Discover Vegårshei: Lake, Hiking Trails and Culture

Vegårshei offers several ways to spend time outdoors while also discovering local history: a municipal swimming area in the centre, a large lake, hiking trails, shelters and a small open-air museum. When planning your holiday, you can decide whether to focus on swimming and water, nature and activity, or culture – and then choose suitable places and outings.

Swimming Area and Lake

Vaskarplassen is a municipal swimming area in the centre of Vegårshei. It has a sandy beach, a jetty, a shelter, a barbecue, a toilet building and volleyball facilities. The different amenities offer several ways to spend time at the swimming area: you can swim, relax on the beach, or make use of the facilities for a break and some activity.

Lake Vegår covers 18 square kilometres and has the basins Vestfjorden, Nordfjorden and Sørfjorden. The fish found in the lake include trout, perch, eels, Canadian brook trout and vendace; eels are protected. If you are interested in the area's waters, you will find both a specific figure for the lake's size and the names of the fish species mentioned here.

Hiking Trails and Protected Nature

The Vegårshei hiking map shows marked trails, viewpoints, swimming areas, roads, tractor tracks and unmarked paths. It therefore covers different types of routes and landmarks. In 2022, 25 different hikes were marked in Vegårshei. Some may no longer be marked, but the trails are still there and can be used with the help of maps.

The protected Vegårsvassdraget also includes Vegårshei. It is important for its rivers, lakes and wetlands, as well as for outdoor recreation. Hovdefjell Nature Reserve protects an old-growth spruce forest with a high proportion of yew trees. These different aspects of nature range from water and wetlands to a particularly noteworthy area of woodland.

Cabins for Day Visits

Orrestaua cabin is open year-round and can be used free of charge for day visits. Overnight stays in the cabin are not possible. From there, you can enjoy views across Ettevann and towards Hovdefjell to the west and Grønfjell to the north. If you are planning a day trip with a view, this cabin is a specific destination to consider; however, it is not a place to stay overnight.

The cabin at Knollen can also be used free of charge. It is open to everyone, including individuals, groups, schools and kindergartens. Its stated use differs from that of Orrestaua cabin: free use is mentioned for Knollen, while Orrestaua is additionally described as being open year-round and explicitly restricted to day visits.

Local History and Architecture

Vegårshei Bygdetun presents its collection in twelve buildings at a small open-air museum. Individuals and groups, as well as kindergartens and schools, can visit the exhibitions. The themed Sundays held in summer also offer a chance to experience local history. The buildings and exhibitions provide a different way to discover the area than a day by the water or a hike.

Vegårshei Church is a cruciform church dating from 1808 and was consecrated in 1810. It stands on an automatically protected medieval church site and is an automatically listed heritage church. Its stated features include a decorated ceiling. The year it was built, its consecration, the protected church site and its design give the church several distinct historical and architectural connections.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Stay

When choosing where to stay, it is not just one particular destination that matters, but also which experiences you want to shape your stay as a whole.

If you would like to focus on the village itself, you can also visit the Vegårshei destination page. Other places to discover include Evje, Valle, Lillesand, Åmli, Risør, Arendal and Birkenes.

For the broader travel overview: Aust-Agder.