WELCOME TO
OUR ‘HOOD
We’ve put together a few recommendations on what to eat, drink, see and do while you’re visiting. It’s a relatively unknown part of Norway (most tourists go to the fjords!) but we hope you’ll enjoy some of these spots. Our absolute favourite little gems are starred with a “⭐️”!
We’ve added many (not all…) to this public Google Maps list.
wIThIN ARENDAL
We’ve put together some of our top spots around town... but fair warning: while Arendal is a cute home to us, it’s not much of a tourist hotspot, so get ready for some quiet, nature views and a taste of the slow life while here.
EAT & DRINK
Most authentic fish cakes: Fiskebrygga ⭐️
Classic for ‘munker’ (buttery dough balls - ask for them fresh!): Strand Café ⭐️
Cutest vibes for coffee and a bite: Tyholmen Kolonial ⭐️
Arendal’s best shot at a falafel roll: Levende
Best for classical Norwegian food (and one of the few places where a booking is advisable): Steenhuset ⭐️
Best spot for an Apérol spritz in the sun: Fua Bar
Best pizza: Street Food Arendal (with Kambuzi as a close second)
Most decent coffee and matcha: Koselig Kafé
Best soft-serve ice cream dipped in chocolate: Baker Jørgensen (around since 1904!) but if you want a solid gelato, head to Sød around the corner
Decent spot for a bite by the water: Café Victor
Comfort seafood in the sun: Nidelv Brygge (it’s a drive out of town)
Where to go for a glass of wine & live jazz: Studio Spornes
Norway’s best beer: Drumbrew, brewed with local veggies from Tromøya. You can get a group together for a beer tasting through Ølsmak (min. 7 pax)
Heads up: this is Norway and work-life balance is… important. Many places are closed Sunday/Monday, coffee shops don’t tend to open before 9-10 am and close around 4-5pm. At a restaurant, the kitchen is likely to close fairly early, so try to get there at 8.30 pm the latest (bars are of course open much later!). Good thing we want you well rested to party ;)
DO & SEE
Walk through Arendal town (all within a 5-min walking radius)
Take a walk around Tyholmen ⭐️: well-preserved colourful little wooden homes from the 1700s with quaint alleys. On Rådhusbrygga is the old town hall by the water - this was once Norway’s tallest wooden building.
Visit Trefoldighetskirka, the main church in town - the tallest building in Norway when it was built!
Take the glass elevator⭐️ up to Fløyheia for a scenic view over Arendal and its islands and out to the sea (the entrance is in the pink tunnel next to the library)
Walk along the waterfront and up to see Arendal’s 17th century line of defence: the canons of Batteriet looking out to sea
Check out the cute little shops along Torvgata (the same street that Alf’s family has run a restaurant and now hotel for 40 years): Norway’s smallest chocolate factory Heimdal Chocolate, the little home décor and toy shop Madam Mim. If you’re looking for souvenirs, Husfliden is a couple of streets down. Remember: this is small-town Norway and shops are closed on Sunday!
A little out of town:
Go for a walk by the water at Hove ⭐️, where you’ll find gorgeous rounded rocks (smoothened by a glacier in the Ice Age), a pebbly beach, and a forest. This is part of Raet National Park. You’ll need to get here by car.
Merdø used to be Arendal’s outport, and is now a small car-free island. It has a rich history from Arendal’s shipping days, and is now a nice spot to stop for a pizza and go for a swim. The ferry to Merdø leaves regularly from Pollen and should be booked ahead of time.
Saunas have been rising in popularity, with good reason. We absolutely love a good sauna session! You might need to bring your own towel and water bottle.
Nidelv Damp: the saunas are on the river so you can jump in when you’re getting warm. This is right by Nidelv Brygge if you want to grab a bite while you’re there!
Sandaa: these are on Tromøya near the national park (could be a day trip with Hove) - they also have cabins if you want to stay the night.
