The 6 Best Budget-friendly Things to do in Aust-Agder, Southern Norway

On the southern part of the island of Tromoy, only 10 minutes from Arendal town by car, bus or boat, there is a beautiful area called Hove. This recreation area is part of a protected moraine that lies along the southern coast. The whole area has been adapted for walks with resting places along the shore. There is a beach and kiosk at Hove camping during the summer season, and several kilometres of smooth rocks. Sundays between September and May, there is a lunch buffet at Hovestua in Hove camp from 12 to 18.  The paths are many and stretches from Hove to Alve, along Spornes beach, consisting of boulders and rocks, and sand when the sea permits. The area is used for hiking both summer and winter, and is suitable for everyone, children and adults. The trip from Hove camping to Alve and back is about 12 kms, and the network of paths allows both short and long trails. Maps for sale at Arendal tourist office, Hove camp, and Bjellandstrand Gard. Parking for instance at Hove camping and Hove camp. Bus no 3 to Tromoy ost leaves Arendal every hour during the day, Monday-Saturday.

Naes Ironworks Museum is located in Tvedestrand, Southern Norway. This is the only one of the old ironworks in Norway where most of the production buildings and equipment are preserved. The most important part of the museum is the blast furnace and the forge. The mechanical workshop has historical exhibitions. The operations at Naes date back to 1665. The ironworks gives a unique opportunity to see how an ironworks was organized, how people lived and worked at there, and how iron and steel were produced. Then visitors get a guided tour inside the production facilities, where the guide tell about how the work was done and demonstrate the rebuilt bellows. In addition to regular tours, the ironworks has many events and activities during the season. Nes Verk is a special national attraction, and a walk along the river Storelva, in the park and on the golf course gives a good picture of this historical area. Guided tours every hour from 11-16 in the summer season.

What is a smooth rocky shore? Cliffs and sandy beaches are very common, but the polished rocky shores are unique to Norway – almost. They do exist in other places, but not many. Stretches of such rock formations can be found from the Swedish west coast and up to Stockholm’s archipelago, and also in Greenland, Scotland, Alaska and possibly New Zealand. The rest of the world, however, does not have anything resembling these beautiful shores we associate with Southern Norway and the Oslo Fjord. The reason is that not many areas fulfil the two conditions required for such polished, smooth rocks to be formed. High-grade metamorphic rock such as gneiss or granite is required, and this coarse-grained formation must have been scoured and rubbed smooth by a thick layer of ice. As old as time itself! The Norwegian rocky shores originated long before the ice arrived - maybe as much as a billion years. Formation started 1.8 billion years ago and ended 1200 million years later. The time-span is almost incomprehensible! When the ice retreated for the last time, the rocky shores were given a last finish and took their current shape. This is only 10 000 years ago. Since then, the land has risen as much as 200 metres in some areas. Hence, the rocky shorescurrently lining the water’s edge were far below sea level and a thousand metres or more under the ice when they were formed. As the ice moved, masses of sand, gravel and stone were pushed in front and below. These deposits were pressed down and rubbed against the bedrock with immense force. This was how Norway’s rocky shores were formed. Soft elements were scoured away, and the hard rock was left polished, smooth and rounded. In several areas, characteristic scour lines are still evident, and some cracks in the actual bedrock can also be seen.

A fun and educational experience for the whole family! In addition to our exhibition area, we also have fun science-activities. Se our website for the daily program. You find the Science Center at the quay in the center of Arendal, and our mini-Science Center in Kristiansand, in the main street. Welcome!

The trinity church is the third church on this site. The first church, a Y-shaped wooden structure, was erected in 1670. A desire to assert the town's status over Kristiansand was probably the motive behind its construction. In the 1830s, the town's shipping industry flourished, the population grew and the church became too small and was therefore demolished in 1832. In 1833, Crown Prince Oscar (Oscar I) laid the foundation stone for an octagonal church. Over the next 50 years, the population of Arendal doubled. According to church law, a church had to have seating which corresponded to the population of the parish, so a new church again had to be built. In 1888, the third church was completed, in spite of the financial collapse of the banks in 1886. It towers above the Arendal skyline with its 87-metre-high tower. The church was ravaged by fire in 1902, but the damage was fortunately not extensive. The large chandelier which now hangs in the church vestibule originates from the town's first church. Copperplate engravings from the 16th century can be seen near the baptismal font. The new pipe organ was built by the German company Werkstätte für Orgelbau Mühleisen, and it has about 3900 pipes between 4 millimetres and 7 metres high. It is (November 2010) the fourth largest church pipe organ in Norway, with 59 voices and built in a German-Romantic style. Opening hours Tuesday-Thursday 1230-1400.

Risør Aquarium is the only public salt water aquarium on the Norwegian south coast, come and visit over 150 fish and sea animals. Children can fish crabs themselves. All fish are feeded at 13.00