
From Oslo, Kragerø, Risør, to Nidelv Camping (Arendal)
Day 2 Southern Norway
Nidelv, Storesand, Mandal, Lindesnes & Kavik Camping.
Day 3 Southern Norway
Tollboden Bakery at Flekkefjord
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