Arendal: Coast, culture and discoveries

Coastal paths, swimming spots, museums and maritime history offer different ways to explore the region around Arendal. Families can choose from nature experiences, exhibitions and stories about working life in times gone by. When looking for a holiday rental, it helps to decide first what you want to focus on during your stay: should the trip be mainly about the water, or are culture, science and industrial history at the heart of your plans?

Coastal paths, swimming and Merdø

Hove and Spornes have several kilometres of coastal paths. Hovekilen is a swimming spot in the area. This lets you plan excursions around different interests: walking along coastal paths or spending time at a swimming spot. Raet National Park extends along the seaward side of Merdø in the municipality of Arendal, adding another distinctive landscape to the area's natural attractions.

During the summer holidays, the ferry to Merdø departs from the pier at Pollen several times a day. If you want to include a ferry trip in your holiday, Pollen is the departure point to keep in mind. This lets you plan around your interests without treating the coastal paths, swimming spot and ferry pier as a single excursion destination.

Museums with different stories to tell

KUBEN dedicates its exhibitions to the history of Aust-Agder and Arendal. Its dedicated children's exhibition, “Barndom”, offers young visitors a special way to engage with this history. For families who want to explore local history together, this dedicated exhibition area is a specific point of interest. The manor house at Langsæ displays furnishings from the 19th century drawn from the museum collections. Some of KUBEN's old bird collection is also on display in the former classrooms of the household school at Langsæ gård.

The Eydehavn Museum tells the industrial and working-class history of Eydehavn. The first floor focuses on the Arendal Smelteverk and Nitriden plants, as well as the society that developed around these industries. A worker's apartment from the 1920s brings another part of this history to life. The exhibition “Marens minner” is dedicated to the work of coastal women in earlier times. The museum thus presents company history, social change and insights into everyday life as distinct themes.

Bratteklev Shipyard also tells the story of changes in shipping. The shipyard has been almost entirely preserved from the sailing-ship era. Fourteen ships were built there between 1868 and 1924: eight sailing ships, five steamships—two of them made of steel—and one schooner with a diesel engine. Visitors can explore the sawmill, forge, workshops and boathouses. Those interested in crafts and shipbuilding will find a different focus here than in the exhibitions on industrial and social history.

Art, science and new discoveries

Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall focuses on contemporary art and is housed in a former cotton mill. The Gruvene sculpture park includes a path through the mining area that starts on the third floor of Bomuldsfabriken. Guided tours are available for groups, school classes and individuals; visitors should get in touch by email to arrange one. Art, a walk through the mining area and a guided tour are different ways to explore this place.

Vitensenteret Arendal explores the human body, technology, mathematics and marine life across several exhibition areas. It also serves as the visitor centre for Raet National Park. You’ll find it on Arendal’s waterfront, on the ground floor of the Eurekabygget; the large Pollen p-hus car park is right outside. Its wide range of topics gives families several areas of science to choose from, from the human body to life in the sea.

When choosing a holiday rental in Arendal, you can weigh these experiences according to the kind of trip you want: coastal paths and swimming, exhibitions on local history, a look at shipyards and industry, or science for the whole family.

For more information, you can also explore the individual places: Arendal, Færvik, Kilsund, Rykene, Kongshavn, Staubø, Saltrød, Eydehavn, Kolbjørnsvik, Bjorbekk, His.

For the broader travel overview: Aust-Agder.