Biestø Båt Badstu: not far from town, also on the water. Fun fact… a seaplane has somehow found its home on top of the sauna.
Skogsbad Høyåsen: for a forest sauna. This was rated Norway’s best new sauna of 2025!
Krøgeneslåven Badstue: if you are staying towards the East, this may be closest to you.
Organise a day out on a RIB boat to see the inner waterways around Arendal - one of the itineraries takes you out to see seals!
Bomuldsfabrikken is a contemporary art gallery in an old cotton factory for those of you who are interested in art.
For a cute little wander around the oldest and most beautiful part of “our” island, head to Utsikten on Hisøy for a scenic view of the ocean, before walking between the quaint and picturesque homes of Gamle Sandvigveien⭐️.
Don’t tell Alf, but there’s lots to do in southern Norway beyond Arendal. If you have access to a car, it’s worthwhile seeing the beautiful coastline and all it hosts. The pretty little towns dotted along the coastline, with all their wooden buildings painted white, have given the region the nickname “string of pearls”.
All of the towns are cute to stop by for a quick visit, listed from North to South below.
From Oslo to Arendal:
Kragerø
Risør (Det Lille Hotel is on Norway’s historic hotels list)
Tvedestrand: easy access to Sandøya, one of the world’s most beautiful islands according to Forbes. It’s a quaint and car-free summer holiday destination for Norwegians.
From Arendal to Kristiansand:
Grimstad: a 20-min drive away, it’s where Henrik Ibsen spent some time and is our go-to for the best restaurant in the vicinity, along with an excellent wine cellar: Smag & Behag. They also own the best bakery in the region, Centralbageri, which also has pizzas and pétanque some days.
Lillesand
Kristiansand: a 45-min drive away, you might be flying into this airport. You should definitely come here regardless to head to Kunstsilo ⭐️ (actually, make that ⭐️⭐️⭐️!): one of Times' 50 must-see places of 2024. A Nordic contemporary arts museum, which is a repurposed grain silo. Make sure you head to the restaurant and bar at the top!
Mandal
Lindesnes: the southernmost point of Norway 1h45-min away, Lindesnes has an old lighthouse and is home to Under ⭐️, if you’re looking for an experience of a meal. This is the only Michelin starred restaurant in the region, whose building was designed by Snøhetta.
WITHIN THE GREATER ARENDAL REGION
We have a lot of travel left to do around Norway. It is small in population, but geographically very big (the coastline is more than twice the circumference of the Equator!). We are not experts on what to see across the country, so make sure you do your own research - visitnorway.com is a good overview.
All that being said, we’ve loved a lot of what we have seen (both together, and of course Alf growing up). A few of our highlights are:
Oslo, our sleepy hippie capital with cool areas like Grünerløkka and the Frognerparken sculpture park, as well as of course the Oslo Opera House and the floating saunas in front of it (look up SALT).
Bergen, the old city on the fjord coast - it’s very worthwhile taking the 7-hour beautiful train there from Oslo through the mountains and glaciers!
Pulpit Rock and Kjerag Bolten for a hike straight out of Mission Impossible (these are on Lysefjorden, which is a very accessible fjord. If you’re driving, you can even get your car onto a ferry and take it all the way to the end of the fjord and continue your drive over the mountains - just make sure to book your car space on the ferry well in advance!)
Tromsø, the remote capital of the North where you’ll find midnight sun at that time of year (kayaking anyone?). This is also where you hear and see the most about Sami culture, the indigenous population of the Nordics.
Other marvels: Geiranger Fjord, Ålesund, Besseggen…
There are of course also so many places we haven’t been but consistently come up as top tourist destinations. Your research should also include the Lofoten Islands (and/or the significantly less touristy, but just as beautiful neighbouring islands!!!), Flåm, Hardangervidda… and probably a lot more.
A reminder: the school holidays start on 20 June, so make sure you get in early with your accommodation bookings!